How to mount a phone webcam: which mount is best

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因此,您正在考虑将手机或平板电脑用作网络摄像头。您可能有电缆。我们希望您有迷彩 。也许您需要一个支架或支架。我几乎买了市场上每种类型的摊位,甚至尝试用我在房子周围的东西建造一些临时摊位。在本指南中,我将介绍哪些可能对您有用,以及原因。

如果您没有时间详细研究这些选项,请获取以下选项:

What makes a good phone webcam mount?

Before starting to look into the various phone mounts, I had a think about what I was really looking for. In order of importance, a good mount should:

  • Have good stability. You need to be able to type, click, and use your computer as you normally would on calls without your phone jiggling around or even falling out of its mount.
  • Make you look good. Step one here is to use Camo, which lets you use the incredible camera built into the phone as your webcam. In terms of your mount, you want it to be positioned near your computer screen. It’s disconcerting to talk to someone who doesn’t seem to be looking at you. You also want to be able to get your mount so that it’s roughly parallel to your face; too low and everyone else on the call will be gazing up your nostrils; too high and it will be pointed at your body.
  • Make it easy for you to mount and remove your phone. Unless you're using a dedicated phone with Camo, you’ll also want to use your phone for other purposes, so being able to set it up and take it down easily is important.
  • Not result in anything too permanent. You might not want to keep a magnetic disk stuck to your smartphone, or a bulky car mount stuck on your iMac.
  • Be compact. When you’re not using your phone as a webcam, you probably don’t want a hulking great piece of plastic cluttering up your desktop.
  • 看起来不像是可怕的眼神。奖励积分,如果看起来不错。

想要在视频通话中看起来更好吗?我们整理了一篇完整的技巧文章,以帮助您在此处最好地使用网络摄像头。

考虑到这一标准,让我们看一下可用于将iPhone变成网络摄像头的各种类型的安装座。

三脚架

经过测试的产品:EVERESTA 42英寸360英寸智能手机三脚架UK £19.54, 相似的美国产品 $ 25.49

Using a tripod behind a 16 inch MacBook Pro.
在16英寸MacBook Pro后面使用三脚架。

三脚架是我决定测试的第一批架子之一。它们具有很大的可变性。您可以调整高度,如果有笔记本电脑和台式机,则可以轻松地将三脚架移动到不同的计算机上;如果您整天在不同的地方接听电话,则可以将其移动到不同的区域。例如,如果您在咖啡馆工作,则三脚架是一个不错的选择,因为它安装起来既快捷又容易:您所需要的只是一个平坦的表面。您也可以独立于计算机移动三脚架,以确保即使您的计算机没有光线照射,网络摄像头也能很好地照明。

On the subject of light, you can purchase tripods that come with built in ring lights if your desk is not already well lit, but I’ve found that these are generally low-quality tripods attached to low-quality light rings, so you might be better off getting a regular, stable tripod and using a standard lamp, the flash from your phone (which you can control using Camo), or simply the natural light from a window (or the sun, if you’re outside), to improve light levels.

With that said, tripods are generally quite big and bulky. If desk space is tight, you might not be able to sacrifice the space for a tripod. In addition, while you can move your tripod to be in the best light, it’s a little trickier to get it close to your display than when using some other mounts, which can give the impression that you’re looking off to the side on your calls. Most tripods use a grip claw, which, depending on the strength of the grip, can be fiddly when putting your phone in or removing it.

You can use a tripod to the side of your computer if you don’t have space behind it. It’s more obvious that the camera is off to the side on the iMac than the Macbook
如果计算机后面没有空间,则可以在计算机侧面使用三脚架。与Macbook相比,iMac上的相机更明显偏向侧面

三脚架非常适合只想要一个安装架但又经常切换到其他计算机和笔记本电脑或不同工作区的人。一个好的三脚架价格在25美元左右,虽然不是最便宜的选择,但也不算太贵。

灵活的手臂

测试产品:Jumkeet Gooseneck Phone Holder, 英国18.99 美元

柔性臂同时具有三脚架和汽车支架的特征。您可以将其连接到屏幕,办公桌或任何其他可夹紧的物体(例如显示器支架或花盆)。与三脚架不同,它不占用桌面空间,并且如果将其安装在笔记本电脑或显示器后面,则可以使桌面整洁。柔性臂还比屏幕安装架提供了更多的灵活性,因为您可以左右左右移动臂以找到理想的位置。您甚至可以根据需要弯曲手臂。

