Tip of the week: A powerful webcam app
Camo is yet another app that turns your phone into a webcam for video calls, but it’s better than any other option I’ve tried so far. It’s available for Windows and Mac, works with iPhones and Android phones, doesn’t come with any advertising, and has a robust free version along with some powerful paid upgrades.
The developers seem to recognize that Camo is ideal for outdated phones: It works just fine on my old iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 12.5—an iOS version that many others apps have now abandoned—and produces better video than my Logitech C920 webcam.
To use Camo, install the mobile app for iOS or Android, then visit camo.studio on your computer to download the companion desktop software. After plugging your phone into the computer via USB, you can use the Camo desktop app to adjust video settings, and can select “Camo” as your camera source in apps like Zoom and WhatsApp for an instantly-improved picture. Last week, Camo also became the first “virtual camera” app to work with Facetime and Safari, provided you’re running Mac OS 12.3 or higher. (That’s how I learned about it in the first place.)
If you have an Android phone, the process isn’t exactly plug-and-play, as you’ll first need to enable Developer Mode and USB Debugging on your phone—the app provides instructions on doing this—before plugging it into your computer. Camo’s Windows app also needs to install some additional drivers for users who don’t already have iTunes installed.
The free version supports up to 720p video and a handful of color correction presets, while the Pro adds 1080p video, a background-blurring “Portrait” mode, the ability to use the phone’s flash for lighting, and a variety of ways to fine-tune the picture. It costs $5 per month, $40 per year, or $80 for a lifetime license. (You can also save 20% on the monthly or annual plans with the code ASK20.)
The developers have also created a helpful guide to the best mounting options so you can leave your old webcam behind.
Thanks for reading!
Parting thought: Anyone here have a favorite tool for viewing and organizing photos on your own computer? I’ve become intrigued by the idea after being asked about it by readers, and even started looking into self-hosted photo tools like PhotoPrism and NextCloud Photos. Both, however, have deeply technical setup processes that even I’m struggling with. If anyone has other suggestions—or has enjoyed success with the ones I just mentioned—I’m all ears!
Until next week,
Jared