Also in the new macOS Ventura, announced on June 6 during the keynote of WWDC, there are a lot of cool features. One of the most interesting? You will soon be able to use your iPhone as a luxury webcam for your Mac. Read how it works in this article.
iPhone as a webcam – why should you?
One of the coolest features that the brand new macOS Ventura will bring is the ability to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac. It’s called Continuity Camera. You then only need a special holder that Belkin will produce for Apple. But why would you want that?
Well, first of all, the webcams on the MacBooks and the Studio Display, for example, are nothing to write home about. Second, your iPhone is probably the best camera you have in the house. So, why not combine it? And finally, there are also many cool functions. Are you reading along?
Studio Light in your webcam lights up your face
Using your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac isn’t new. Numerous apps, such as camo, have already experimented with this idea. Super cool that Apple finally officially adds this to the software. But Apple wouldn’t be Apple if it went the extra mile.
After you put your iPhone in the Belkin holder as a webcam, the feature, called Continuity Camera, offers two cool options: ‘Studio Light’ and ‘Desk View’. The former is a feature that ensures that your face is always nicely lit and at the same time darkens the background. This way you can always be seen clearly.
With ‘Desk View’ you always have your hands free
‘Desk View’ might be even more interesting. This option takes advantage of the ultra-wide angle lens in your iPhone. This films so widely that it basically also grabs your desk if the iPhone is used as a webcam for the Mac. Using handy software tricks, this camera can make it seem like you’re a top downcamera hovering over your desk. This is extremely useful for people who explain things and need to show something in detail. How would you use this?
On all models of the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 we see this ultra-wide angle lens on the back of the housing. Unfortunately, the cheaper iPhone SE 2022 does not have this wide lens and can therefore unfortunately not show a ‘Desk View’.
Continuity camera: switch easily between your Mac and your iPhone
It doesn’t stop with new features for macOS 13 Ventura and iOS 16. Apple has also made it possible to record FaceTime calls with Continuity Camera. How does that work and what is it? This ‘Continuity camera’ ensures that if you are video calling via FaceTime on your iPhone, you can forward the call to the Mac. The call is not even interrupted!
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So you can pace around the house during your conversation, but if you need to write something down, you switch the call to your Mac’s webcam. The video call will then automatically appear on the screen of your laptop or computer. You don’t even have to use the iPhone as a webcam for your Mac.
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