Here’s this flexible arm being used with a 16-inch Macbook Pro and an iMac. When used with a laptop, you can get a better angle than the built-in webcam, which is always going to be under your face, rather than parallel to it.
这是用于 16 英寸 Macbook Pro 和 iMac 的灵活臂。与笔记本电脑一起使用时,您可以获得比内置网络摄像头更好的角度,内置网络摄像头始终位于您的脸下方,而不是与其平行。

Flexible arms generally attach using two claws, so there are no permanent stickers, and I found the grip claws of the flexible arm I tested to be easier to take my phone in and out of than the desktop mounts and car mounts.

The flexible arm was very stable: the picture didn’t judder as I typed, and it was also pretty affordable. For me, this was by far the best mount to use for all laptops, and if you don’t want to use a magnetic sticker, it was the best option for desktops, too. The only requirement for these flexible arms is that you have something to clamp the arm to, so if you have a built-in desk, this type of mount might not work for you. You can see how I clamped the arm to the side of a desk when using it with a laptop, above. Here’s how I attached it to a couple of desktop computers:

I attached the mount to a computer stand on the left, and directly to the back of a monitor on the right.
我将安装座连接到左侧的计算机支架,然后直接连接至右侧的显示器背面。

吸盘

经过测试的产品:MPOW仪表板车载电话支架, 英国, 8.99英镑, 相似的美国产品, 10.99美元

除非您将它们粘贴到附近的窗户或计算机的屏幕上,否则它们将无法工作(不,实际上,不要这样做)。请注意,亚马逊上的某些列表暗示它们会坚持其他表面。他们不会!

Suction cup mounts might work for your car, but they’re not going to work on your computer
吸盘支架可能适用于您的汽车,但不适用于您的计算机

贴纸座

经过测试的产品:FLOVEME磁性车载支架US $ 13.99, 英国 £12.16

Using a sticker/magnet mount with the telephoto lens of the iPhone XS Max
在iPhone XS Max的远摄镜头上使用贴纸/磁铁座

Any mount that attaches directly to your monitor will let you get your phone webcam close to where the built in webcam is, providing a good angle for your calls. The main variable with these types of mounts is how they attach to your computer and your phone. Of the direct mounts I tried, the best option for desktop users was the sticker/magnet mount pictured above. You stick it to the back of your computer and can add the magnet to the back of a cheap phone case to quickly attach and remove your phone for calls. (Keep reading to see why you don’t want to stick it directly to your phone.)

它们的体积比三脚架小得多,但是如果您打算四处移动,它们可能不适合笔记本电脑使用,因为安装座应保持与计算机的连接,并且它们会阻止笔记本电脑装入机箱中。您可以在每次使用网络摄像头时尝试松开并重新贴装支架,但这会减少粘性,并冒着iPhone和支架掉落并损坏的风险。

Magnetic & MagSafe mounts

测试的产品:

  • Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe, UK £29.95, US $29.99
  • AUOTO通用侧装磁性支架夹, 英国 £11.99, 美国相似产品 $ 15.99
  • IMstick多功能手机支架, 英国 £20, 美国 $ 25.25

Magnets, how do they work? However they do, they make it really easy to attach and remove your iPhone from its webcam mount. Some mounts were so simple they consisted of two magnets; one for the back of your iPhone, the other for the back of your monitor or laptop. You just stick your iPhone to your computer, and grab it off when your call ends. And while the Belkin mount reviewed here does not attach to a laptop with magnets, it uses Apple's MagSafe functionality to make attaching your iPhone quick and easy. A drawback for all of these, however, is that their angle is restricted to the angle of your screen.

