Continuity Camera is one of the new features in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. This feature turns your iPhone into a webcam for your MacBook and provides higher image quality and more effect options for your video calls. In this tutorial, kwgeek will show you how to enable Continuity Camera on your Mac and how it works.
First of all, I’ve been using the continuous interworking camera feature for a few weeks now, and from its launch to today, I can assure you that the feature has continued to evolve. In addition to the image quality of the iPhone camera, the feature provides effects such as center stage and desktop view, providing a more professional experience for video calls.
Without further ado, learn how to enable and use the Continuity Camera feature below, and the benefits of using your iPhone’s camera as your MacBook’s webcam.
How to activate the continuity camera function
Continuity Camera is a native system feature, available in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura setups. So all you have to do is activate the feature from your iPhone, and activate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both devices (iPhone and Mac).
- On iPhone, go to set up then in general
- press AirPlay and Handoff
- activation option Continuity camera
Comment: To turn off Continuity Camera on iPhone, just follow the same steps
It’s very easy to turn on and off the continuity camera on your iPhone. / © kwgeek
How to use the Continuity Camera feature on macOS
After activating the feature, all you need to do is hold your iPhone above the MacBook screen. You may need a custom clip or stand. You can connect your iPhone using a cable or wirelessly.
Once your iPhone is in place, your MacBook will automatically detect it without even unlocking it. But if you don’t want to use the iPhone’s camera, Apple allows you to disconnect it from the iPhone’s screen with one click.
If the iPhone camera is not automatically recognized, go to the video preferences of any application that uses the Mac camera, and select the option to use the iPhone camera.
With the Continuity Camera feature, you can quickly access video effects or disconnect the iPhone camera with a single click on the device’s lock screen. / © kwgeek
Since the iPhone is now recognized as the system camera, Continuity Camera will appear anywhere in macOS where a camera can be selected. I tested this feature with Google Meet, but it also works with FaceTime, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, as well as other video apps.
Camera options to enable studio lighting effects, desktop view above, or microphone sound isolation can be accessed through the Mac’s Control Center.
Finally, only iOS 16-compatible iPhones and MacBooks running macOS Ventura can operate the Continuity Camera. This means iPhone 7, iPhone SE (2020) and older models will not be able to take advantage of this feature.
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Benefits of using Apple Continuity Camera on Mac
The obvious benefit of using an iPhone as a webcam for a MacBook is image quality. The iPhone’s ultra-wide-angle sensor is better than the tiny module above the MacBook’s screen. You can also use various effects with Center Stage, and the OS follows you and keeps you centered by cropping the frame. This creates the illusion that the camera is panning from side to side.
Apple has also enabled the studio lighting feature known from its Camera app, where Continuity Camera supports both landscape and portrait orientation. Other video effects are also possible, and Apple has provided the necessary APIs to developers. Then there’s Desktop View, which intelligently crops the image created by the ultra-wide camera and displays what’s on your desktop in a separate window.
In addition, you can use the connected iPhone to take videos and photos. According to the effect, the maximum resolution of the video is 1920 x 1440, 30/60 fps.
What do you think of Apple’s Continuity Camera? Do you think this feature is necessary in Apple’s ecosystem? Let us know in the comments.
This article was written in collaboration with Jade Bryan and updated in September 2022.