How to use your iPhone as a webcam for Mac and PC

With the pandemic locking us in our homes, with the only mode of contact and communication through video calls and zoom meetings, cameras form the basis of most of our conversations. It is only obvious the demand for webcams has soared in recent times.

This combined with the fact that factories and other industrial areas are being closed down, meaning there has not been a lot of production, has caused items to sell out and prices to increase as we’ve never seen before.

Considering that you need a good quality camera to attend your calls, but splurging over your budget is not an option and that many a time, you might not even get a webcam, the next best solution is to use a secondary device as your webcam.

The iPhone camera quality is superior to the one found on laptops and the process is relatively simple. If you are looking to adapt your iPhone to a webcam, this article will guide you through the process.

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Is It Possible to Use an iPhone as A Webcam?

Yes, it is possible to use an iPhone as a webcam, there are a variety of applications available on the app store that work both as a free version and added features in their pro version, which you can get for a small fee.

How to Use an iPhone as a Webcam Using EpocCam on Mac?

While there are numerous, as we said above, that allows you to convert your iPhone into a webcam, EpocCam is one of the top picks in the market. It comes with mentionable features as well as a relatively straightforward setup method, making it easy to use.

EpocCam has both free and paid versions, if you do not want to spend money on the app, the free version works well enough and supports up to 640 x 420 pixels of video quality. Moreover, it works both wirelessly (through WIfi) as well as wired connections.

However please note, that the free versions come with advertisements that you will have to sit through as well as a watermark when you use the app. If that does not cause much of a problem, then the EpocCam app is an excellent pick.

1. To start off you need to visit the iOS App Store on the iPhone.
2. In the App Store, type in EpocCam, and navigate through the store till you find the app. You can also click here and head over to the download page directly.
3. Once you find the application, click on Install.
4. Please note that it is of utmost importance that you read through the privacy policy available for the EpocCam and allow the microphone and camera permissions for the application. This will allow it to function properly without any hassles or errors.
5. Once the application is downloaded on the iPhone. Open your Mac and launch safari.
6. Type in kinoni.com to go to the site, or simply click here to visit the site.
7. When you visit the page, scroll down until you reach an option labeled Download macOS drivers. Click on that. It is through this drive that your Mac can use the iPhone as a camera through applications like EpocCam.

8. Once the driver is installed, go to the location of its download. Extract the file by double-clicking on the file.
9. Once the file is extracted, double click it again, this will begin the installation process.
10. Complete the installation process, by following the instructions that will be displayed on the screen throughout the process. In the final window displayed, click on the Install button located at the bottom of the window.
11. For the drive to install, you will have to enter your credentials and then click on Install Software.
12. Once the drive is installed, visit the Mac App Store and download the EpocCam Viewer app from the same.

13. Once the app is downloaded, go to your iPhone and open the EpocCam application on it. When you open the application you will see a blank screen.
14. You will have two options, either to connect with a wire, using a USB cable or through a Wifi network.
15. If you are using a Wifi network, you need to ensure that both the Mac and the iPhone are connected to the same network.
16. Once you connect the iPhone and the Mac, you will be able to see a preview of a video on the EpocCam Viewer on your Mac.

Now you have established a connection between the iPhone and Mac, you can use the iPhone as a webcam for multiple video calling applications, like Zoom or FaceTime.

To use the iPhone as a webcam for applications, simply go to the Video Settings of that application and select EpocCam as the default camera for that application.

In this way, you can use Epoccam to convert your iPhone to a webcam and change the quality of your meetings or video-calling. Moreover, it works on both Mac and Windows, so you can use it with a variety of systems.

How to Use iPhone as a webcam on Windows Using iVCam?

If you do not have a Mac, but still want to use your iPhone as a webcam for a Windows system, you can do so by using the app called iVCam. Similar to EpocCam, you can use iVCam use the camera of your iPhone on your Mac.

Similar to the method mentioned above, to use this app you need to download the app on the iPhone and software on your computer.

iVCam has both the free version and paid version. Though the free version allows you to use the iPhone as a webcam, you will have advertisements and limited video resolution.

