>
Usually, Android devices are the test bed for innovative smartphone features that Apple designers eventually improve and integrate into their devices; but it looks like Google wants to bring a popular iOS 16 feature to an upcoming version of its operating system for a change.
At WWDC 2022, Apple unveiled an iOS 16 and macOS Ventura 13 update called Continuity Camera. Instead of relying on your Mac’s built-in webcam, you can instead use one of the best iPhones with the latest operating system and take advantage of the souped-up cameras, microphone, and video effects.
Third-party apps allow the best Android phones to be used in a similar way, but according to Changelogs from the Google Open Source Project (opens in new tab)it looks like a feature similar to Continuity Camera could become a built-in feature for a future version of Android (via Mishaal Rahman at Twitter (opens in new tab)).
Currently called ‘DeviceAsWebcam’, it would (as you can probably guess from the name) turn “an Android device into a webcam”. However, little else is known about the feature at this time.
It appears it will allow for a wired USB connection – suggesting you won’t be limited to one computer operating system, as is the case with Continuity Camera – although it’s unclear whether Continuity Camera will support features such as Desk View (which lets you view your desk and face at the same time), or Center Stage and Studio Light (which keep you in view and make you appear brighter than the background, respectively) appear in the Android iteration.
Plus, there’s no guarantee we’ll see DeviceAsWebcam appearing anytime soon. While it’s certainly possible that it will launch with Android 14, depending on how far the tool is in development, we could wait until Android 15, which is at least a year away, or even Android 16.
We’ll have to wait and see what Google announces at Google I/O 2023 – it’s the big annual developer conference, expected to take place in May – but keep a look out for DeviceAsWebcam in the list of new tools coming to our Android smartphones.