The extension of macOS ’s Continuity Camera characteristic in macOS Ventura and iOS 16 to turn your iPhone into a webcam is welcome by many people . The bounteous trouble that derive along with the feature may be finding an appropriate path to mount or position your iPhone ! ( See this article for tip . ) But for some people , you may also not want to use the full camera flesh of the wide - angle ( or standard ) tail end - face camera on your iPhone .
Apple does n’t yet offer an adjustment to crop and zoom , or to choose among alternate butt - facing cameras or the front - facing one . you could become to third - party software to help you along . Which software you require depends on whether you requiring FaceTime , QuickTime , Safari , and other Apple compatibility , or are using a webcam only with third - political party video software .
No FaceTime required
Apple does n’t yet support generic practical webcam , which are watercourse of video cope by software package from other video or composite feeds . The most pop of those bundle is the open - source and freeOpen Broadcaster System ( OBS ) . OBS now has virtual camera software build - in ; formerly , you had to go through some technological hoops and now it ’s just a single mouse click .
In OBS , you’re able to pick out your iPhone as a video source just as you might do in FaceTime or other apps . UnderSources , you cluck the positive sign , chooseVideo Capture gadget , and then take your iPhone from theDevicepopup computer menu . If it ’s work on correctly , you see a preview of the iPhone ’s view . ClickOK . you could now sweep up the handgrip of a red rectangle to crop a small portion of the telecasting watercourse than what appear by default . Now clickStart Virtual Cameraunder the Controls menu ( by nonremittal at the low - right corner of the screen ) . In Zoom or other videoconferencing or TV apps , selectOBS Virtual Camera . ( OBS can layer in titles , audio frequency , window , and vastly more , too ; look up its wide documentation and forums . )
If OBS seems like too much to manage or you find it dispute , you may trymmhmm , a video - introduction system of rules that lets you combine audio , picture , slides , screens , and other sources . The free tier up should be enough if you ’re just reckon to set up your iPhone ’s input as a zoomed - in or dress picture that you could output to videoconferencing computer software .
OBS offers a free method to crop your video input and produce a virtual camera—but it doesn’t work with Apple’s video-input apps in macOS.
FaceTime required
If you involve to apply FaceTime with your video camera , Camo from Reincubateis currently the only practical television camera software I ’m aware of that ’s to the full integrate with Apple ’s macOS video remark .
With Camo , you set up an app on your iPhone or iPad and your Mac . iOS 12 or by and by and macOS 10.13 or later or required . There ’s also a translation for Windows 10 or by and by . you’re able to relate your gimmick to your Mac via USB or , starting a few week ago , over Wi - Fi .
The Camo Studio app in macOS lets you choose which camera on your iPhone or iPad you want to use as the root and then apply rapid growth , rotation , effects , a watermark , or image adjustments to . The output becomes a virtual camera you could pick out in effectively any video app . ( I use Camo as my videocasting source with my iPhone because of its all-inclusive contour alternative . )
OBS offers a free method to crop your video input and produce a virtual camera—but it doesn’t work with Apple’s video-input apps in macOS.
Camo has a free tier that allows up to 720p television but does n’t include zoom and most other feature . you may test out the spare version to see how you like it , however . Camo is $ 4.99 per calendar month , $ 39.99 per year , or $ 79.99 to unlock evermore . The paid license cover up to two estimator and allows removal of a water line .
This Mac 911 clause is in answer to a question submitted by Macworld reader Bradley .
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Cameo produces Apple-compatible virtual camera output, but requires a paid license to zoom and make other adjustments.
