How to Use iPhone Continuity Camera with Waveroom

The integration across Apple devices is becoming increasingly convenient year by year. Now, you can even use your iPhone camera as a webcam on your Mac. In this article, we’ll cover how to use it with third-party tools as a webcam and share tips on how to fix the iPhone Continuity Camera if it isn’t working.

What is a Continuity Camera?

Continuity Camera was introduced in 2022 with the release of macOS Ventura. It allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam on your Mac, as well as scan documents with your phone and have them appear on your macOS device.

How to use iPhone Continuity Camera as a webcam on Mac

Let’s briefly cover how to use Continuity Camera as a webcam in Waveroom:

1. Mount the iPhone near your mac.

For that, you should use Continuity Camera mounts or other compatible mounts and stands. Ensure your iPhone is locked, stable, and positioned with its rear cameras facing you and unobstructed. Landscape orientation is preferred for automatic app selection.

2. Open the recording or conferencing app of choice.

Choose your iPhone as your camera or microphone in the app. When properly mounted, your iPhone’s camera and mic become accessible to compatible apps.

Step-by-step guide for setting up Continuity Camera

Now that you've mounted your iPhone near your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Ensure your iPhone and Mac meet the requirements. Your iPhone should be an XR, iPhone 11, or newer with iOS 16 or later, and your Mac should be running macOS Ventura or later.
2. If you have not used Continuity Camera on the iPhone before, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff > Continuity Camera and toggle it on.

1. On your iPhone, open the Control Center, then tap the rotation lock icon to unlock the screen orientation.
2. Push the iPhone's side button to turn off its display.
3. Place the iPhone somewhere stable, such as mounting it behind or next to your computer's display. Turn the iPhone horizontally, with the rear-facing camera pointing toward you. Connecting your iPhone to a power source is recommended to avoid battery drain during use.
4. On your Waveroom on your computer and log in.
5. Create a recording room by pressing +.
6. Select your iPhone as the camera in the Devices tab under the video preview.
7. Start recording with Waveroom as you normally would.
8. In the AI tab, toggle on Remove Noise and Transcribe Speech. The transcription feature doesn't work unless noise removal is applied. If you want to summarise your call, also select Create Summary.

9. Click Start Meeting to begin recording your podcast or interview. If you want to test it first, opt forStart Test Record.

10. Click the Record button when you’re ready to start recording.

11. When you finish, click the Stop button to end the recording.

12. Wait a few seconds until the recording is saved.

13. Once you see the Upload Completed notification at the bottom right corner, click the X sign to leave the meeting.

14. Press the downward arrow icon and select Transcription to download the transcript. It will be saved in SRT.

15. Now open the file in any text editor of your choice.

💡The .srt file is opened in a player by default, which is no use to you. To see the transcribed recording, open the file in any text editor of your choice.

Fixing continuity camera issues in Chrome

If you can’t see the iPhone Continuity Camera in the list of available video inputs in Google Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome Settings

Click the three dots in Google Chrome > go to Settings > then Privacy and Security > Site Settings.

2. Check Camera Settings

Scroll down to Camera and check the list of available cameras. If your iPhone isn’t listed, open an application like FaceTime where the Continuity Camera appears. Select your iPhone from the camera options in FaceTime to refresh the list.

3. Restart Chrome

Close and restart Google Chrome. Repeat the steps if necessary. If it still doesn’t work, restart your computer.

Troubleshooting tips

#1. Compatibility

• Device requirements: Continuity Camera requires an iPhone XR, iPhone 11, or newer with iOS 16 or later, and a Mac running macOS Ventura (version 13) or later.
• Same Apple ID: Both devices must be signed into the same Apple ID.
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: Ensure both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on both devices.

#2. iCloud issues

Managed iCloud accounts from businesses might not work with Continuity Camera.

#3. Continuity Camera settings

1. Go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff > Continuity Camera and toggle it on.
2. Ensure your Mac isn’t using AirPlay or Sidecar while trying to use Continuity Camera.

#4. Wired connection

If issues persist, connect your iPhone to your Mac with a cable. Trust the device when prompted.

#5. No hotspotting

You cannot use Continuity Camera while hotspotting with your iPhone.