With Android 14 QPR1, Google introduced a feature that lets you use a Pixel phone as a webcam with your PC. Years later, Android manufacturers have yet to widely adopt this handy feature. Samsung is finally stepping in by adding support for USB webcam mode to the Galaxy S26 series.
There are plenty of third-party Android apps that enable you to use your phone as a webcam with your PC. Amidst the pandemic and taking a cue from iPhone’s Continuity Camera feature, Google added a similar option natively to Pixels with Android 14 QPR1 in late 2023. Unfortunately, even after all these years, this feature is yet to make its way to most other Android phones.
With the Galaxy S26, Samsung has added support for USB webcam mode to its 2026 flagships (via Android Authority). This means you can use your phone as a webcam for video calls on your PC by simply connecting it with a USB cable.
It even includes the more powerful High Quality Mode that streams the video at a higher bitrate for better quality. Since this mode consumes more power, your Galaxy S26 Ultra may heat up when this mode is enabled.
The “Webcam” option will appear on the phone’s screen whenever you connect it to a PC through a USB cable.
Your Galaxy phone can act as a wireless webcam, too
Within Samsung’s ecosystem, it was already possible to use your Galaxy phone’s camera as a webcam through the Camera Sharing feature. Unlike Google’s implementation, it works wirelessly, making it more convenient to use. However, the feature is limited to Samsung-branded PCs and tablets, greatly limiting its reach.
The USB webcam mode feature is not available in the One UI 8.5 beta for the Galaxy S25. But Samsung may add it in the final public release, expanding the feature beyond the Galaxy S26, especially since it does not require any extra hardware to work.
While laptops now come with at least a usable webcam, smartphones can provide better video and audio quality thanks to their larger sensors.
Hopefully, a wider adoption of this feature will also push Google to improve the USB webcam mode further — wireless support and a more seamless experience would be nice. The current implementation is pretty barebones — you can’t switch between front and rear cameras.
