Green Room

Mac guide · macOS 14 Sonoma and later

Continuity Camera not working? Check these in order.

Using your iPhone as a webcam needs a few things to line up: the same Apple Account, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the phone mounted the right way.

Quick check first: mount your iPhone, then open the free webcam test and look in the camera list. If your iPhone is there, Continuity Camera works and the problem is in one app (step 7).

What you need

  • iPhone XR or later running iOS 16 or later.
  • A Mac that runs macOS Ventura or later. Every Mac that runs macOS 14 Sonoma qualifies.
  • The same Apple Account on both, with two-factor authentication turned on.

Fix Continuity Camera, step by step

  1. Switch it on in iPhone Settings.On the iPhone, open Settings › General › AirPlay & Continuity and turn on Continuity Camera. (Older versions of iOS call this AirPlay & Handoff.)
  2. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.Both have to be on, on the iPhone and the Mac, even if you aren't connected to a network. Keep the iPhone within about 30 feet (10 meters) of the Mac.
  3. Stop sharing internet.Continuity Camera won't work while your iPhone shares its cellular connection (Personal Hotspot) or your Mac shares its internet connection.
  4. Stop AirPlay and Sidecar.To work wirelessly, your Mac can't be using AirPlay or Sidecar at the same time.
  5. Mount the iPhone in landscape.Put it on a stand or mount, steady, in landscape, with the rear camera facing you. In landscape, apps can choose it on their own.
  6. Unlock it once.If you haven't unlocked your iPhone since it last restarted, unlock it, then lock it again.
  7. Pick it in the app.Choose the iPhone in the app's camera menu. In FaceTime, use the Video menu. In Zoom, open Settings › Video and pick it under Camera.
  8. Plug it in.Connect the iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable. If the iPhone asks whether to trust this computer, tap Trust.
  9. Update and restart.Install the latest macOS, iOS, and video app updates, then restart both devices.

Showing up when you don't want it?

When your iPhone is mounted in landscape near your Mac, some apps switch to it on their own. Pick your Mac's camera in the app, or turn off Continuity Camera on the iPhone in Settings › General › AirPlay & Continuity.

Test it again

Webcam testLive preview, resolution, frame rate, and lighting. Mac camera not working?The fixes, in the order to try them. Lighting for Zoom callsLook your best with what you have.

What Green Room does automatically

Green Room is a free menu bar app that shows which camera your Mac is handing to apps, before the call starts.

  • One-click preview. Click the icon next to the clock to see the camera your Mac suggests to apps, with a live preview.
  • Notices when it changes. Save your usual devices as your setup, and it warns you when the camera in use isn't the one you expect.
  • Checks the picture. One line under the preview flags a covered lens, a dark room, a backlit face, or sitting off-center.

On a Mac? Green Room shows which camera you're about to use.

Your iPhone, your MacBook, or the webcam on your display: see it live before anyone else does. Free, with no account.

Download free See how it works