Useful only for iPhone and MacBook users, Belkin’s MagSafe mount debuted alongside the release of macOS Ventura’s Continuity Camera feature. While there is of course plenty to say about how Continuity stacks up against Camo, I've also been looking forward to putting this mount through its paces to see how it compares to the other solutions explored in this guide. One thing that already puts it ahead of the other mounts in this category is not having to attach magnets like silver leeches to my laptop.

As expected, the Belkin connected firmly to the circular MagSafe zone in the middle of both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max that I used for this test. I liked that it could easily be oriented in either landscape or portrait orientations, though changing from one to the other required removing the setup from the laptop screen and either twisting the mount firmly or removing entirely to reorient it. Rotating the phone while it was mounted - as the video on the Belkin site shows - could not be replicated without knocking the whole arrangement from its perch. And though the MagSafe connection is strong, it doesn’t snap to any particular axis. Sometimes when it looked like the mount was attached exactly parallel to the orientation of the phone, I found when mounting it on the screen that it was off kilter, and had to readjust. Not a huge deal, apart from the illusory Belkin visuals.

Placing the mount on top of the screen is fairly straightforward, with a small plastic foot that folds out and hooks onto the top of your laptop. I tested the mount on both a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 13-inch MacBook Air, and found - unsurprisingly - that it fit more snugly on the thicker frame of the Pro. That said, it did not feel especially precarious on the narrower Air.

On both laptops, it was simple to line up the camera lens with the centre of the screen, a big advantage over the side-mounting solutions for maintaining a good eyeline. Still, since it works only on MacBooks, it would be impossible for all but the shortest users to avoid capturing video from an unattractive low angle (this was slightly better when the phone is mounted in portrait, since the camera lens was higher).

 Having the mounted phone placed below you may be fine for informal video conversations, but for professional purposes I would recommend that you place the laptop on some books or a box to raise the phone lens to eye level.
Having the mounted phone placed below you may be fine for informal video conversations, but for professional purposes I would recommend that you place the laptop on some books or a box to raise the phone lens to eye level.

Raising your laptop as shown above is also about practicality - it keeps the screen of your laptop as close to vertical as possible, something I found to be fairly important when using all of the mounts in this category. As you’d expect from hanging something as substantial as an iPhone to the top or side of your MacBook screen, the centre of gravity shifts quite dramatically as the screen moves away from perpendicular.

In the spirit of science, I attempted to measure the precise angles at which the screens of both laptops began to collapse backward with either of the two iPhones mounted. Using a goniometer, I found that for the combination of MacBook Pro/iPhone 13 Max, the widest angle at which it remained steady for me was about 113°. With the iPhone 13, that expanded just a bit to 119°.

Knowing these angles has two upshots. First, if you tend to work with your laptop literally in your lap, with the screen leaning back fairly far (unflattering angle be damned), the mount and phone combination will yank the screen all the way back, with the laptop possibly headed for the floor. Second, even when working with your laptop situated firmly on a desk in front of you, it is important to remember the physics at play. Twice in one morning I pulled the screen slightly forward to reach something behind the laptop, only to have it slam loudly shut like a bear trap, with my phone (mount firmly attached) rocketed into my lap. No harm done to the laptop, though I don’t like the idea of subjecting it to such violence on a regular basis.

In conclusion, I appreciated the convenient size and quality build of the Belkin mount, and if I conducted mostly informal video calls on my MacBook, I could see myself just keeping it attached to my iPhone for easy transport and quick deployment (the integrated ring/kickstand is also a nice touch, though it doesn’t really factor into how I carry and use my phone on a daily basis). But what keeps this mount from being a solid recommend across the board is the fact that it required extra care to keep my laptop from slamming open or shut, as well as its specificity to iPhones (and only the later MagSafe generations) and MacBooks. Just as Camo works across platforms and devices, our ideal mount would be useful for both desktops and laptops, and both new and older iPhones and Android devices.

The other mounts in this category also score points for ease of use and compactness, but they leave little room for variability - once you’ve stuck the magnets in place, that’s where you need to keep your webcam. And though these magnets held pretty well, there was a very small amount of wobbling when typing on a laptop (realistically, no more that you’d get when using the built-in webcam). Like the Belkin, they're best used with the screen as close to vertical as possible; however, for these you'll also need to keep magnets stuck to your phone (or phone case) and computer. If this idea fills you with horror then you’ll want to look for a different type of attachment.

