Use your mobile phone/tablet as a secondary camera in Zoom

If you are using Zoom on your laptop or desktop and need to use a secondary camera, you can use your own mobile phone or tablet. Using your existing device is quick and easy and allows you to move the camera around to get a better shot. It could also be used to get a different view of the instructor, views of students, or get closer on demonstrations of sports, theater, dancing, kinesiology, etc. 

Things you will need:

  • Mobile phone or tablet device with a built in camera
  • Tripod or stand for your device
  • (Optional) External battery pack for extended use
  • Download/Install the Zoom mobile app on your device. Open the app and sign-in to your UD Zoom account using the SSO signin option using udel as the domain.

Follow these steps to use your mobile phone/tablet as a secondary camera in Zoom:

  1. On your laptop or desktop, connect to your Zoom meeting and enable the camera and microphone as usual.
  2. On your mobile device, connect to the same Zoom meeting. Be sure to mute the microphone and turn the sound down on your mobile device, otherwise you will have audio feedback issues.
  3. Mount your mobile phone/tablet on your tripod and position it where you want. You can start or stop the video as needed during the meeting.

Tips for using a secondary camera with Zoom:

  • Consider the lighting in the space where you’ll be using it. If it’s too dark, your participants will not be able to see the image well.
  • Consider using the Spotlight Video feature in Zoom to show the video from the secondary camera.
  • Consider using the microphone on the secondary camera instead of your primary laptop or desktop. If you switch microphones, make sure to mute the other device so that only one microphone is active in a room at one time. Having multiple microphones on in a room can lead to audio feedback issues.