Video calls have become an integral part of our communication. Modern smartphones are quite good at this task. For video conferencing or streaming, this is extremely important.
But it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on an expensive webcam. After all, you have a camera of excellent quality on your smartphone. And it can easily be used instead of a webcam.
This review covers the best webcam apps, which are great for these purposes.
1. iVCam
The design of the iVCam app is reminiscent of the conservative and traditional design. It is to provide a list of all the configurable parameters. The following parameters are included:
- Video parameters
- Effects
- Power management
- Motion detection
- Sensors
- Interface
- Connection settings: Authentication and port
- Other
The app iVCam supports HD video resolution up to 1080p, depending on the capabilities of your phone. Photo resolution remains the same as normal photos.
Portrait mode can work better under certain circumstances. Such as participating in an interview.
When taking photos on some phones, the app first takes a mirror shot and then converts it to a perspective shot. You can choose to “flip” with “use the front camera”.
It will help you to feel more comfortable when shooting video.
Motion detection is a basic function that can be used for security purposes. This feature does not need much interaction with the web interface.
When you leave home, you can place your phone in a place where no one will enter. Including pets. As soon as an intruder appears in the house, the app iVCam will start recording videos.
In the professional version, you can take advantage of even more events.
For the best use of this feature, you can activate the night vision mode.
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2. IP Webcam
It is worth noting the possibility of using the app for network and remote video shooting.
The first thing this application offers is the ability to configure it. Indeed, without the initial configuration of the program will be difficult to use.
It should be noted that the program supports cyclic recording. Video shooting will take place in a circle with different time intervals.
The latter can be set as desired, depending on the device’s memory. As a result, you get not one big file, but a kind of series, which is easy to understand.
Besides, it is possible to choose a place to store the record. By default, it is saved in the “videos” folder.
Also, you can change the video resolution. It depends on the camera of the device. Thus, you decide for yourself what quality is needed.
This solution is very helpful if you have a low Internet speed or a small amount of phone memory.
Here you can change the orientation of the video, which can be a portrait, landscape and upside down.
3. Webcams
Here you can use a wireless network or the Internet to broadcast video. Have a motion sensor and the ability to “communicate”.
Besides, there is a multi-tenant model for simultaneous video surveillance.
After you scroll through the banners with features, you will be offered options for using the app Webcams.
Then you are offered to register.
In the settings you can enable notifications, some smart mode, put the machine on the night vision. For this purpose, a light sensor is used.
You can also create a circle of trust, that is, share video surveillance with others. Rename the camera name, which is useful when there is more than one camera.
It should be noted that the app works in the same way and without warning, both wirelessly and over the Internet. That is, what it finds, it uses, so don’t forget about the traffic.
Besides, the motion sensor is configured on the device by setting its sensitivity. There is no fine-tuning, only three modes are available – low, medium and high.
It is better to set it to low, otherwise, the recording will work for everything.
It is worth noting the possibility of auto-refreshing the camera if it hangs for some reason.
4. DroidCam Wireless Webcam
You can turn on the mirror image in the application or use only the front camera. But that’s not all.
You can change focus, adjust the screen refresh rate, select a scene, set white balance, and set a color filter.
The app DroidCam Wireless Webcam includes the Night Vision effect. This manually sets the shutter speed per frame as well as the intensity of many of a certain number.
You can control the charge of your device while the application is running. Set the inactivity period manually here.
You can also stop video surveillance and recording when the camera is not in use. Automatically turn off the screen when not in use.
Sleep Mode locks the last option and completely disables the screen.
You can also activate the motion sensor in the application settings. But, this increases battery life even when the camera is turned off. Adjust its sensitivity.
The default value is 250. But for a small room, this will be a little too much. As the recording is triggered by the slightest hand oscillation in front of the lens.
In general, it’s better to experiment on your own, because it all depends on the local conditions.
5. AtHome Camera: Home Security
The AtHome Camera: Home Security application is designed to use the functions of webcams.
It monitors and records audio or video information. The app allows you to capture any “extra” movements on the screen.
The program has a rich window of options, thanks to which you can customize it.
Other features such as rotate, focus, zoom in and patrol mode are also available.
Depending on your requirements, recording can be done in several ways. The camera can start capturing the image according to a preset schedule.
As well as when motion is detected. Recorded videos can be saved in any available formats.
Simultaneous recording and playback are available in the application AtHome Camera: Home Security. Flexible settings for “scheduled recording”, “event recording”, “cheap recording”, “manual recording”.
Detects important events in the database using the motion bar graph. Data can be exported manually or according to a schedule.
Instructions on working with the program are presented below in PDF format. If you do not see the instructions, update the application AtHome Camera: Home Security.
6. Camo
In the app settings, you can select the front camera as the main camera. It will help you to connect to and assign the phone’s microphone to capture sound.
Once the application Camo is set up, it will capture the video signal from your phone’s camera.
First of all, the application differs from other similar programs in the wide range of camera settings. It lets you customize the video: set contrast and brightness, change resolution, and so on.
With the power of this application, you will finally be able to use a high-end webcam without having to buy a new one. This application contains a balanced and professional functionality.
Fortunately, once you’ve set up your camera, you don’t have to reconfigure it. Clear instructions on how to set up your camera will help you to achieve the desired result.
In general, the app Camo is worth a try in action.
7. IP Cam Viewer Lite
The IP Cam Viewer Lite app is a great replacement for a standard webcam.
The application’s interface is quite ascetic, but it has everything you need. You can set a login and password for the client application.