If you’re going to stick anything on your laptop, a magnet will be less bulky than a car mount, but be aware that they might be difficult to remove.
如果要在笔记本电脑上粘贴任何物品,磁铁的体积将比车载支架小,但请注意,它们可能很难卸下。

I stuck the magnet to a silicone case for my iPhone, rather than directly to the phone or to a leather case (because stickers will probably damage the leather, and I didn’t want to risk marking my phone), and here’s what happened when I removed the magnet:

Good thing I didn’t stick it directly to my phone! I removed this eventually with a little bit of oil, but it wasn’t fun.
Good thing I didn’t stick it directly to my phone! I removed this eventually with a little bit of oil, but it wasn’t fun.

我设法使此磁性支架与iMac一起使用。这种安装座的一大缺点是无法向后安装iPhone,因此只能将自拍相机与此支架一起使用。使用此安装座时,您也无法调整iPhone的角度,因此图片稍微偏向一侧。

I had to use the Selfie camera rather than attach it backwards (the left shows the attachment you want) so the quality of the picture was reduced.
我必须使用Selfie相机,而不是将其向后安装(左侧显示所需附件),因此降低了照片质量。

The second magnetic mount I tried was much more flexible. The IMstick phone mount was made up of one magnet attached to a wire, and a metal disk to stick to the back of your phone.

您必须至少在手机或计算机上贴一个磁铁才能使它正常工作,但另一个可以通过电线固定在位。您可以在下面看到如何使用电线将安装座连接到计算机。

It’s a little hard to see in the picture on the left, but I attached the mount to my computer by looping the wires over the front and around the back.
在左侧的图片中很难看到,但是我通过在正面和背面环绕电线来将底座安装到计算机上。

如果您需要灵活性,或者安装时遇到棘手的情况,这是一个很好的选择。它不占用太多空间,虽然安装起来有点麻烦,但是一旦完成,就很容易将手机进出。

我确实感觉我的手机很安全,但是我发现它的晃动比使用贴纸和磁铁的支架晃动的多,所以我更喜欢FLOVEME支架,尽管如果您想稍微移动一下摄像头,您可能会喜欢这一点。

开槽刀架

经过测试的产品:YUYITEK手机支架, 英国 £14.99, 美国 $ 14.99

These let you rest your phone in place, rather than holding it securely. As such, they’re easy to get your phone in and out of, but they will wobble when you type. I found it was more difficult to get a good angle when using this slotted holder than with any other mount, as the phone couldn’t be adjusted as easily with these mounts, and would often fall into a different position, anyway.

Using this slotted holder with the phone in landscape and portrait. It takes a bit of maneuvering to get the phone at the right angle, and you risk jogging it out of the holder as soon as you start typing.
Using this slotted holder with the phone in landscape and portrait. It takes a bit of maneuvering to get the phone at the right angle, and you risk jogging it out of the holder as soon as you start typing.

开槽的支架使用非常坚固的夹子固定在计算机上。我可以将其连接到我的iMac,但是鉴于计算机的弧形后部,将其长时间放置在其中可能会导致其意外启动。我什至不想在笔记本电脑上尝试使用该夹子,因为夹子附件太紧,以至于可能会损坏屏幕。

I didn’t try this slotted holder on my laptop, as I felt the clip could cause damage to the screen. Reviewers of this product seemed to have the opposite problem.
我没有在笔记本电脑上尝试过该插槽式支架,因为我觉得夹子可能会损坏屏幕。该产品的审阅者似乎存在相反的问题。

mb

经过测试的产品:Zhiyun Smooth 4 3轴手持式云台稳定器, 英国 £89.00, 美国 $ 99.00

I tried out this gimbal with a 16 inch Macbook Pro and an iMac.
我用16英寸Macbook Pro和iMac尝试了此云台

I tried using a gimbal as a webcam, but it was a pretty impractical choice. The height of the gimbal isn’t adjustable, so you’ll either end up with your camera too high, or too low for your screen (as the image above shows, this works a little better with a laptop than a desktop, but neither is ideal). Yes, your gimbal will keep your phone stabilised while it’s being held, but, provided you're not moving your webcam around while you're talking, there really isn’t any benefit to this feature for webcam purposes. Additionally, the gimbal I used periodically turned itself off, causing the phone to drop down, and inserting an iPhone XS Max into the gimbal kept triggering SOS calls. You’d also need to keep your gimbal charged in advance of your calls.

