Your phone is your PC’s camera, mic and Bluetooth.
A desktop with no webcam, no microphone, no Bluetooth? Periphone lends the ones in your Android phone: its camera and microphone to your computer, and your computer’s sound to the phone’s Bluetooth earbuds. USB or Wi-Fi. No account, no cloud.
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android 8+
The parts your desktop is missing
Most desktops ship without them. Your phone already has all three, so Periphone lends them over a cable or Wi-Fi. Here is the whole idea in one picture:
A webcam
Your phone's camera becomes the PC's camera: sharp, up to 4K, with about 30 ms of delay over USB. Pick it in OBS, or on Linux straight in Meet, Discord and Zoom.
A microphone
Your phone's microphone, sent uncompressed at 48 kHz so nothing muffles it. A real microphone for a PC that has none.
Bluetooth sound
No Bluetooth on the PC? Send its sound to the phone and listen through the phone's Bluetooth earbuds. The PC's own speakers can be muted while you do.
Not included: sharing the phone’s internet. If your PC has no Wi-Fi, use Android’s own USB tethering for that; Periphone only lends the camera, the microphone and the sound.
Lend only what you need
Three tiles on the phone decide what your computer may use. Nothing is shared until you switch it on, and each part works on its own.
PeriphoneYour computer gets
- A webcam for OBS, Meet, Discord and Zoom
- A microphone, in lossless quality
Tap the tiles. In the real app each one works exactly like this, and you can use just one of them: only the microphone, only the camera, or only the earbuds.
Made for the desktop that has everything but the extras
A desktop PC with no webcam
Join video calls and meetings in Meet, Zoom, Teams or Discord with a camera far better than a cheap webcam, without buying one.
A PC with no microphone, or a broken one
Use your phone as the microphone for calls, voice chat, recording or streaming. Clean, uncompressed sound.
Wireless earbuds on a PC without Bluetooth
Send the PC's sound to the phone and listen through your Bluetooth earbuds. Mute the PC's speakers while you do.
Streamers and creators
Add your phone as another camera in OBS: a second angle, a face cam or a desk cam, up to 4K, with several phones at once.
Up and running in a minute
- 1
Install both apps
Periphone on your Android phone (Google Play) and Periphone on your computer (free download below).
- 2
Start on the phone
Open Periphone on the phone and tap Start Streaming. Tap the Microphone tile if you want sound.
- 3
Connect
On the computer, press Add camera and choose your phone. The first time, tap Connect on both screens. After that it reconnects by itself.
- 4
Use it anywhere
Add the Periphone source in OBS, or on Linux pick Periphone as the camera and microphone in Meet, Discord or Zoom.
Download Periphone
Two parts: the app on your phone and the app on your computer.
Periphone for Android
Install it from Google Play, then open it and tap Start Streaming. Needs Android 8 or newer.
Get it on Google PlayPeriphone for your computer
Latest version 0.0.9. The download starts right away.
- 1
Run the installer
Open Periphone-Setup. It asks for administrator permission once. Leave “OBS Studio plugin” ticked if you use OBS (close OBS first).
- 2
Open Periphone
Start it from the Start menu. Your phone appears in the list once Periphone is open on it.
- 3
USB or Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi works right away. For a USB cable, turn on USB debugging on the phone and install Google’s Android platform-tools (adb) on the PC.
- 4
Use it
In OBS add a Periphone source. For Meet, Discord or Zoom, start OBS’s Virtual Camera and pick it there. To use the phone’s microphone in those programs, see “Phone microphone in Meet, Zoom and Discord” below.
Phone microphone in Meet, Zoom and Discord
Windows cannot create a microphone without a special driver, so Periphone plays the phone’s microphone into VB-CABLE, a free virtual audio cable. Every program then sees it as a normal microphone. This also works at the same time as OBS. (The phone’s camera in those programs goes through OBS’s Virtual Camera.)
Download VB-CABLE (free)From vb-audio.com, made by VB-Audio. Donationware.- 1
Install VB-CABLE once
Unzip the download, right-click VBCABLE_Setup_x64.exe and choose Run as administrator, then Install Driver. Restart the computer if it asks.
