Connect A Phone As A Webcam Using Settings Bluetooth And Devices Mobile Devices

What You Need Before You Start

Both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi 📶 network and have Bluetooth 🔷 turned on to ensure the setup works correctly without dropping the connection.

• A Windows computer running Windows 11.
• An Android phone or an iPhone.
• The Link to Windows app installed on your phone.
• Both your computer and your phone must connect to the same Wi-Fi 📶 network.
• Both devices must have Bluetooth 🔷 turned on.

If a pop-up window asks for permission or an administrator password, ask the person who manages your computer for help.

Step 1Update Your Windows Computer

Updating your Windows computer is necessary because the feature to connect a phone as a webcam relies on recent system updates. You can check for new updates by opening the Settings ⚙️ menu, selecting Windows Update 🔃, and downloading ⬇️ any pending files so your computer supports the camera feature.

1. Click the Start button ⊞ on your taskbar 🖥️.
2. Type Settings and press Enter, or click the Settings ⚙️ gear icon.

   

3. Click on Windows Update 🔃 on the left side or near the top of the window.

Click the button that says Check for updates 🔃. If your computer finds any updates, let them download and install. You may need to restart your 🔄 computer when the installation finishes.

Step 2Prepare Your Phone

Next, you need to get your phone ready to talk to your computer. Android and iPhone users take slightly different paths here, but both are very straightforward.

For Android Users

1. Open the Google Play Store on your phone.
2. Search for the Link to Windows app.

If you already have the Link to Windows app on your phone, make sure you update the Link to Windows app to the newest version. If you do not have the Link to Windows app on your phone, tap Install.

For iPhone Users

1. Open the Apple App Store on your phone.
2. Search for the Link to Windows app.
3. Tap Get or the download icon to install it.

Step 3Connect a Phone as a Webcam Using Settings Bluetooth and Devices Mobile Devices

To connect a phone as a webcam using Settings Bluetooth and devices Mobile devices, open your computer Settings and navigate to the Bluetooth & devices section. Click on Mobile devices and turn on the switch that allows your PC to manage and link your smartphone.

1. Open the Start menu on your computer and click on Settings.
2. Click on Bluetooth & devices from the menu on the left side.

   

3. Click on Mobile devices from the main options on the right.
4. Toggle the switch to turn on mobile device access for your computer.

   

5. Click the button that says Manage devices or Add device.
6. A window will pop up on your screen showing a square barcode, known as a QR code (quick response code).
7. Open the Link to Windows app on your phone.
8. Use your phone to scan the QR code shown on your computer screen.
9. Follow the quick prompts on both your phone screen and your computer screen to confirm the connection. Allow any permissions your phone asks for, such as permission to use the camera.

Step 4Turn on the Camera Experience in Windows

Enabling the camera experience in Windows requires you to go back into the Mobile devices menu under Bluetooth & devices in your computer settings. Find your linked phone in the list and click the toggle switch next to Use as a connected camera to finish the setup.

1. Open Settings on your computer.
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices and select Mobile devices.

   

3. Look for your connected phone in the list.
4. Click the toggle switch next to Use as a connected camera to turn it on.

Your computer may ask you to install a quick system update for the camera feature. If it does, click Install and wait a moment for it to finish.

Step 5Test Your New Phone Webcam

Testing your new phone webcam is simple once you finish linking your devices and turning on the camera settings in Windows. Open the built-in Camera app from your Start menu and click the camera-switch icon until your phone feed appears on the screen.

1. Click the Start button on your taskbar.
2. Type Camera and open the built-in Camera app.
3. Look at the top corner of the Camera app window for a small camera-switch icon (it usually looks like a camera with rotating arrows).
4. Click that icon until your phone camera starts streaming to your computer screen.
5. Wave at your phone to confirm the video moves smoothly.

Summary

Summarising the process, you can easily use your phone as a webcam on Windows 11 without paying for extra apps by pairing your updated devices over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The built-in Windows Settings menu lets you link your phone and turn it into a high-quality camera for your video calls.