Android 14 might adopt this handy iPhone webcam feature
Android 14 may introduce Google's version of Apple's Continuity Camera feature, which allows an iPhone camera to be used as an improved Mac webcam.
A new "DeviceAsWebcam" tool has been spied in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code, suggesting the handy feature could be on the way in a future release.
The code, identified by Mishaal Rahman and reported by 9to5Google, points to a feature that is exactly as the name suggests. The submission reads as follows:
“DeviceAsWebcam is a new service that turns an Android device into a webcam. It requires access to all the services a regular application needs access to, and it requires read/write permission to the /dev/video* nodes, which is how the Linux kernel mounts the UVC gadget.
AOSP
If the feature were to come to fruition, it would likely allow owners of Android 14 devices to improve the quality of their laptop's webcam for video conferencing, live video streaming, and more.
It seems that Google's incarnation of the technology might be a bit more flexible than Apple's, which only works between iOS and macOS technology. The report says it will roll out the USB Video Class (UVC) standard, which means you should be able to use it on Windows laptops as well.
Apple's version of the technology allows multiple cameras to be used simultaneously, making it possible to capture items on the desktop as well as the user's face. It's amazing for creating how-to videos, for example. The bokeh effect provided by portrait mode also allows users to blur their messy background during video calls.
Bottom line: Most desktop and laptop webcams are lower quality and this would be a great way to improve quality without buying an external webcam. Do it, Google.