1. To start the process, you need to visit the Apple Store on the iPhone.
2. Make sure you read the privacy policy before you download the application, and allow all the required permissions for the app the function properly once you have downloaded the app on your phone.
3. Once the application is downloaded, go to your laptop and switch it on.
4. Go to the official link for the iVCam software and download it from the link to the PC.
5. Similar to the previous step, install the application. Follow the instruction displayed on the screen to properly install and launch the application.
6. Once you have installed the application on your laptop. Open the app both on your phone and on the laptop. They will connect automatically. Please take note that for the phone and the laptop to connect they have to be linked to the same Wifi network.

Through the iVCam, you can perform other additional functions such as taking screenshots, using different filters or effects, and can even use the flash option, when there is low light. The Maximum available resolution for the free version is 1920 x 1080 at 60fps.

To use the iVCam across various platforms, you simply need to go to the settings of the specific platform you want to use the camera for, go to the Audio and Video Settings within that tab, and set the iVCam as the default camera for your system in that application.

In doing so you will be able to use your iPhone as a webcam for all your meetings, as well as take advantage of the different features that iVCam offers.

Troubleshooting iPhone Default Camera settings in Several Apps

Through the methods described above, you can use your iPhone as a webcam on your laptop, however, you will have to make the changes every time you use the application that needs a camera until you set the iPhone as a default camera for that video calling application.

Once iPhone is set as the default camera, it will act as the primary webcam, which can save you a lot of time in future sessions.

Below we will discuss the method by which you can change your camera settings of three video calling apps, namely Zoom, Facetime, and Skye, to make your iPhone the default webcam. Though the method uses Mac operating systems as an example, if you have a Windows operating system, you can still follow the method, as the procedure is similar for both devices.

How to use iPhone as a default camera in Zoom?

1. Open the Zoom application on your computer.
2. From the menu bar visible on top of the screen, click on the option labeled Zoom.

3. From the list of options that appear, select the one that reads Video.

4. Within this tab, you will see various options in a drop menu present on the right-hand side of the window for different camera preferences, click on it.
5. In the list of given options, choose the one that mentions the specific webcam app you are using, for example, if you are using EpocCam, you will see an option mentioning the same.
6. Then click on the Audio option from the left sidebar.

7. Similarly, you will see options for different microphones. In the same way, click on the dropdown menu present on the right-hand side of the screen and select the option that lists the webcam application you are using that connects your iPhone to the laptop.

Now your iPhone is set as the default camera and microphone for Zoom.

How to use iPhone as a default camera in Facetime?

1. Launch the FaceTime application on your Mac.
2. In the Menu bar present on top of the screen, choose the option titled Video.
3. In doing so, a drop-down menu will appear, under the heading titled Camera, you will see various options available, click the one that has your webcam application on it.

4. Likewise, you will see a Microphone option as well, click on the option that lists the name of the application you are using to connect your phone to the laptop, for example, if you are using iVCam, you will see an option mentioning the same.

Now your iPhone is set as the default camera option for Facetime.

How to use iPhone as a default Web camera in Skype?

1. Open Skype on your computer.
2. Once the skype window is opened, you will see various options on the menu bar present on top of the screen. Choose the option labeled Skype.
3. Then click on the option that is labeled Preferences.

4. In Preferences, you will see a variety of options, click on the one that says Audio & Video.
5. Within this tab, you will see an option for different camera preferences in a drop menu present on the right-hand side of the window, click on it.
6. In the list of given options, choose the one that mentions the specific webcam app you are using, for example, if you are using IVCam, you will see an option mentioning the same.

7. Below the camera option, there will be a similar one for the microphone. In the same way, click on the dropdown menu present on the right-hand side of the screen and select the option that lists the webcam application you are using that connects your iPhone to the laptop.

Now your iPhone is set as the default camera and microphone for Skype. To test if the function works properly, you have the option of trying out a free test call. This is found at the bottom of the screen when you scroll.

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Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the method by which you can convert your iPhone into a webcam fr a laptop that wither uses Mac and Windows operating systems. We did this using two applications, that can be found on the Apple Store, namely, EpocCam and IVCam.

We further discussed the way in which you can change the default settings of various video calling applications so that your iPhone acts as a default camera for those applications.

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