- 2
Turn on the microphone in Periphone
On the phone, switch on Share microphone. In Periphone on the computer, open the phone’s settings and tick Virtual camera + microphone. The status line then says it is playing into “CABLE Input”.
- 3
Pick it in your program
In Meet, Zoom, Teams, Discord or your browser, choose CABLE Output as the microphone (Meet: Settings → Audio → Microphone).
- 4
Using OBS as well?
In the Periphone source in OBS, tick Also offer the phone’s microphone to other programs. OBS and Meet then both get the phone’s microphone.
Do not set CABLE Input as your default speakers, or the computer’s sound would be heard in the meeting. If the status line says no cable was found, install VB-CABLE and Periphone finds it within a few seconds.
Made for a clean picture
Sharp and fast
Your phone's hardware encoder sends H.264 up to 4K with about 30 ms of delay over USB. Old frames are dropped instead of piling up.
USB or Wi-Fi
A cable is the most stable. Wi-Fi works on the same network. If the connection drops, Periphone reconnects by itself.
Camera, microphone, or both
Use the picture and the sound together, only the camera, or only the microphone. The phone's microphone is sent uncompressed (lossless 48 kHz) and stays off until you switch it on.
Every size your phone offers
Pick any resolution and frame rate the camera really supports, or press Maximum quality. No fake options.
Your computer's sound on your earbuds
Send what your computer plays to the phone and listen through the phone's Bluetooth earbuds. Windows and Linux.
Several phones at once
Name each phone, start and stop them separately, and use them as different cameras in the same scene.
Private by design
No account, no cloud server, no ads, no tracking. Video goes straight from your phone to your computer.
Where you can use it
| Windows | macOS | Linux | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window app, USB and Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Periphone source in OBS Studio | Yes | Not yet | Yes |
| Phone microphone | Plays on the PC / in OBS | Plays on the Mac | Plays, OBS, virtual microphone |
| Computer's sound to the phone (Bluetooth earbuds) | Yes | Not yet | Yes |
| Virtual camera for Meet, Discord, Zoom | Through OBS Virtual Camera | Not yet | Built in |
Questions
Is it free?
The computer app is a free download. The phone app is a paid app on Google Play: one purchase, no subscription.
My PC has no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Does Periphone fix that?
Partly. For Bluetooth, yes: Periphone sends your PC's sound to the phone, and the phone plays it on its Bluetooth earbuds (Windows and Linux). For Wi-Fi it does not: Periphone does not share the phone's internet. Use Android's USB tethering for that; Periphone works over the same cable.
Does it work with iPhones?
Not yet. The phone app is for Android 8 or newer.
Can I use it in Google Meet, Discord or Zoom?
On Linux, yes, directly: Periphone publishes a virtual camera and microphone. On Windows, start OBS's Virtual Camera with the Periphone source in it. A built-in virtual camera for Windows and macOS is planned.
Can I use only the microphone, or only the camera?
Yes. On the phone, tap the Camera and Microphone tiles on or off as you like; on the computer you choose what to use for each phone. With the camera off the phone needs no camera permission at all.
How do I listen to my computer through Bluetooth earbuds?
Connect the earbuds to the phone, tap the Earbuds tile in the phone app, and tick Send this computer's sound to the phone on the computer. Bluetooth adds its own delay, so it suits music and calls, not games or video you need to see in sync.
Is my video encrypted?
Pairing proves that it is your computer, but the video itself is not encrypted yet. Prefer a USB cable or a network you trust.
Why does macOS warn me when I open it?
The app is not notarized by Apple yet. Right-click it and choose Open once; after that it opens normally.
Why do my Bluetooth earbuds lag?
Bluetooth adds 100 to 250 ms of its own delay, which no app can remove. Earbuds with a low-latency or game mode, or a wired headset on the phone, are much faster.
My phone is not found.
Make sure Periphone is open on the phone and streaming, and that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi, or that USB debugging is on and the cable carries data.
Questions or a problem?
Write to me and I will answer: bugs, ideas, or help getting your phone connected.
work.guruswarupa@gmail.com