How to Switch DroidCam to Your Phone's Back Camera

The short answer

The front or back camera is usually chosen in the DroidCam app on your phone, not in the program on your computer. Look in the phone app's settings for a camera option and set it to the back (rear) camera. In some versions there is also a camera-flip control on the app's main screen. Then restart the video stream so the computer receives the new feed.

Menu names and positions differ between DroidCam versions and between Android and iPhone. No version-specific documentation was available for this guide, so treat the labels below as typical rather than exact.

Which "back camera" do you mean?

"Back camera" can mean two things:

• The rear-facing side of the phone, as opposed to the selfie camera. This is the usual meaning, and it's what the steps below cover.
• A specific rear lens, such as wide, ultra-wide or telephoto, on phones with several rear cameras. Whether DroidCam lets you pick an individual lens depends on the app version and the phone, and this could not be confirmed. If your version doesn't offer a lens choice, the phone decides which rear lens is used.

Step by step

• 1. Stop any active DroidCam connection on the computer, or close the call app that is using the camera.
• 2. Open the DroidCam app on your phone.
• 3. Open its settings, usually through a gear icon or a three-dot menu.
• 4. Find the camera option and choose Back or Rear. If your version has a flip-camera button on the main screen instead, tap it until the rear camera is active.
• 5. If the app asks for permission to use the camera, allow it. Without it, the phone can't send any video.
• 6. Return to the app's main screen so it is ready to connect.
• 7. Reconnect from the DroidCam client on your computer over Wi-Fi or USB, the same way you normally do.

Confirm the switch worked

Check this in three stages. Each one confirms something different.

• Camera access: the phone app shows a live picture from the rear camera. Cover the back lens with a finger. If the image goes dark, the rear camera is active.
• Video reaching the computer: the DroidCam client's preview window shows the same rear-camera view.
• Video in your call: in your call or meeting app's video settings, select the DroidCam camera device and check the self-view. A working preview here only shows the call app can read the feed. It doesn't guarantee good quality on the other end, which also depends on your connection and lighting.

If the image doesn't change

• Still showing the front camera: fully disconnect and reconnect. A camera change made during a live stream may not take effect until the stream restarts.
• No option for the back camera: update the DroidCam app, or look for a flip icon on the main screen rather than in settings. Some versions may place the control differently.
• Black or frozen picture: make sure the phone app has camera permission in the phone's system settings, and that no other app on the phone is using the camera.
• Call app shows no video: check that the call app is set to the DroidCam device and not the built-in webcam. Also check that your computer's privacy settings allow that app to use a camera. That setting applies to the call app, not to the phone.
• Picture looks reversed: rear-camera video is normally not mirrored. Many call apps mirror only your own self-view, so others may still see it the right way round.

Practical notes for using the rear camera

On most phones the rear camera gives a sharper image than the front one. The trade-off is that the screen faces away from you, so you can't watch yourself on the phone. Use the self-view on your computer to frame the shot. A phone mount or stand placed at eye level makes this much easier.

What this guide couldn't confirm

Without version-specific evidence, the following couldn't be confirmed: the exact menu labels in current DroidCam releases, whether the camera can be switched from the computer client, and whether individual rear lenses can be selected. If your app looks different from what's described here, its built-in help or settings descriptions are the most reliable reference for your version.