GoKawiilHadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR Google brought a native USB webcam mode to Pixel phones back with Android 14 QPR1.
Now Samsung supports the same webcam functionality with the Galaxy S26 series.
It’s unclear yet if Samsung will update older devices with the same support.
For a whole lot of us, our smartphones are the best cameras we own. And it’s only understandable, then, that when you’re trying to get the best image quality, you’d want to use that camera in as many places you can. If you just picked up a Samsung Galaxy S26, we’ve got some good news for you, as this year Samsung’s delivering a useful new camera feature.
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Of all the cameras we neglect in our lives, webcams have got to be up near the top of the list. Maybe you just use whatever’s built in to your laptop, or you have one perched atop your monitor that you haven’t bothered upgrading in years. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, and there are plenty of ways to tap into the power of your smartphone’s camera to use it as a very nice webcam.
While there are a whole bunch of third-party webcam apps, with Android 14 QPR1 Google delivered a native Android webcam mode — just plug your phone into your computer with a USB cable, and you’d see the option to use it as a webcam. And now, with the Galaxy S26 family, that’s finally arriving for Samsung phones. (Thanks: Dylan H)
Galaxy S26 Galaxy S25U (One UI 8.5 beta)
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