The Mac’s FaceTime camera sucks – 720p or 1080p, it doesn’t matter. But Apple can make great cameras, like the ones in the iPhone, and with macOS Ventura and iOS 16, Apple is taking its iPhone cameras so they can be used as webcams through a new enhancement to macOS’s Continuity Camera feature.
If you’re tired of being ashamed of the Mac’s image quality during video conferences, or if you demand better quality for video recordings of yourself that you want to use, the Continuity Camera is a godsend. And luckily, it’s so easy to set up and use that you’ll rely on it and only use Mac’s built-in camera in emergencies.
How to set up and use the walkthrough camera. But first, here are the requirements:
- HAS Mac with macOS Ventura (public beta is available now, official release is in the fall)
- Year iPhone 8 or XR running iOS 16 (public beta is available now, official release is in the fall)
- Signed in with the same Apple ID Account on Mac and iPhone
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled on both devices
- iPhone 11 or later which to use middle stage and desk view features
- ITelephone 12 or later which to use studio light special feature
- You probably want one camera mount that iPhone can pin to your Mac’s display. In this article, I’m using a pre-release version of Belkin’s iPhone mount for MacBook, which is not yet available. It will be available in the fall, and keep in mind that the final version may differ slightly from the version I used. If you don’t have a mount, you can use a tripod with a phone mount.
A prototype of Belkin’s iPhone mount for MacBook that uses MagSafe to hold an iPhone on top of a display.
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How to use an iPhone as a webcam in macOS Ventura
- Time to complete: 3 minutes
Tools needed: camera mount Materials needed: Mac, iPhone 8 or later
Turn on the walkthrough camera on iPhone
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Open the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap General > AirPlay and handoverthen turn on the switch for Continuity camera webcam Attitude. Exit Settings.
Mount the iPhone on top of the Mac’s display with a holder or bracket, or set it up with a tripod or other method. You can even hold the iPhone – the phone just needs to be within Bluetooth range of the Mac.
Open a video app on your Mac
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On your Mac, open the video app you want to use: FaceTime, Zoom, etc. (I’m using QuickTime in this demo.) In QuickTime, there’s a menu next to the record button. Your iPhone’s name should appear in the list of available cameras. Select your iPhone and that’s it! You should use your iPhone as the Mac’s webcam. (Note: at the time of writing, iMovie did not support pass-through camera.)
You may also be able to select the iPhone’s microphone as the audio input device. Where you select the microphone depends on the app. In QuickTime above, it’s in the same menu as the camera selection.
How to activate the desktop view
This is what Desk View looks like in macOS Ventura running on an iMac.
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Desk View uses the iPhone’s Ultra Wide Camera (requires iPhone 11 or later) to capture a view of your desk. It can also capture you at the same time, allowing you to do desktop demonstrations.
However, at the time of writing, Desk View has a fixed angle view, and that angle is such that a MacBook keyboard cannot be seen when the iPhone is mounted on the laptop’s display – Desk View captures the area a foot in front the laptop. Apple doesn’t have whether the angle will be adjustable in the future.
To enable Desk View, the continuity camera must be running. Open the Control Center from the menu bar and click on that video effects button (this button is not displayed if the camera is not running). A video effects menu appears; choose desk view. This is also where you turn off the desktop view.
A Desk View app will launch. To be able to see the video app you are using and the DeskView app at the same time, you can try tiling the windows so you can see them better (window > Tile window on the left/right side of the screen), but some apps (like FaceTime) don’t work with tiles.
How to turn on Center Stage
A demonstration of how Center Stage holds a person in the center of the picture frame.
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Center Stage is an effect that keeps you in the center of the frame (requires iPhone 11 or later). With the walkthrough camera running, open the control center from the menu bar and click the video effects Button. A video effects menu will appear and then select middle stage.
How to activate portrait mode
This is what the iPhone webcam looks like with portrait mode off (left) and on (right).
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Portrait mode is an effect that blurs the background. In Control Center, click on the menu bar video effects Button. Select Video Effects from the menu portrait and the background will be blurred.
How to turn on Studio Light
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Studio Light uses the iPhone flash as the light to brighten your image (requires iPhone 12 or later). With the walkthrough camera running, open the control center from the menu bar and click the video effects Button. Then select studio light.
How to disconnect your iPhone as a Mac webcam
When using an iPhone as a Mac webcam, this screen will appear on the phone.
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All you have to do is quit the video app you are using on your Mac. The iPhone may show the screen shown above and all you have to do is type Separate.
#Heres #iPhone #webcam #Mac