How to Use an iPhone 15 as a Webcam

The short answer

On a Mac, an iPhone 15 can work as a webcam through Apple's built-in Continuity Camera feature. You don't need an extra app. Once the phone is signed in to the same Apple Account as the Mac and mounted near the screen, you select it as the camera in your video app. It can also act as the microphone.

Which computer you use changes the answer. Continuity Camera only works between an iPhone and a Mac. On a Windows PC, there is no built-in Apple method, so you need a third-party webcam app that runs on both the phone and the computer. Those apps differ in features, setup and cost, so check the requirements of the one you choose. The rest of this guide covers the built-in Mac method.

What you need before you start

• An iPhone 15 on a current version of iOS. The iPhone 15 shipped with iOS 17, which supports Continuity Camera.
• A Mac running macOS Ventura or later.
• Both devices signed in to the same Apple Account, with two-factor authentication turned on.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on for both devices, with the devices near each other.
• The Mac not sharing its internet connection, and the iPhone not sharing its cellular connection through Personal Hotspot.
• A stand or mount that holds the iPhone steady with its rear cameras facing you.

Step-by-step setup on a Mac

• 1. On the iPhone, open Settings, go to General, and open the AirPlay & Continuity section. It is labeled AirPlay & Handoff on some iOS versions. Make sure Continuity Camera is turned on.
• 2. Mount the iPhone near the top of your Mac display with the rear cameras pointing at you. The phone needs to be locked and still. Landscape orientation gives the usual wide webcam frame.
• 3. Open your video app, such as FaceTime, Photo Booth, or a meeting app. Some apps switch to the iPhone automatically. If yours doesn't, open its camera or video settings and choose the iPhone from the camera list.
• 4. If you prefer a cable, connect the iPhone to the Mac with a USB-C cable. A wired connection can help when the wireless connection is unstable.

Success check: the iPhone screen shows that it is connected to your Mac, with options to pause or disconnect. The app's preview shows a live picture from the iPhone's camera rather than from the Mac's built-in camera. A quick way to confirm this is to wave a hand in front of the phone and watch the preview.

Use the iPhone as your microphone

The camera and microphone are selected separately. In your video app's audio settings, choose the iPhone as the microphone. You can also set it for the whole Mac in System Settings under Sound, in the Input section.

Each check tells you something different:

• Detection: the iPhone appears in the input list.
• Input activity: the level meter moves when you speak.
• Intelligible sound: a short test recording, played back, sounds clear, without echo or dropouts.

Gap in the evidence: no verified target input levels or technical thresholds were available for this setup, so this guide doesn't give specific meter values. Speak at your normal call volume and judge by the playback. If you hear echo, use headphones.

Camera effects and Desk View

While the iPhone is in use as a camera, open Control Center on the Mac and choose Video Effects. Options can include:

• Center Stage, which keeps you framed as you move.
• Portrait, which blurs what is behind you.
• Studio Light, which brightens your face and dims the background.
• Reactions, which add on-screen effects.
• Desk View, which uses the ultra-wide camera to show a top-down view of your desk alongside your face.

Portrait blur and Studio Light are virtual effects applied to the video feed. They do not change your physical background. They are also separate from the virtual backgrounds offered inside meeting apps, and from backgrounds edited into still photos afterward. If what's behind you matters, tidy or choose the physical space first, then decide whether you also want an effect.

If the iPhone doesn't appear

• Confirm both devices use the same Apple Account and that two-factor authentication is on.
• Check that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on for both devices, and move the iPhone closer to the Mac.
• Turn off Personal Hotspot on the iPhone and internet sharing on the Mac.
• Check that Continuity Camera is on in the iPhone's settings.
• Make sure the iPhone is locked, mounted and still.
• In System Settings under Privacy & Security, open Camera and Microphone and allow access for your video app or browser.
• If you use a browser-based call, also allow camera and microphone access for that website in the browser's own permission prompt or settings.
• Quit and reopen the video app, or try the USB-C cable.

What a test call does and doesn't prove

Each check proves something different, and none of them proves everything:

• A preview window proves that the app can access the iPhone camera and capture video from it.
• A moving input meter proves the microphone is picking up sound.
• Neither shows how you'll look and sound to other people. A live call also depends on your network, the meeting service's compression, and the other person's device.

For the closest check, join a short test call with someone, or use a meeting service's test feature if it has one. Ask whether your picture is clear and your voice is easy to understand.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Using the iPhone as a camera drains its battery. For long calls, connect it to power.
• Picking up or unlocking the phone can pause the camera feed.
• On Windows, the built-in method isn't available, so features like Center Stage or Desk View depend on whichever third-party app you use.