Use your phone as a webcam or microphone for your computer
Your phone's camera is almost always sharper than the webcam built into a laptop. With OmniBeam you can use it as a webcam or a microphone for your Windows PC or Mac in a minute, straight from the browser: no app on the phone, no account, and no cable.
Start in three steps
- Open omnibeam.site on the phone and on the computer. On the same Wi‑Fi they find each other by themselves. On different networks, pair them once with the QR code or the 6-digit code.
- On the phone, tap the computer's card, then More… and Be its webcam or mic. Or, on the computer, open More… on the phone's card and choose Use as webcam or mic; the phone then opens the camera window by itself.
- Choose Camera and mic, Camera only or Mic only, pick the front or back camera and 720p or 1080p, and tap Start. The picture shows up live on the computer.
Put the phone on a stand or lean it against something, and keep OmniBeam open on it while you use it. The back camera gives the best picture; the front one lets you see yourself on the phone.
Use it in OBS
- On the computer, click Pop out in the camera window. A clean window called OmniBeam camera opens, with only the picture in it.
- In OBS, add a Window Capture source (on a Mac, macOS Screen Capture set to a window) and pick the OmniBeam camera window. Crop and resize it like any other source.
Use it in Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams
A website can't add a new camera to Windows or macOS by itself; only installed software can. The free way is OBS's built-in virtual camera:
- Set up the OmniBeam camera window in OBS as above.
- In OBS, click Start Virtual Camera.
- In Zoom, Meet or Teams, open the video settings and choose OBS Virtual Camera as the camera.
For the sound, the phone's microphone plays on the computer. To use it as the microphone of a meeting app, install a free virtual audio cable such as VB-CABLE, choose it under Use it in Zoom, Meet, Teams or OBS → Sound plays on in OmniBeam's camera window, and pick it as the microphone in the meeting app. In OBS you can simply capture the sound with the window, or add the cable as an audio input.
Private by design
The picture and sound go straight from the phone to the computer over an encrypted WebRTC connection, the same way your files do. Nothing is recorded or stored, not on the phone, not on the computer and not on our server. When no direct route exists between the two networks, an encrypted relay passes the stream along without being able to see it. Either device can stop it at any time.
Tips for a better picture
- Use the same Wi‑Fi for the phone and the computer: the picture is smoother than over mobile data.
- Face a window or a lamp. Phones make a clean picture even in dim light, but light from the front always helps.
- Choose 1080p for recordings and streams, 720p for long video calls or a slower network.
- Use Mirror on the computer if text behind you should read the right way round, or if you prefer to see yourself like in a mirror.
- Keep the phone plugged in for long calls. OmniBeam keeps the phone's screen on while the camera is live.
Questions and answers
Do I need to install an app on my phone?
No. It works in the phone's browser: Safari on an iPhone or iPad, Chrome or any modern browser on Android. The computer needs only a browser too, plus OBS if you want the picture in Zoom, Meet or Teams.
Does it work with an iPhone and a Windows PC?
Yes. Any phone with a camera works with any computer: iPhone with Windows, Android with a Mac, an iPad with a Chromebook, and so on.
Can I use only the microphone?
Yes. Choose Mic only on the phone. The computer shows a sound level so you can see it working, and the sound can go to a virtual audio cable for meeting apps.
Can I switch between the front and back camera?
Yes, at any time with Switch camera, even while the computer is watching. You can also mute the microphone on the phone with Mute mic.
Is there a delay?
On the same Wi‑Fi the delay is usually a fraction of a second, which is fine for video calls. Over different networks it depends on the connection.
Is it free?
Yes. OmniBeam is free, with no account and no watermark on the picture.