如果您已经有了一个云台,并且坚决不想再使用其他技术配件,则可以尝试一下,但是您可能想从一个随意的电话开始,而不是一次重要的会议。

iPhone基座和智能键盘

测试的产品:

  • Apple lightning dock US $49.00, UK, £49.00
  • 苹果智能键盘开本UK £179.00, 美国 $ 179.00

如果您的iPhone有扩展坞,则可以使用该扩展坞,或者如果您有一个用作支架的手提箱,则可以使用iPad。两者都不会给您一个很好的角度,但是两者都可以。这两个选项也都需要使用自拍相机,除非您找到一种将设备提升到头部高度的方法。

Both of these options might work a little better on a laptop, but there’s no getting around the unflattering angle.
这两个选项在笔记本电脑上可能会更好一些,但是没有任何讨人喜欢的地方。

临时/ DIY

如果您现在需要一个网络摄像头支架而又没有以上条件怎么办?我们做了一些实验,发现最好的临时支架可以和一堆书和一个咖啡杯/纸板箱拼凑在一起:

I made this stand in about 3 minutes by cutting a slot in the top of a coffee cup. You could also use a small cardboard box.
我在大约3分钟的时间内通过切开咖啡杯顶部的缝隙使它立起来。您也可以使用小纸板箱。

It’s bulky, it doesn’t look great, and your phone might wobble around a bit if you’re doing a lot of typing, but it’s a quick and easy solution to start using your phone as a webcam today.

有一个更好的临时摊位?找到了更好的坐骑?在下面的评论中让我们知道。

我们能帮你什么吗?

我们的支持团队在这里提供帮助!

我们的办公时间是格林威治标准时间周一至周五上午9点至下午5点。 时间目前是 9:34 AM的 GMT。

我们力争在一个工作日内答复所有垂询。

我们的支持团队非常棒

评论 (19)

SmallRig also makes a variety of mounts and cages that can work if you are using a spare phone and want something more permanent. Their magic arm combined with any number of other desk, ceiling, tripod mounts can be perfect for any situation.

I found my old Samsung NOTE and S20 Ultra make amazing cameras - even with cracked screens :-)

One note for me, I found that some tables/mounts are prone to shock and can make the camera bounce... just something to be aware of.

Thank you Dean! We put a stabilization mode into Camo (it's under the "framing" options) to deal with issues we saw in wobbly tables and standing desks.

The two best mounts I've found (for me) are from Doolkin on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WTD517N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A303MVJ19XSJH1&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BHKH74WC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A303MVJ19XSJH1&psc=1

The first has a great feature in you can remove the arm and buy another magnet and use it on multiple devices. The one issues is that you may not get as much adjustment on the angle so make sure you mount it after testing the angle.

The second one has a mount that allows you to swivel it all the way around which means I can use either the selfie camera or the back cameras! But, it is a sticker mount and isn't removable to move to another device. That may not be a big deal but I've messaged the manufacturer and asked them to combine the two. That with Camo Studio would be AMAZING.

Its not an amazon find, and its often out of stock - but for 24.99 canadian this mount/ring light combo from Ikea is pretty solid - ive been using it for a while, and the ring and arm use 1/4" - 20 threads, so in theory you could use them with a ton of photography clamps etc.

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/lanespelare-ring-light-with-phone-holder-30514357/

Hello,

Just as this article does, I was also looking to find the "best" way to mount a phone on a laptop or monitor. I guess the difference is that I was not willing to buy and try all the mounts available out there :). Nonetheless, thanks for the great, in-depth review.

