Windows may soon be able to stream your Android phone’s camera via Phone Link

Ben Schoon | Nov 29 2023 - 11:40 am PT

Microsoft has been building out its Phone Link tool for connecting Windows and Android together, and it seems it may soon support a new feature in streaming your phone’s camera to your computer.

The idea of using your smartphone as a webcam has been around for a while but took on a new importance during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as webcam hardware was scarce. While that’s since cooled down, the capability is still useful and getting more official support. For example, Apple supports using an iPhone as a webcam on macOS in recent updates.

Android 14 also introduces official support for using an Android device as a webcam for a computer.

Now, Microsoft seems to be pushing for the option. As spotted by Android Authority, a recent update for Phone Link contains code that suggests users may be able to use their Android phone’s camera on Windows. Specifically, a notification would appear saying, “Tap this notification to allow your PC to stream your camera video.” There are also strings related to pausing and resuming the video, as well as strings referencing if the phone is too hot to stream.

Also mentioned are video effects, including HDR, various filters, stabilization, and more.

However, throughout the code shared, there’s no direct mention of using the phone’s camera as a webcam. So, for now, it’s unclear if that is Microsoft’s intended goal. That said, it’s hard to imagine there are many other use cases in mind for this. “Auto-framing” is also mentioned alongside filters and modes, which really points to this being used with a person in the frame.

We don’t know when this feature might debut, but it seems within the realm of possibility it could arrive early next year. In the past, Microsoft has debuted new features for this app, formerly called “Link to Windows,” alongside Samsung’s smartphone launches. Microsoft is also gearing up for new Windows hardware with Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X Elite chip.