MacOS Ventura will finally let you use your iPhone as a webcam

Apple on Monday announced the new Continuity Camera feature on MacOS, which, essentially, will let you use your iPhone as a webcam. The new feature — part of macOS Ventura, the latest version of the desktop operating system — was announced during the Worldwide Developers Conference 2022 keynote address. 

The new feature allows a user to wirelessly connect a Mac to an iPhone. The Mac automatically will recognize and use the camera on iPhone when it is nearby, without the need to wake or select it. 

Continuity Camera effectively gives you a webcam upgrade without your having to buy any new hardware — except, perhaps, a clip to attach your phone to your Mac.

It brings new videoconferencing features to any Mac, including Studio Light — an effect that illuminates a user's face while dimming the background. The feature can also leverage the Ultra Wide camera on iPhone to enable Desk View, which simultaneously shows the user's face and an overhead view of the desk. Desk View could be useful for tasks like creating DIY videos or showing off sketches over FaceTime, Apple suggests.