With the release of the first Android 14Pixel Feature Drop in December 2023, Google added the ability to use your Pixel phone as a webcam with your PC. On paper, the feature sounds similar to Apple’s Continuity Camera, which lets you use your iPhone for video calls made through your Mac. In our hands-on experience with Google’s Continuity Camera clone though, we found Google’s implementation left a lot to desire, especially with the sub-par video quality. Thankfully, it appears the company will resolve the issue inAndroid 15.
Hands-on with Google’s Continuity Camera clone in Android 14
A solid start, but not the stellar experience we hoped
In the recently releasedAndroid 15 Developer Preview 2, Google has added a newHQoption to the webcam’s viewfinder in the top-left corner. Tapping the button will enable a High Quality mode, significantly boosting the video quality. It does this by turning off Google’s under-the-hood power optimizations.
Based on testing from Android expert Mishaal Rahman forAndroid Authority, it appears your Pixel phone will stream the video in Full HD resolution at 30fps. As per his testing, the improved video quality does not come at the expense of battery life. It also did not cause hisPixel 8 Proto overheat after an extended use of nearly 2.5 hours.
Below is a quick sample footage from Mishaal comparing the webcam footage quality from the Pixel 8 Pro with and without HQ mode enabled. You’ll see a clear improvement in detail and sharpness when the feature is turned on.
The boost in video quality means Google’s webcam mode can capture footage similar to what many similar third-party webcam apps on the Play Store have been able to achieve all this while.
Pixel’s webcam mode still needs work
It is good to see Google addressing one of the major drawbacks of the webcam mode on compatible Pixel phones. Ideally, the company should have rolled out this change as a part of anAndroid 14 Feature Dropinstead of bundling it with Android 15.
Besides this, Google should take a cue from Apple’s Continuity Camera implementation and enable a way to wirelessly use your Pixel phone as a webcam. A wired connection makes the entire process inconvenient, especially when you are in a hurry or are traveling and want to use your Pixel as a webcam for a quick video call.
