Getting started with Camo

Getting started with Camo is easy, and just a few steps will take you from initial download to meeting, streaming or recording with better video using your webcam or other connected camera. If you’re using your phone as your camera, you’ll also need to get the Camo Camera app on your iOS or Android device. To help, here’s a step-by-step guide through each process.

Installing Camo Studio on your PC or Mac

The first step is to get Camo Studio set up on your computer:

• Installing on Windows
• Installing on macOS

Installing on Windows

You can get Camo Studio from the Microsoft Store, or download it directly and double-click the installer in your Downloads folder to get the app set up on your Windows PC.

Next, open Camo Studio and run through the onboarding. This will guide you through some of the app’s functionality and ask you to install the compatibility add-on if you haven’t already.

Now that Camo Studio is ready, the next step is connecting to your built-in camera, webcam, phone, DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Installing on macOS

Download Camo Studio for macOS if you haven’t already, unzip the file, and double-click the Camo icon to begin installation. Once you’ve granted permissions to install, the app will move itself to "Applications", and set up a plugin that will allow video conferencing apps to see and use it’s video.

Now, you’re ready to start connecting camera devices.

Connecting your devices to Camo Studio

Camo works with essentially any camera device you can connect to your computer, and can even pair wirelessly with your iPhone or Android device:

• Using Camo with a webcam
• Using Camo with a DSLR or mirrorless camera
• Using Camo with an iPhone
• Using Camo with an Android device

Using Camo with a webcam

Once you’ve installed Camo Studio on your computer, any built-in cameras should be detected automatically by the app and appear in the "Device" dropdown menu in the upper left corner of the Camo Studio interface. Webcams connected by USB will also appear here. To start using your webcam, simply select it in the dropdown – you should see a live preview of its video feed appear in the centre of the window.

Using Camo with a DSLR or mirrorless camera

Camo supports both mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Just note that may have to first enable USB streaming on yours before you can select it as a device in Camo Studio. Once this is done, and you’ve connected the camera to your computer, it should appear in the Device pull-down in the upper left corner of the Camo Studio interface.

Using Camo with an iPhone

To use the advanced camera on your iPhone with Camo Studio, you’ll need to download the iOS Camo Camera app from the App Store. You can also find it by simply searching for "camo". This also applies to iPads.

If you’ve downloaded the mobile app before the desktop app, you can send the Camo Studio link directly from Camo on your phone to your computer.

• To share from iOS to macOS, AirDrop the desktop app to your Mac by tapping the AirDrop icon on the Getting Started screen.
• To share to Windows, tap Send Link from the Getting Started screen.

You can connect Camo Camera on your iPhone to Camo Studio via either Wi-Fi or USB. For the first session, we recommend pairing over USB, as it offers the lowest video latency and most stable connection. You can find out more about the trade-offs between Wi-Fi and USB connections.

Connecting Camo on iOS over USB

Connecting your iPhone to Camo Studio over USB is automatic on both macOS and Windows. Just plug your device into your computer using a standard Lightning or USB-C cable. After a couple seconds, you should see video from your device appear in Camo Studio.

Connecting Camo on iOS over Wi-Fi

Connecting your iPhone to Camo Studio over Wi-Fi is simple, with just a small variation between macOS and Windows:

1. On a computer running Windows, open Camo Studio and tap the + button next to the Device dropdown in the left sidebar. This will open a pairing window displaying a QR code. On a Mac, select Pair a device from the device drop down menu.
2. In Camo on your mobile device, tap the wireless connection button in the top-right and then scan the QR code displayed on your computer.
3. Your devices should connect automatically and video from your mobile device should start streaming through to Camo Studio.

The minimum requirements for pairing over Wi-Fi on Apple devices is macOS Catalina (10.15, released in 2019) and iOS 13 (released in 2019). All supported versions of Windows are compatible with Wi-Fi pairing.

If you encounter any issues pairing your devices via Wi-Fi, check out our handy troubleshooting tips or try connecting over USB instead.

Using Camo with an Android device

To use the camera on your Android device with Camo Studio, you’ll need to download the Camo Camera app from the Google Play Store. Or, you can find it by simply searching for "camo" on your device.

If you’ve downloaded the mobile app before the desktop app, you can send the Camo Studio link directly from Camo on your phone to your computer. Just tap Send Link from the Getting Started screen.

You can connect your Android device to Camo Studio via either Wi-Fi or USB. For the first session, we recommend doing so over USB, as it offers the lowest video latency and most stable connection. You can find out more about the trade-offs between Wi-Fi and USB connections.

Connecting your Android device to Camo Studio over USB

The steps for connecting your Android differ depending on whether you’re using Windows PC or a Mac.

