Microsoft Phone Link, formerly known as Microsoft Your Phone, is a useful utility, particularly if you own an Android 14-powered flagship smartphone.

The software includes the Link to Windows companion app for Android phones and the Phone Link app for Windows devices.

Developers of the Link to Windows app appears to be working on the new feature, as indicated by code discovered by the people at Android Authority. The new feature would enable you to utilize the Link to Windows app to use the camera on your smartphone as a webcam on your PC.

Although certain Link to Windows features are limited to particular devices, it’s unclear if this new capability will be available on all phones that have Link to Windows installed.

Microsoft's Link to Windows app could turn your smartphone camera into a webcam for your PC
Microsoft’s Link to Windows app could turn your smartphone camera into a webcam for your PC

There is code in Microsoft’s Link to Windows v1.23102.190.0 for Android app that indicates the corporation is working on enabling video streaming from your Android phone to your Windows PC. This would enable it to function as a webcam.

<string name="camera_activity_launch_notification_content">Tap this notification to allow your PC to stream your camera video</string>
<string name="camera_activity_button_pause">Pause Video</string>
<string name="camera_activity_button_resume">Resume Video</string>
<string name="camera_activity_launch_notification_title">Tap to start camera stream</string>
<string name="camera_activity_lock_notification_title">Unlock your phone to start your video</string>
<string name="camera_activity_button_dnd">Do not disturb</string>
<string name="camera_activity_button_swap_camera_to_back">Switch to Back</string>
<string name="camera_activity_button_swap_camera_to_front">Switch to Front</string>

These strings suggest that users would be able to launch a camera stream that allows their phone’s camera to be accessible to their Windows PC once Microsoft’s Phone Link software is operational on both linked devices.

Although “webcam” is not mentioned in the strings directly, there are other hints that suggest the functionality is somehow connected to video calls.

In addition, another new set of strings suggests that users could apply effects and auto-framing to the video stream.

<string name="camera_activity_button_effects">Effects</string>
<string name="camera_activity_button_select_effects">Select effects</string>
<string name="camera_activity_no_filter">No Filter</string>
<string name="camera_effect_auto_framing">Auto-framing</string>
<string name="camera_effect_automatic">Automatic</string>
<string name="camera_effect_blur">Blur</string>
<string name="camera_effect_face_retouch">Face Retouch</string>
<string name="camera_effect_hdr">HDR</string>
<string name="camera_effect_night">Night</string>
<string name="camera_effect_soft_focus">Soft Focus</string>
<string name="camera_effect_stabilization">Stabilization</string>

It is more likely that the feature has something to do with webcam operation because “auto-framing” is a camera effect.

Auto-framing may be comparable with video calling apps like Facetime, Apple promoted the “Center Stage” function, which allowed the front camera to zoom in and maintain focus on people even while they moved about.

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(Source)

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