Introduced in macOS Ventura and iOS 16, “Continuity Camera” is a brilliant feature that allows your Mac to wirelessly use the high-quality rear camera on your iPhone as its primary webcam. However, the way Apple implemented the feature is highly aggressive. If your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network and locked, and you open FaceTime, Zoom, or Photo Booth on your Mac, macOS will automatically hijack your phone’s camera.
If your phone is sitting face-down on your desk, or if it is across the room in your pocket, joining a Zoom meeting will result in a pitch-black screen or an awkward, shaky view of your ceiling. You then have to frantically click through the Zoom settings to switch the camera back to your Mac’s built-in FaceTime HD camera before your colleagues notice.
If you prefer to explicitly choose when to use your phone as a webcam, you should disable the automatic continuity trigger.
How to Turn Off Continuity Camera
Because the Mac is the device “pulling” the video feed, the setting to disable this feature actually lives on your iPhone, not your Mac.
- Unlock your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Tap on AirPlay & Handoff.
- Look for the toggle switch labeled Continuity Camera.
- Turn this toggle to the Off position.
Once disabled, your Mac will no longer see your iPhone as an available video input device. The next time you launch Zoom or FaceTime, it will default back to the built-in webcam housed in your MacBook’s bezel, exactly as it did before the macOS update.