The webcams that come with MacBooks, iMacs,
and the Studio Display —well, they suck.
But you know what Apple product has really great cameras?
The iPhone.
And now, with macOS Ventura and iOS 16,
you can take advantage of the iPhone and use it as a Mac webcam to get terrific-looking video.
The best part is, Apple makes it really easy to do.
Let take a look!
The new iPhone webcam support is part of the Continuity Camera feature in macOS Ventura.
To be able to use it, you need the following:
An iPhone 8 or XR running iOS 16
A Mac running macOS Ventura
All the devices logged into the same Apple ID
and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled
Those are the basic items you need to get going.
You may also want a mount or holder for your iPhone so you can place it on top of your display.
I've been using a prototype of Belkin's iPhone mount for MacBook,
which uses MagSafe to hold the iPhone on top of a display or as a stand.
I've also used a GorillaPod with a phone holder.
However, you don't have to put the phone on top of the display.
It can be anywhere in the vicinity of the Mac.
You can even hold it, which can be handy if you're shooting video footage.
There are other iPhone requirements for the three video effects,
but we'll cover that in a bit.
Now let's set it all up.
First, take the iPhone and open the Settings app.
Tap on General, then AirPlay & Handoff.
You'll find a switch for Continuity Camera Webcam.
Flip it on, and your iPhone is set.
Mount your iPhone, and then open a video app on your Mac.
This works with Zoom, FaceTime, and just about any app that can use a webcam.
I'm going to use QuickTime.
In the app, find the setting that lets you set the webcam.
In QuickTime, I can click on the arrow next to the record button.
The iPhone should appear as a webcam option.
Select it, and boom!
Your iPhone is capturing video.
Now you can do whatever you want to do in the app:
have a video conference, recording a video of yourself, FaceTime a friend, whatever you want.
And that's the basics for getting the iPhone webcam running. There are four video
effects that enhance the experience—if you have the right iPhone model.
The first one is called Desk View.
This uses the iPhone's Ultra Wide camera lens
to shoot your desk while also shooting you at the same time.
It's a cool feature to use if you want to demonstrate something.
To use Desk View, you need to have an iPhone 11 or later.
And then to turn it on, gets the webcam going,
and then in Control Center, click on the Video Effects button.
A video Effects menu appears, and then select Desk View.
A Desk View app will open, showing your desk.
It captures the area about 16-inches from the Mac's display, so you'll want to plan accordingly.
And you'll need to figure out how to sort the windows on your Mac.
I tile them left and right.
The next effect is called Center Stage.
This keeps you in the middle of the video frame and it requires an iPhone 11 or later.
You can turn it on in Control Center, and then when you move, the camera follows you.
The third effect is called Portrait, and this needs an iPhone 11 or later.
When you turn this effect on in Control Center, it blurs the background.
Turn it off, and the background is in focus again.
The last effect is called Studio Light.
You need an iPhone 12 or later,
and it uses the iPhone flash to brighten up your picture when it's too dark.
When you're all done using the webcam, just quit the Mac app.
You may see a screen on your iPhone saying it's being used as a webcam.
You can just tap the Disconnect button to get your phone back.
Then, when you want to use the iPhone webcam again,
just mount your iPhone, launch your app, and you're good to go!
And that's it! It's super easy, isn't it?
Now, you need macOS Ventura and iOS 16 to do all of this,
and those operating systems will be ready this fall.
For free!
We have all the steps written down in an article for you to go over at Macworld.com.
And be sure to check out our website for more good stuff about iOS 16,
macOS Ventura, and more!
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If you have something to say, leave it in the comments section below.
I'm Roman Loyola for Macworld and thanks for watching.