All that said, I thought I would develop one myself, starting with a few requirements. It has to work in any setting: primarily on laptops and monitors but also on standup tables and workbenches, in the car, on a server rack, on a wall and other furniture. It must be usable with any type of phone, whether in a case or without one. It must have exactly zero tightening knobs or levers. It must be cool - for some reason (I am guessing the reason is cost) all mounts I've seen are monochromatic or in a gray scale at best. Anyone with enough patience and some minimum engineering skills :) should be able to make one at home using common materials. The design must be easy to update and the changes easily implemented.

The result is a 3D-printed phone mounting system. If you're curious to see, I placed some pictures on my web site: https://rail-mounted.com/.

There's a contact page on that site if you want to let me know your thoughts.

Thanks, gabriel

Great article and a lot of helpful suggestions, just none of them worked for me.

I ended up using some velcro locking strips I had around the house.

I was able to cut a strip in half and mount my iPhone SE (1st gen) on top of my monitor. This is a clean look and no wobble. Also, low cost.

Thank you so much for this article. Buying anything is such a hassle for me, and this is exactly the sort of homework I do before getting anything. Appreciate it!

An expensive alternative but one worth considering if you want to add a mic and you are using an M1 based Apple computer is the Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit

Another vote for Mountie. Been using for over a year with my iPhone 11 then 12 and never had any issue with it pulling my Macbook screen down. I usually mount it to the top so that the camera is directly above the Facetime camera. Fantastic.

This is seriously one of the most thoughtful articles I have seen any brand/company post. This is exactly what I was looking for. Having just paid for lifetime premium, I was looking for a more permanent solution to attach a spare phone to my LG 5k display. I ended up choosing the FLOVEME Sticker mount, as it was perfect for my use case.

In general, I am blown away at the attention to detail and app quality, both on iOS and MacOS, with Camo. I am excited for more amazing development from this team on this product. I hope more and more people support your team. Great work

Hi - have you checked out the Mountie or Mountie+ by Ten One Design?

I've had my eye on them for a while now, and having just signed up for Camo today also treated myself to a Mountie. Will let you know how well it works once it arrives in a few weeks.

Thank you, please do! We're wary of devices like Mountie that clip to the screen. As we noted in the article, these pulled our laptop screen down or pulled the laptop over, and they put the device to one side of the screen, rather than just above the eyeline. That said, if you have one of the smaller phones and one of the larger laptops, it'd probably be fine. Just don't damage that screen!!!

I've been using a selfie-stick velcro-strapped to my monitor stand (LG 5K) It's a little wobbly when adjusting, but it's height-adjustable and I can flip the phone around easily.

I don't usually comment on articles, but this one was so well written and really helped me, thank you so much!

Hey cool -- I was messing around with my own setup for videos/blogging and was thinking there has to be other ways to use my old iPhone as a webcam.

Currently using a desk mount - but intrigued by what you put on the monitor mounts and mechanical arms.

THXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hey, our pleasure. 👍

Really helpful article. Thank you so much!

Thank you! 👍

This article rules -- super great stuff!

Thank you! 🙂

Brilliant article - put me, I hope, on the right track!

An incredibly well-researched and resourceful article. Thank you for saving us hours of time from being drowned in endless “recommendations” and marketing websites

Great article, but an important note about your TL;DR recommended flex arm. The clip that hold your phone is pretty shallow and if you have a case of any substance at all on your phone, you'll struggle to keep it in there. Mine is relatively minimal, but thick enough that if I jiggle my desk a bit, my phone will sometimes come shooting out of it. Taking my case on and off negates a lot of the convenience of the spring-loaded clip in the first place.

Studio Neat's Glif is a bit pricey, but impossible to beat for quality and function and works with any case you could imagine: https://www.studioneat.com/products/glif

I took apart a $5 gooseneck lamp and glued a 1/4" tripod thread to make a Gif-based mount I'm pretty pleased with overall. FWIW.

Thank you! Great tip. 🙂

Another webcam mount: https://www.amazon.com/AboveTEK-Aluminum-Folding-Display-Reception/dp/B074PFVVBH

Thank you!


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