Using any android mobile device as a camera for Zoom meetings (Using a windows PC)

[williamgriffiths19]

As the technology specialist for my branch, I have been experimenting with various ways to broadcast our meeting with zoom using what I already have lying around. I discovered last week that any windows device can connect to any android device and use that android device's camera as a video input on the windows computer. With this feature you can put any android phone on a stand as a video and audio input to broadcast the meeting.

Firstly, you need to open Phone Link on windows, which requires a Microsoft account to use. You need to link your android phone to the computer using the provided instructions.
Secondly, you need to make sure you enable "Use as a connected camera" option in window's Mobile Device settings, in the Manage Devices window.
Thirdly, ensure that both the computer and mobile device are connected to the same internet. For example if you are in a church building they should both be connected to "Liahona".
Finally, in any app that takes a video input source, such as Zoom, you can switch the video input to the "[Device Name] (Windows Virtual Camera)" option. Once selected, it will attempt to connect to the mobile device. If successful, it will show you the video stream coming from your device's camera. A small dialogue window will appear with two options, one to switch the camera from the front to the back, second to pause the video stream.

That's it! With this, you can now use your android mobile device, provided that you are hosting the Zoom meeting on a windows device, as a video camera (and audio input) for any church meeting.

I thought this might be helpful for anyone who doesn't have a dedicated device for Zoom meetings or who wants to use a minimal setup.

[sbradshaw]

Nice!
This is also available on macOS when connecting to an iPhone. But unfortunately, Android to macOS or iPhone to Windows is more difficult (or may not be possible).
https://support.apple.com/en-sg/guide/mac-help/mchl77879b8a/mac

[russellhltn]

I think it's possible to do Zoom all on the phone and do away with the Windows/Mac PC. But then it gets harder to control remotely.