With the recent rise of the Zoom era for people working from home, you'd expect the webcam market to see a big push in product innovation. We witnessed a massive jump in sales for webcams, but little has changed regarding new features. Many webcams are lagging behind because smartphones have become the primary multimedia device we use for just about everything, including video calls. Smartphones these days have powerful dedicated image processors and fancy AI tricks up their sleeves, which most traditional webcams simply can't match.

Of course, it has taken many years of research and development for smartphone cameras to get where they are today. Smartphones are so popular now because of their many uses, while webcams can only do one thing — video. A basic webcam can work in a pinch; however, you can actually turn that smartphone in your pocket into a professional-grade Zoom camera. This guide will show you some apps and accessories to help bring high-quality Zoom calls to your smartphone for an enhanced user experience.

Choosing the setup for your Zoom camera

First, you'll need to decide if you want your mobile device to connect to your computer and act as its webcam or as a standalone camera.

If you prefer the companion setup, you'll want to install an app like DroidCam or Iriun for your Android device. You'll also need to install the app on your Linux, Mac, Windows, or Ubuntu machine for it to work. These apps let your computer recognize your phone as a webcam if connected via a USB cable or the same wireless network. Going this route requires a few extra steps; however, it can increase the visual quality. You'll also be able to use your computer for other tasks, such as interacting with the chat room.

You can get the DroidCam apps for Windows and Linux here.

You can get the Iriun apps for macOS, Windows, and Ubuntu here.

Setting up Zoom

Since you probably use your smartphone for most things anyway, you might be looking to move your Zoom environment over to mobile. As you probably guessed, all you need to do is download the Zoom app onto your phone and sign in to your account. By offloading your Zoom calls to your mobile device, you also free up your computer workspace, allowing you to tend to other tasks.

Whether you decide to go with the computer companion method or the dedicated Zoom app on your smartphone, video calls will consume a lot of battery life. As such, it's definitely a good idea to keep your devices plugged in and charging, especially during long meetings.

Once you have your camera situation taken care of, there are still a few other things for you to consider. For example, your phone will need a stand or mount, so you won't have to hold it or prop it up somewhere awkward. Your room might also be dimly lit, which isn't ideal for your live video feed if you're sitting in the dark. And since video conferencing usually involves talking, you may also want to use a quality headset or earbuds to hear better.

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What are some accessories you might need?

If you're using a desk or table to place your phone and light on, you'll want to have a lamp that uses LEDs arranged into either an array or a ring for even facial lighting. There are also ring lights with phone mounts built right into them, giving you the best of both worlds. When it comes to how you want to hold your phone up, you have various choices, such as desk tripods, clamp mounts, or just a regular phone stand.

You may already have everything you need right now but are looking for some upgrades for the best experience possible. With the few extra accessories you might want for taking your Zoom calls to the next level, we have some recommendations to guide you in the right direction. The sections below will list various products that we find helpful for room lightning, phone mounts, external batteries, headphones, and earbuds.

Lamps/lighting

  • On My Desk LED Table Lamp
  • Adesso LED Desk Lamp
  • Miady LED Desk Lamp (Ring)
  • Beetwo LED Desk Lamp with Clamp
  • VALUSIN Ring Light with Phone Holder
  • Neewer Ring Light Kit
  • FIMEI LED Floor Lamp
  • Outon LED Floor Lamp
  • Nopoor LED Floor Lamp
  • Brightech Orion Arc LED Floor Lamp

Mounts, tripods, and stands

  • PopSockets PopMount 2 Car & Desk Mount
  • Tryone Gooseneck Phone Holder Stand Clamp
  • JOBY GorillaPod 500 (no mount)
  • JOBY GripTight One phone mount
  • JOBY GripTight PRO Tablet mount
  • AmazonBasics Lightweight Camera Tripod (50")
  • Sunpak 58" Tripod
  • UBeesize 8" Selfie Ring Light with 51" Tripod Stand & Cell Phone Holder
  • UBeesize 60" Extendable Tripod Stand
  • Sunpak Portable Vlogging Kit for Smartphones
  • Ailun Tripod Phone Mount Holder
  • Klsniur Cell Phone Stand
  • OMOTON Cell Phone Stand
    • Amazon - $11​​​​​​

External Batteries

  1. Charmast Slim
  2. Anker 525 Power Bank
  3. Anker PowerCore 10000 Redux
  4. mophie Powerstation XXL
  5. Belkin Power Bank 10K
  6. Anker PowerCore III Elite 19K
  7. mophie powerstation Mini
  8. Anker PowerHouse 100

Headphones/earbuds

These days, most modern smartphones have moved on from the 3.5mm headphone jack we once knew, which might change your audio approach a bit. You could choose to use a wired headset, but you'd have to pair them with an adapter to plug them into your phone. Of course, we've been without headphone jacks for a while now, so wireless options have become more widely adopted. And starting with Bluetooth 5.0, this can now be considered a reliable audio solution for smartphones, making it ideal to use for your Zoom calls.

Android Police has made several recommendations on wireless earbuds and over-the-ear headphones that we've reviewed. We'll be highlighting many of our best choices while also providing a few alternatives. Since Bluetooth 5.2 is the latest consumer version available today, many of the items on this list will support the newest standard.

True wireless earbuds

  • Sony WF-1000XM4
  • Jabra Elite 7 Pro
  • Jabra Elite 3
  • Google Pixel Buds A-Series
  • Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro
  • Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
  • 1MORE PistonBuds Pro Hybrid
  • Soundcore by Anker Life P2i
  • Raycon Fitness Earbuds
  • Soundcore by Anker Life A1
  • Mifo O5 Gen 2 Touch Version

Over-the-ear wireless headphones

  1. Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid
  2. Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid
  3. Sony WH-XB910N
  4. Sony WH-1000XM4
  5. Beats Studio3 Wireless
  6. Bose SoundLink II
  7. Sennheiser HD 450SE
  8. Skullcandy Hesh ANC

Lights, smartphone, action!

Once you have the gear you need, you should test them to ensure everything looks and works well. Connect the audio device, adjust your lighting, and mount your phone how you would if you were about to be in a Zoom call. After everything is in good shape, you'll be ready for your next big meeting. You also have the freedom to move your Zoom meetings anywhere you want for a change of scenery, adding to the overall versatility of using your smartphone.