One UI 8.5 lets you use a Galaxy phone as your computer's webcam

One UI 8.5 introduces several new features, including the ability to fully customize the Quick Panel. While Samsung talked about several new features during the Galaxy S26 launch event, there is one feature that the company did not officially announce: the ability to use a Galaxy phone’s camera as a high-quality webcam for your computer.

When you connect your Galaxy phone or tablet to a computer, you can use its front or rear cameras as a webcam. This feature works with both macOS and Windows operating systems. There is also a high-quality mode that delivers improved image and video output. This can be especially useful if you do not have a dedicated webcam or if you want more flexibility in framing your shots.

You can choose between the ultrawide (0.6x) and primary rear cameras (1x and 2x), or the front-facing camera (1x and 2x), through the webcam settings that appear when a Galaxy phone or tablet is connected to your computer. Enabling HD mode improves visual quality but also increases battery consumption.

Interestingly, Windows offers up to Full HD resolution for both images and videos, while macOS is limited to HD resolution.

macOS

Windows

Based on the distance between the camera and the subject, the phone can automatically switch between lenses to maintain better focus. However, the feature does not currently support using the phone’s microphone for audio during video calls or recordings.

You could already use a Galaxy phone as your computer's webcam, but it only worked on Windows and through the Windows Phone Link app. This new feature can be used through a wired connection.