Get PhoneCam working

First, pick the right way in

A web page can’t add a camera to your computer, and that includes PhoneCam installed as an app. The installed app shows the picture, but Windows and macOS won’t list it as a camera. Choose the way in that matches where the video needs to go:

• A meeting in Chrome or Edge (Google Meet, Teams, Zoom, Discord, Whereby, Jitsi or Webex in the browser): install the PhoneCam extension. It adds a camera called PhoneCam.
• A desktop app (PowerPoint, the Zoom or Teams app, Webex, FaceTime): use OBS with Virtual Camera, then pick OBS Virtual Camera in the app.
• Nothing to install: open the receiver, choose Share a tab and share that tab in the meeting. People see a screen share, not a camera tile.

PhoneCam isn’t in the meeting’s camera list

• Make sure the meeting runs in Chrome, Edge, Brave or Arc. Firefox and Safari aren’t supported yet.
• Reload the meeting tab after you install the extension. Tabs that were already open don’t see it.
• Pair with the QR code in the extension’s popup (click the PhoneCam icon in the toolbar). The installed app and the receiver page each have their own code, so a phone streaming to them doesn’t reach the extension.
• Check the camera on its own at phonecam.app/#/check. If the picture shows there, the problem is in the meeting app’s camera setting.
• If you use the Zoom or Teams desktop app, the extension can’t reach it. Use OBS instead, as above.

The meeting shows the PhoneCam logo instead of you

The PhoneCam logo with a slowly pulsing ring means the meeting is connected to PhoneCam but no picture is arriving from the phone yet. The extension popup says what it is waiting for.

• Keep the PhoneCam screen open and in front on the phone. An iPhone pauses the camera when you switch apps or lock the screen.
• Tap Start on the phone again. The picture comes back on the same camera, so you don’t need to reselect it in the meeting.
• If the phone was paired a long time ago or you changed browsers on it, use Pair a different phone in the extension’s popup and scan again.

The phone can’t connect

• Put the phone and the computer on the same Wi-Fi. That gives the fastest, most reliable connection.
• Some office, school and hotel networks, and some mobile data, block direct connections. PhoneCam then sends the encrypted video through Cloudflare’s relay, which can take a few extra seconds.
• A VPN on either device can block the connection. Pause it and try again.
• Each QR code pairs one phone, once. If a second phone scans a code that’s already used, it won’t connect. Use New code in the extension, or reload the receiver, to get a fresh one.

The phone asks for the camera, or the picture is black

• iPhone: Settings → Safari → Camera → Allow. If you added PhoneCam to the home screen, open it from there and allow the camera when asked.
• Android: in Chrome, tap the icon next to the address, then Permissions → Camera → Allow.
• Close other apps that might be using the camera, such as a video call on the phone.

The picture is blurry or lags

• Move closer to the Wi-Fi router, or plug the computer into the network with a cable.
• Choose a lower quality (480 or 720) on the phone if the network is slow.
• Wipe the phone’s lens and face a window or a lamp. More tips are in why a camera looks soft.
• Keep the phone on a charger for long calls. A hot phone can lower its own frame rate.

Remove PhoneCam

• Extension: open chrome://extensions (or edge://extensions) and click Remove under PhoneCam. Its saved pairing is deleted with it.
• Installed app on the computer: open the app, click the menu at the top right and choose Uninstall.
• On the phone: press and hold the PhoneCam icon and remove it, or just close the tab.

Report a problem

Email kaysarulanas2@gmail.com or open a GitHub issue. It helps if you include:

• The phone and its browser (for example, iPhone 13 with Safari).
• The computer and its browser (for example, Windows 11 with Chrome).
• The way in you used: extension, Share a tab or OBS.
• The meeting app, and what you saw. A screenshot is very helpful.

Please don’t send pairing codes or QR codes. We never need them.

Privacy

The video goes from your phone to your computer over an encrypted connection. We never see it, and nothing is recorded. The full details are in the privacy policy.

Open the receiver Read the guides