What you need to know
- The Galaxy S26 lets you use your phone as a webcam on a PC via a simple USB-C.
- Android added native webcam support previously, but Samsung is only now bringing it to its flagship phones.
- You can use rear or front cameras, with a high quality mode that transmits better video but can heat up the phone.
If you’ve ever been on a Zoom call and felt like the camera quality wasn’t great, you’ve probably thought about using your Android phone as a webcam. The Galaxy S26 finally supports this, allowing you to use it as a webcam for video calls on PCs and laptops.
Google introduced support for using Android phones as webcams with Android 14 QPR1 in 2023. This came shortly after the COVID period, when many people were using iPhones as webcams for video calls on Mac. Google added similar functionality over USB for Android.
With Android 15The company further improved video quality, but not many Android manufacturers adopted the feature. With the Galaxy S26 seriesSamsung finally brings it.
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How he saw it Android AuthorityYou can now use the Galaxy S26 series as a webcam for video calls on PCs and laptops by simply connecting it via a USB-C cable. Once connected, you will see a new webcam option in the USB settings.
Once selected, you will be able to use both the rear cameras (main and ultra-wide) and the front camera for video calls. It’s also worth noting that the feature supports High Quality mode, which streams higher bitrate video to your PC, although this may cause the phone to heat up slightly during use.
If you think this feature is not new, you are actually right. It’s been available, including wirelessly, within the Samsung ecosystem for quite some time now. However, this is the first time Samsung has offered broader USB support.
For now, the feature is limited to the Galaxy S26 series, meaning even Galaxy S25 series devices One UI 8.5 beta I can’t access it. It could be hardware related, but since Google introduced it with Android 14, it seems unlikely. Samsung can still bring it to older devices with a future A user interface Update 8.5, but for now it is exclusive to the S26 line.
Android Central’s opinion
It makes you wonder why it took so long. This is something Google and Samsung could have pushed much sooner, especially during the pandemic.
Still, it’s nice to see it finally arrive. An added benefit is that you can also charge your phone while using this feature if your laptop is plugged in, meaning you can use it for long meetings without worrying about battery life.
