The Galaxy S26 now supports a handy feature Pixel phones got years ago

What you need to know

• The Galaxy S26 lets you use your phone as a webcam on PCs via a simple USB-C.
• Android added native webcam support earlier, but Samsung is only now bringing it to its flagship phones.
• You can use rear or front cameras, with a high quality mode that streams better video but may heat the phone.

If you've ever jumped on a Zoom call and felt the camera quality was not great, you've probably thought about using your Android phone as a webcam. The Galaxy S26 finally supports this, letting you use it as a webcam for video calls on PCs and laptops.

Google introduced support for using Android phones as webcams with Android 14 QPR1 back in 2023. This came shortly after the COVID period, when many people were using iPhones as webcams for video calls on Macs. Google added similar functionality over USB for Android.

With Android 15, the company further improved video quality, but not many Android manufacturers actually adopted the feature. With the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung is finally bringing it.

As spotted by Android Authority, you can now use the Galaxy S26 series as a webcam for video calls on PCs and laptops by simply plugging it in via a USB-C cable. Once connected, you will see a new webcam option in the USB settings.

Once selected, you'll be able to use both the rear cameras (primary and ultra-wide) as well as the front-facing camera for video calls. It's also worth noting that the feature supports High Quality Mode, which streams higher bitrate video to your PC, though this may cause the phone to heat up slightly during use.

If you're thinking this feature isn't new, you're actually correct. It's been available, even wirelessly, within Samsung's ecosystem for quite some time. However, this is the first time Samsung is bringing broader USB support.

For now, the feature is limited to the Galaxy S26 series, meaning even Galaxy S25 devices on the One UI 8.5 beta can't access it. It could be hardware-related, but since Google introduced this back with Android 14, that seems unlikely. Samsung may still bring it to older devices with a future One UI 8.5 update, but for now, it's exclusive to the S26 lineup.

Android Central's Take

It does make you wonder why this took so long. This is something Google and Samsung could have pushed much earlier, especially during the pandemic.

Still, it's good to see it finally arrive. One added benefit is that you can also charge your phone while using this feature if your laptop is plugged in, meaning you can use it for long meetings without worrying about battery life.