Turn your iPhone into a full-fledged webcam

June 28, 2023

By Kim Komando

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If you make video calls or participate in virtual conferences during work, you probably use the camera that came with your computer. The problem is those cameras can be poor in quality. What if you could use the best camera you own for video calls? Here’s how.

Webcam woes

Most modern computers come with built-in webcams, but more often than not, they seem like an afterthought. You could buy a webcam and attach it to your monitor, but there’s no need! You already have one and might not even realize it.

Your iPhone has a high-quality camera built in and features that enhance webcam functionality. It gets even better when you use your iPhone as a Mac webcam.

With Continuity Camera, you can use your iPhone as your Mac webcam and take advantage of the mighty iPhone camera and additional video effects. You can connect wirelessly or with a USB cable.

Once you have it all set up, you can make the following adjustments:

• Use Control Center to add video effects. Desk View shows a top-down view of your desk and your face simultaneously, while Studio Light dims the background and illuminates your face. Portrait mode blurs the background to keep the focus on you and Center Stage keeps you centered in the camera frame as you move around.
• Open Mic Mode in Control Center to choose between modes. Voice Isolation gives priority to your voice while cutting out background noise. Wide Spectrum captures your voice and the sound around you, such as music.

To set up your iPhone as your Mac webcam, you’ll need the following:

• Your Mac must have the latest version of macOS.
• Make sure your iPhone has the newest version of iOS.
• Sign in to both devices with the same Apple ID.
• Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices.
• You’ll need a phone mount that lets you clip your phone onto your monitor with the back camera facing you. We have some recommendations below.

How to use your iPhone as a webcam

Once you’re ready, setup is easy:

• Open your app of choice on your Mac, such as Zoom, FaceTime, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams.
• In the app’s menu bar or settings, choose your iPhone as the camera.
• The Continuity app opens on your iPhone and begins capturing audio and video. Note: Your phone must be in landscape orientation and locked.
• After choosing your iPhone camera, you can use Control Center to fiddle with the video settings.

That’s all there is to it.