The application IP Cam Viewer Lite supports streaming the largest possible resolution of the camera. It is also possible to set the video resolution through the mobile app.
The interesting thing is to use your phone as a CCTV camera. You can watch the broadcast in real-time.
In the app IP Cam Viewer Lite, you can view the number of frames per second, data transfer rate, frame size, and network status.
There are portrait/landscape, frontal/main camera, backlight with the flash. Night mode is available.
Speaking of recording, you can record not only video but also audio. And to start recording, you need to hold the corresponding button down for two seconds.
You can then share the video with others in all available ways.
This free app works without any restrictions and does not need any built-in purchases. Besides, there is no annoying advertising here.
8. BYU-I Webcams
This program allows you to install a virtual webcam on your phone.
You can broadcast any video to it. Both from a real camera and just video clips stored in the gallery of your mobile device.
The process of turning a phone into a webcam may seem complicated. But the configuration does not cause any difficulties.
When you start the application, you will see a list of settings. As a rule, you don’t have to change them, you just have to go down to the bottom and choose “Run”.
Now you need to connect to the camera of your mobile device.
The quality of the webcam image will depend on the resolution settings in the smartphone app. If you do not know the exact value, leave this setting unchanged.
Once the image appears in the app BYU-I Webcams, select the virtual camera in the settings of the voice program you want to use.
You also need to be able to zoom in and view the archive and save or export videos.
As for the settings, they are limited to changing the password, disabling notifications.
9. MScopes for USB Camera / Webcam
It can be broadcasted both over the local network and over the Internet.
This application supports many services for communication. It is also possible to use not only your smartphone’s camera but also its microphone for video calls.
Often the phone’s microphone is much better than the computer’s microphone. This is also a benefit of using the smartphone as a webcam.
The program allows you to use the phone as a webcam.
You can reduce the resolution of the video stream in the app settings using the hardware key. Find this option in the “Settings” menu. Here you can go to the “System” submenu and then to “Developer Settings”.
But that’s not all. Advanced settings adjust the screen refresh rate, color effect, and so on.
You’ll like the real-time graph of the sensors. As well as the ability to turn on the GPS and view the location of the camera on the map.
On the Video Archive tab, you can view all the footage and delete it if necessary.
10. Iriun 4K Webcam for PC and Mac
Here you can configure all the settings for convenient and high-quality video recording.
You can configure the interface to display data. For example, you can deactivate the motion sensor and enable the sound sensor.
With regard to the sound sensor setting, there is also a timeout and sensitivity. You can start recording video not only by movement but also by the noise around the camera.
Besides, you can set up separate actions to trigger the motion sensor. For example, to stop recording if there is no activity in front of the camera or to playback sound if it was noticed.
You can also overlay the date, time, and even battery level on the recording. You can choose the date format, display position, color, background, and text size.
You can add focus control, a video and a photo button, and a title. It is also possible to set a slider for fast rewinding or to insert text commenting on what is happening.
11. CameraFi
The CameraFi application has all the necessary functions of a webcam.
The app settings are easy to understand for beginners as well as for ordinary users. And they are flexible enough and allow you to configure the camera of any quality.
In the application CameraFi, you can focus, stop and switch to the background of your camera. You can also activate the flash or turn off the display to save power.
Besides, you can also mask the camera. For example, the recording will go on, but the smartphone will display a browser, a desktop. The open server will also be moved to the background.
Interface elements can be deleted. This is done by analogy with the removal of widgets and icons from the desktop. After all the manipulations, the settings are saved.
In the application CameraFi, you can completely deactivate audio recording or leave only it. By the way, for all this, you can disable any notifications of the program and autoload.
Besides, you can activate a recording or circular recording by assigning a name to the last one. As well as taking a photo. Zooming, manual quality control and shutter speed are also required.
You can remotely turn on night vision, flash, focus, and switch between the front and main cameras.
12. Wi-Fi Webcam
Wake up your senses from watching your hometown, beautiful cities, and mysterious places.
Have you ever wanted to visit interesting places? But work or daily tasks do not allow? Don’t worry about it anymore.
This program has good functionality. It has resulted in recognition among a large number of users.
With its help, you can not only view the places where available cameras are located. You can also capture both photos and videos, even in automatic mode, where the user is not required to be present.
Everything that the webcam captures with this program is stored in a separate file. It can be viewed at any time.
Besides, the app allows you to browse in real-time everything that is being recorded.
By the way, the app Wi-Fi Webcam has provided for the limitation of recording when an amount of memory is reached. But, the recording will not be stopped, and just begin to overwrite the old clips on the new ones.
You also set the threshold of free space on your own.
13. IP WebCam
The settings allow you to specify a server. Here all archive records will be saved and to which you can access to view any of them. Also here you can choose how to capture video.
Besides, you can set the resolution of the image and select the audio source.
On the “Compression” tab you can specify its percentage. But remember that the more the image is compressed, the less information will be saved.
The same tab also allows you to compress the recorded sound.
The item “Motion” allows you to activate and configure the motion sensor. So that it does not work in vain, starting the video recording once again.
The app IP WebCam provides an opportunity to configure the OSD menu. It contains fonts, background, and information displayed in the window.
Besides, it is possible to add a random world camera, access to which is allowed by its owner. This function allows you to see what is happening in any other city on the planet.
In the lower right corner of this window, there is a help icon. Clicking on it you can get any information you are interested in. You will learn a lot not only about the program itself and its features but also articles on the subject.
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