Apple's new MacOS Ventura is letting the iPhone wirelessly connect to the Mac as a web camera, allowing you take advantage of the phone's better cameras instead of relying on the lower-resolution cameras that are often built into MacBook laptops. The new feature, named Continuity Camera, works with most iPhone models that are running iOS 16.Â
The Belkin MagSafe Mount clips an iPhone to the top of any MacBook screen.
Along with an upgraded image, Continuity Camera offers video effects to enhance the experience, depending on the iPhone you're using. Most prominently, there's Center Stage which utilizes the iPhone's ultrawide lens to track and follow you around the room. There's also Desk View, which projects a birds-eye view of your desk so you can show handwritten notes or anything else nearby. Lastly, there is the option to turn on Portrait mode or Studio Light. Center Stage and Desk View both work on the iPhone 11 or later -- but not the iPhone SE -- while Studio Light works on the iPhone 12 and later.
The iPhone's webcam feature looks best when placed above the MacBook's screen, which can be done with a number of mounts. Belkin's released a MagSafe-compatible iPhone mount that I covered in a hands-on you can read here.Â
To learn how to set up Continuity Camera on your iPhone and Mac and access video effects, watch the video at the top of the article. For more reasons to upgrade to MacOS Ventura, see our list of the best new features and how to use them.