Use an Android phone as a webcam in Windows 11 (Insider preview)

A poorly placed laptop webcam can make a call awkward. In March 2024, Microsoft began rolling out a Windows 11 preview that lets an Android phone or tablet appear as a camera source in PC video apps. It gives you another camera position without a USB cable, but it is not a feature every Windows 11 PC can use yet.

As of 25 March 2024, this was a gradual Windows Insider rollout. Microsoft had expanded it to all Insider channels on 19 March, while warning that rollout was still gradual. These steps follow Microsoft's published requirements; we have not tested every handset or video-call app. Microsoft's Insider announcement

What you need

Microsoft's 19 March instructions list these requirements:

A Windows 11 PC receiving the connected-camera preview through the Windows Insider Program.
An Android phone or tablet running Android 9.0 or later.
The BETA version of the Link to Windows phone app, version 1.24012\* or later.
The Cross Device Experience Host update delivered through Microsoft Store.

The rollout is gradual, so meeting the phone requirements does not guarantee that the camera setting has reached your PC. Microsoft's February overview introduced the feature as a forthcoming Windows 11 experience; its later Insider post is the dated setup guidance for this preview. Windows 11 feature overview

Connect the phone and turn on camera access

Check the Link to Windows app on your phone. Confirm that the phone runs Android 9 or later and that Link to Windows is the BETA app at version 1.24012* or newer. The asterisk is part of Microsoft's version notation.
Make sure the phone is linked to your PC. This is a connected-device feature; it does not replace the normal Phone Link setup.
Open the connected-device settings in Windows. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices, then choose Manage devices.
Allow the PC to access the Android device. Follow the prompt for the phone you want to use. Microsoft says a Cross Device Experience Host update from Microsoft Store is also required; let that update finish before testing the camera.
Choose the phone in your video app. Open the app's camera settings or preview and select the connected phone as its camera. Microsoft describes the preview as usable in video applications on Windows 11, though the name shown in a camera list can depend on the app.
Check the picture before joining a call. Put the phone on a steady stand, frame the shot, and confirm the preview in the call app. Microsoft's connected-camera controls can switch between the phone's front and rear cameras, pause the stream, and apply effects supported by that phone model.

If the camera option is missing

There is no Mobile devices setting or phone entry. Check that the PC is running a Windows Insider build and that the phone is linked. The March rollout was gradual, so the feature may not have arrived on that PC yet.
The phone is listed, but the camera does not appear in the call app. Confirm that Windows is allowed to access the device and that Microsoft Store finished updating Cross Device Experience Host. Close and reopen the video app, then check its camera list again.
The phone does not meet the listed requirements. Check the Android version and Link to Windows BETA version before changing Windows settings. The Microsoft announcement does not provide a device-by-device compatibility list.
It still does not work. Microsoft directed Insiders to send feedback through Feedback Hub with Win + F, under Devices and Drivers > Linked devices.

Do not treat a missing setting as proof that the phone is incompatible. The feature was being gradually released to Insider PCs, and Microsoft's post did not promise that every eligible PC would receive it at once.

Should you try the preview?

If you already use a Windows Insider build, the connected camera is a practical way to test whether your phone gives you a better position for calls. Try it first in the video app's preview, and keep the phone secure on a stand.

If your PC is on a regular Windows 11 build and you do not want preview software, wait for a general-availability announcement instead of enrolling only for this feature. Microsoft's 19 March post described the Insider rollout but did not set a release date for every Windows 11 PC.