Android 14 beta adds webcam capabilities to your phone. What does this mean? Well, it is simple. This means that supported Pixel devices or Android devices that are eligible for the Android 14 beta can now test the answer of Google to Apple/s continuity camera feature.
Android 14 Beta Webcam Capabilities
The Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 update that was released for Pixel devices on Wednesday as you should know allows an upcoming Android feature to make use of your phone as a webcam. The new webcam capability feature in question doesn’t rely on third-party apps or any form of software and instead requires only physically connecting the phone to a laptop or desktop computer through a USB cable (seen via XDA-Developers).
The feature as you should know is located in the “Charging this device via USB” option that reportedly appears in the notification tray after the phone is well connected. Swapping to the new “Webcam” option within the “Use USB for” section will in question then provide on-screen instructions to help and effectively configure the webcam video feed, with options to effectively zoom in / out and then get to switch between the front and rear cameras of the device.
The New Webcam Feature Is Currently Supported On All of the Pixel Devices Capable Of Running the Beta Update
The new webcam feature as you should know is currently supported on all of the Pixel devices that are capable of running the beta update except for the Pixel Fold. Android beta updates in question are typically first released to Pixel devices, so it is very much likely that the webcam feature will most eventually be available across Android phones from other brands when Android 14 is finally released to general availability.
Third-Party Apps That Facilitate Utilizing Your Android Phone as a Webcam
There have been some third-party apps such as EpocCam and DroidCam that have been available for a while now that facilitate utilizing your Android phone as a webcam, but this in question as you should also know will be the very first feature that is natively built directly into the Android platform. Cameras on modern phones as you should know tend to be far better than traditional webcams, most especially those that are built into laptops, so this in question should provide a quick (as well as free) way to upgrade the quality of your streams or video feeds during meetings when Android 14 is finally released in October.
The Only Downside to the New Update
The need however for a cabled connection is quite a tad bit disappointing, considering the Continuity Camera of Apple which in question substitutes the camera of an iPhone for the webcam when taking calls on a MacBook is completely wireless. But just because the webcam feature of Android is built on the USB Video Class (UVC) standard, it should seamlessly work across all systems without any restrictions and this is including Windows, Chromebook, Linux, and even on Mac.
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