Use your iPhone as a free webcam on Windows

VCam lets you use an iPhone camera in a Windows video call or recording without installing an iPhone app. The Windows receiver creates a virtual webcam; Safari supplies the video over your local Wi-Fi network. The current version is free, with no watermark or subscription. It transmits video only, so choose a separate microphone.

Before you start

You need a 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, an iPhone with Safari, and a local network that allows the devices to reach each other. Both devices need internet access to open the website and pair. Guest Wi-Fi often isolates devices even when they use the same network name. VCam currently has no TURN video relay, macOS receiver or dedicated USB mode.

Download the receiver from the official download page. Administrator permission is needed to register the Windows virtual camera. The beta installer is not signed with a publisher certificate; use the official GitHub release linked there.

Connect the iPhone camera

1. Install and open VCam on Windows. Click Show QR code.
2. Scan that QR with your iPhone camera, open the link in Safari, and allow camera access. Alternatively, open Connect phone and enter the eight-character code from VCam.
3. Keep the camera page visible and the iPhone unlocked. Wait for the video preview in the receiver.
4. Open the camera settings in your Windows application and choose VCam. Restart that application if it was already open when the virtual camera was installed.
5. Select the computer microphone or a separate microphone. Check the picture and sound before joining a call.

The QR and typed code are single-use and expire after ten minutes. If pairing expires, create a new QR in the Windows app. Avoid sharing a live code or screenshot of it publicly.

Choose a usable picture

Place the phone securely at eye level and clean the rear lens. Use a light facing you rather than a bright window behind you. Start with 1080p at 30 FPS when available; a higher resolution is not automatically a better call when Wi-Fi or the application reduces it.

VCam checks supported camera modes and offers the ones it confirms. Safari may expose fewer lenses and manual controls than the built-in iPhone Camera app. Up to 4K and 60 FPS are possible on supported devices, but 4K60 is not guaranteed. Use the receiver controls to adjust rotation, mirroring and zoom where available. A mirrored preview in a call application may differ from the picture other participants receive.

If permission or video fails

If Safari denies access, review the camera permission for this website in Safari settings and reload the page. Close other applications that could be using the camera. If the connection stalls, check the local network, client isolation and VPN, then create a fresh QR code. Keep Safari in the foreground: locking the phone or switching applications may pause the camera.

For a connected phone with a black picture in OBS, confirm that the receiver preview is live and select VCam as a Video Capture Device. Try a lower mode or restart OBS after installation. See the OBS guide and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.

Privacy and feedback

The video is encrypted and travels directly to the computer. VCam does not record or store it on its server; the server serves the site and exchanges pairing information. Read how VCam works for the product's current limits. If a particular iPhone or Safari version fails, report an issue with the model, browser, Windows and VCam versions, without a live pairing code.