Getting started with Camo

Updated
Cover image for: Getting started with Camo

To get started with using Camo with your webcam or other connected camera, you’ll first need to download and install Camo Studio on your computer. If you’re using your phone as your camera, you’ll also need to get Camo on your iOS or Android device. In this case, we recommend installing the mobile app first, using the instructions here.

Using Camo with webcams and other connected cameras

First, download and unzip Camo Studio for macOS here or Windows here.

Once you've downloaded Camo Studio, double-click the Camo icon to install it.

On Windows, check the box to accept our license agreement and click Install.

On Mac, grant Camo permission to install. It will move itself to “Applications”, and set up a plugin to let video conferencing apps see and use it.

On both Windows and Mac, Camo Studio will also ask if you want it to automatically check for updates. We recommend that you allow these, as we release updates regularly to stay compatible with a wide range of video apps, and also add new features and improvements.

Getting a Camo license

There's no need to pay to use Camo, and the free edition provides a number of tools to capture, improve and customise the video from your device. However, if you'd like to unlock all of Camo's power, you can upgrade by clicking the "Upgrade" button on the top-right of Camo Studio.

That will 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 purchased a Camo license, you'll receive an email with a link to finish setting up your account. From there, either click the activation link at the end of the setup process or login to the app using your email and the password you chose for your account. The app will activate your license, and you're ready to start using Camo Pro.

Connecting your device to Camo Studio

Now you can connect your device to Camo. Built-in cameras should be detected automatically, and will appear in the Device pull-down menu in the upper left corner of the Camo Studio interface.

Webcams and cameras connected by USB will also appear - just note that you may have to first enable USB streaming on your mirrorless or DSLR camera, and that to get the highest possible resolution, you’ll need to use a cable that matches the highest USB standard that both your computer and device support.

Finally, some cameras will only stream 4K or 1080p via an HDMI cable, which may require connecting your device to your computer via a video capture card.

Getting Camo for use with your iOS or Android device

Camo is available on the App Store and Google Play Store. You can find it on both by searching for "camo".

Installing Camo Studio on your Computer

Once you've downloaded the app to your mobile device, you can share the computer app directly from Camo.

  • 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 on Android or iOS.

Alternatively, you can download and unzip Camo Studio for macOS here and Windows here.

Once you've downloaded Camo Studio, double-click the Camo icon to install it.

  • On Windows, check the box to accept our license agreement and click Install.
  • On Mac, grant Camo permission to install. It will move itself to “Applications”, and set up a plugin to let video conferencing apps see and use it.

On both Windows and Mac, Camo Studio will also ask if you want it to automatically check for updates. We recommend that you allow these, as we release updates regularly to stay compatible with a wide range of video apps and add new features and improvements.

Pairing Camo and Camo Studio

Camo lets you connect your mobile device to Camo Studio via either Wi-Fi or USB. We recommend pairing over USB for your first session as it offers the best video latency and connection stability.

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 Camo over Wi-Fi

Pairing Camo with Camo Studio over Wi-Fi is simple and works the same for iOS and Android devices:

  1. On your computer, 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.
  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 and Android 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.

Pairing Camo on iOS over USB

Pairing Camo running on iOS is automatic on both macOS and Windows. Plug your device into your computer using a standard Lightning cable and, after a couple seconds, you should see video from your device appear in Camo Studio.

Pairing Camo on Android over USB

The steps for pairing Camo for Android differ depending on whether you’re pairing to a Windows PC or a Mac.

Your Android should connect automatically to your Mac over USB. If you previously followed the steps below to connect to Windows, make sure USB debugging is turned off by searching for Developer OptionsUSB debugging and unticking it.

To pair Android to 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 Samsung Galaxy S20.

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.

    • Selecting Always allow from this computer means you will only need to do this once.

Activating Camo

There's no need to pay to use Camo, and the free edition provides everything you need to use your iPhone as a high-quality webcam. However, if you'd like to unlock all of Camo's power, 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.

Camo Studio's upgrade window
Camo Studio's upgrade window

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.

Camo Studio prompting for license details
Camo Studio prompting for license details

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!

How can we help?

Our support team are here to help!

Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM GMT. The time is currently 9:40 AM GMT.

We aim to reply to all messages within one working day.

Our awesome support team

Comments (10)

I'm an Android user. I use Google Pixel 4a. When will you release the app for Android? I have been waiting for a long time. I signed up on the app Page already.

Thank you, we're excited to see what you'll think of it! We'll be sharing it soon.

Can you recommend some clamps to attach the iPhone to the top edge of the screen or monitor!

Hi Tim, sure: check out our guide here.

Hi! Does this work with OBS, is a plug-in needed?

Hi Lorenzo, Camo works fully with OBS. No plugin needed!

Hello! Your app looks wonderful and I wanted to confirm that you have built it to work natively on Apple Silicon architecture without the need for Rosetta 2? Thank you!

Hey Bill, thanks for commenting. We sure have: Camo is fully native on M1s. 🙂

Hi - i've connected my iphone to my monitor (HP z27) via USB. The Camo app is showing 'active' and i can see the video on my MacBook via the camo application but when i join a Meets call i get the 'configure settings' error. Any ideas?

Thanks

Hi Will, no problem: make sure you restart your browser after installing or updating Camo. That'll deal with this! And do reach out to us any time. 👍

How do I connect with my phone?

Hi Marsha, just plug it into your computer with the same cable it came with. If you get stuck, drop us a note directly and we'll guide you through it!

You have worked hard to get this far - and I want to tell you you are awesome! Beautiful App. Took me all of a minute to decide to purchase!

Thank you!

Is there an integration for Camo with the vMix streaming software?

Hey Kokayi, thanks for commenting. Our understanding is that vMix requires Windows and won't run on a Mac. When we ship the Windows version of Camo we're expecting to support it.

Hey, I was wondering if there was wondering if a version for windows was in the works

Thanks for asking! There is — expect to see it in a few weeks. If you visit the Camo page you'll see you can sign up for the Windows waitlist towards the bottom of the page.

Hello-does Camo work with Mac OS Big Sur yet? Just checking. I'm sure you intend to make it do so eventually.

Thanks! Phil Hubbard

Hi Phil — it does, Big Sur and iOS 14 both! We hope you enjoy it. Reach out if you need help.


Can we improve this article?

We love hearing from users: why not drop us an email, leave a comment, or tweet @reincubate?

Join the community

Join a community centred around connecting our users! The Camo community will offer forums for discussion and support, video streams, games, giveaways and more as we grow.

Sign up here for the latest updates on our next events.

© 2008 - 2023 Reincubate Ltd. All rights reserved. Registered in England and Wales #5189175, VAT GB151788978. Reincubate® and Camo® are registered trademarks. Privacy policy & terms. Built with in London.