Access usb webcam in android app on PI4 Android 11

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I’m not finding answers on the web, wondering if someone here might point me in the right direction.

I’ve installed konstakang Android 11 on PI4 which recognises an attached usb webcam.

I’ve created an android app which uses a camera, but the app can’t see the usb camera on the OS when searching for camera devices. Any ideas? Would a PI camera module be recognised as part of the “Android” hardware?

Would appreciate your thoughts

Kind regards

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Hi Anthony,

Interesting question, I’m not sure whether it’d be recognized myself. I’m not too familiar with running Android on a Pi and how in that OS anything connected to the CSI ports on the board would be recognized as it’ll depend on how the kernel identifies externally connected hardware, and I couldn’t find too much information about it from a search online for you.

I’d suggest making a post about this on the Raspberry Pi Forums too if you haven’t done so already:

https://forums.raspberrypi.com/

All the best with the project!

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Thanks for your reply Bryce much appreciated.

I borrowed a friends camera module and it didn’t work in the android app either sadly.

Both usb and csi cameras work in the konstakang android 11 OS but not in a custom installed app.

I think I may have created a post on the Pi forums. I will follow it up.

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There are a few potential reasons why your Android app might not be able to see the USB webcam attached to your Raspberry Pi 4 running Konstakang Android 11.

1. Camera2 API compatibility:

Android devices are not required to support external webcams. The Camera2 API is the standard API for accessing cameras on Android devices, but it’s not mandatory for manufacturers to enable support for external cameras. If the kernel and system image of your Raspberry Pi 4 don’t have the necessary modules to support external webcams, the Camera2 API won’t be able to detect them.

2. USB driver compatibility:

The USB webcam you’re using might not have compatible drivers for Android. The drivers are responsible for bridging the communication between the webcam’s hardware and the Android operating system. If the drivers are missing or not compatible, the OS won’t recognize the webcam.

3. Permissions:

Make sure your Android app has the necessary permissions to access the USB webcam. The app should request the CAMERA permission at runtime. If the user doesn’t grant permission, the app won’t be able to access any camera devices, including the USB webcam.

4. Camera2 API implementation:

If you’re using the Camera2 API directly in your app, you might need to modify your code to handle external webcams specifically. The Camera2 API is designed for built-in cameras, and it might require some additional configuration to work with external cameras.

5. Raspberry Pi camera module:

The Raspberry Pi camera module is a dedicated hardware component designed for the Raspberry Pi ecosystem. It’s not directly recognized as an Android camera device. If you want to use the Raspberry Pi camera module with Android, you’ll need to use a specific library or driver that can bridge the communication between the camera module and the Android framework.

Here are some suggestions for troubleshooting the issue:

  1. Check the device manufacturer’s documentation: Check if the manufacturer of your Raspberry Pi 4 explicitly supports external webcams running Konstakang Android 11.
  2. Use a USB camera detection app: Install a third-party app that can detect USB devices. If the app can see the USB webcam, then the issue might be with your Android app’s code.
  3. Debug your Android app’s camera code: Check your app’s code to ensure it’s properly requesting permissions and using the Camera2 API correctly.
  4. Try alternative USB camera drivers: Search for alternative drivers for your USB webcam that are specifically designed for Android.
  5. Explore Raspberry Pi camera module libraries: If you want to use the Raspberry Pi camera module, investigate libraries that can enable compatibility with Android apps.

Otherwise, you can download DroidCamX Android Application as a webcam for android

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Hi John,

Thanks for the awesome suggestions! Its great to see old questions getting answered.

This seems to have some fairly straight forward resolutions, so hopeful anyone else who runs into this problem or similar can use your advice to quickly fix it and move on with their project :slight_smile:

Cheers,
Sophia

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