On a Mac, your Android should connect automatically over USB. If you’ve previously paired it with a computer running Windows, make sure USB debugging is turned off by searching for Developer Options → USB debugging and unticking it.

To connect Android to Camo Studio on Windows, you’ll need to turn on USB debugging. The instructions to do this vary slightly depending on the Android phone you’re using. We’ve outlined the process below using a OnePlus Nord 2.

If you need help turning on USB debugging for your Android device please contact us and we’ll walk you through the process for your specific phone.

To turn on USB debugging:

1. Connect your phone to your computer and open Camo Studio. The interface should display a set of instructions similar to the ones below.

2. Follow these steps on your Android to configure your device:

   • Go to Settings, search for Build number and tap it 7 times.

   • Now search for Developer Options in Settings, scroll down to USB debugging and tick to turn it on.

   • If you’re prompted, selecting Always allow from this computer will mean that you will only need to do this once.

If you are using an Android device and are looking to connect to a Windows computer, the easiest way to pair is via Wi-Fi as the process to pair through USB is more complex in this case.

Find out more about the trade-offs between Wi-Fi and USB connections.

Pairing you Android device to Camo Studio over Wi-Fi

Pairing your Android device with Camo Studio over Wi-Fi is simple, with just a small variation between macOS and Windows:

1. On a computer running Windows, open Camo Studio and tap the + button next to the Device dropdown in the left sidebar. This will open a pairing window displaying a QR code. On a Mac, select Pair a device from the device drop down menu.
2. In the Camo Camera app on your mobile device, tap the wireless connection button in the top-right and then scan the QR code displayed on your computer.
3. Your devices should connect automatically and video from your mobile device should start streaming through to Camo Studio.

The minimum requirements for pairing over Wi-Fi on an Apple computer is macOS Catalina (10.15, released in 2019). All supported versions of Windows and Android are compatible with Wi-Fi pairing.

If you encounter any issues connecting your devices via Wi-Fi, check out our handy troubleshooting tips or try connecting over USB.

Using Camo’s video

Once you’ve connected your device and see its picture in the Camo interface, it’s easy to refine and customise its picture, make a recording, or connect to any video meeting platform. Here’s how you can jump right in.

Instant improvements

We encourage you to explore every Camo feature, but if you’re looking for some great results quickly, you can’t go wrong with these:

• To soften your background, enable Portrait mode under Image enhancements in the upper right corner of the Camo Studio interface. You can adjust its strength with the slider.
• To help you stand out just a bit more, enable Spotlight, found just below the background modes. The slider controls the effect’s strength, but a little goes a long way.
• If your picture is looking too warm (yellow) or cool (blue), adjust the colour temperature using the White balance control under Image adjustments on the right.
• If your colours are looking over- or undersaturated, adjust them with the Saturation and Vibrance sliders under Image adjustments. Vibrance is an especially helpful tool for boosting colour while keeping your face looking natural.

Once you’re happy with the quality of your picture, you can use the Overlay tool on the right to add your name, logo, or other details; tighten your shot with the Framing tool just below it; and then save all your improvements to a preset for future use. Now you’re ready to record or go live.

Recording your first video

Recording with Camo works the same with both macOS and Windows. Just click on the Record button in the top right of the Camo Studio preview window, and Camo will begin capturing video to whichever location you’ve selected using the adjacent arrow. When you’re finished with the take, clicking the same button will end the recording and save the file.

Connecting to meeting platforms

If you’d like to use Camo for your work meetings and presentations, simply open your video conferencing app of choice and select Camo Camera in its video settings. You can also select Camo as an audio source, either to use the microphone on your connected phone as an input or to let the app help keep your audio and video in sync.

When you have the chance, we encourage you to explore Camo’s capabilities more thoroughly in this manual. We’ve also created a series of guides that can help you improve your video even further. You’ll get tips for capturing better audio, improving your lighting, making better eye contact, mounting your phone, and more.

Upgrading to Camo Pro

There’s no need to pay to use Camo, and the free edition provides everything you need to use your phone as a high-quality webcam. However, if you’d like to go pro and take full advantage of your devices 4K resolution, you can upgrade by clicking the "Upgrade" button on the top-right of Camo Studio.

That’ll show a window like the following, with buttons at the bottom to buy or activate a license. Clicking "Buy now" will take you to Camo’s checkout to purchase a license.

Once you’ve bought Camo, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to activate your account. To activate Camo using previously set account details, in Camo Studio go to Upgrade and select Activate license, and enter use your account credentials to authenticate.

If you’ve closed the browser window you used to buy Camo, and you can’t find the email, search for support@reincubate.com in your inbox and check your spam. Contact us if you get stuck or need help!