Google recently pushed the first beta test version of Android 14 QPR1 to Pixel 4a 5G and newer phones, bringing a number of feature upgrades.
According to foreign media 9To5Google, Pixel devices running Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 are getting a new feature that can use the phone camera as a webcam for a desktop or laptop computer.
▲Image source 9To5Google
In the new system, users do not need to download any apps from the Google Play Store and only need a phone running Android 14 and a USB cable to establish a connection. However, this function cannot be connected wirelessly like Apple’s iOS ecosystem, so the convenience is still somewhat poor.
▲ Apple iOS 16 / macOS 13 Ventura Continuous Camera
However, the advantage of this solution is that it is highly compatible and is based on the USB Video Class (or UVC) standard, which has no platform restrictions, which means that an Android phone can be connected to a PC, Chromebook, Mac or even a Linux PC for video calls.
According to foreign media testing, after connecting the Android phone to the computer using a USB data cable, selecting the “Android Camera” option will trigger a new notification labeled “Device as Webcam”. Click the notification to enter a new application, which can be found in Preview and adjust camera parameters.
For example, users can switch between 1.0x and 2.0x (digital) zoom, manually pinch the screen for finer zoom, or switch between the front and rear cameras.
▲Image source 9To5Google
According to previous reports, the first beta version of Android 14 QPR1 also brings a number of functional improvements, such as App aspect ratio adjustment, lock screen UI optimization in landscape mode, etc.
