Several months ago, code began appearing in the Link with Windows app, hinting that the service might soon add the ability to use a smartphone as a webcam.
It seems that “soon” has arrived, at least for Samsung users. Microsoft and Samsung announced at CES that a new feature would appear on the Galaxy Book 4, allowing users to use their smartphone as a webcam for their Windows computer. Support for other devices, Microsoft said, will be added over time.
Users will have the ability to switch between the front and rear cameras, Microsoft said, as well as the ability to change the frame to add more speakers or move around the room – which adds significant mobility compared to a traditional webcam. It is also possible to add background blur, auto-framing and other functions to the video to best suit any working environment.
Find, read, send or even summarize SMS messages on computer
According to Samsung, this feature works on all Galaxy phones with One UI 1.0 or later (Android 9.0 or later), meaning a large number of Samsung phones are compatible.
No specific date has been announced for rolling out to other devices, but since the code started showing up in November, it shouldn’t be long. The same Microsoft account will need to be signed in on both devices, and both devices will need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.
To start using this feature, users will need to download the Link to Windows app on their mobile phone and computer and follow the installation instructions.
It’s also worth noting that the Galaxy Book 4 comes with a new feature that allows users to use Link to Windows to find, read, send, or even summarize text messages from their phone on their computer, similar to Apple’s all-in-one ecosystem.
Source: “ZDNet.com”