iPhone continuity camera not working on Mac? 8 ways to fix it
Most MacBooks come with a low-resolution 720p webcam, which isn’t great for video calls. To solve this problem, Apple introduced the Continuity Camera feature, which allows you to use the iPhone’s high-resolution camera wirelessly.
Although it works fine most of the time, sometimes you can’t see your iPhone camera when trying to use this feature on your Mac. So, follow this guide as we will show you how to fix Continuity Camera if it is not working on Mac.
1. Check if your device supports Continuity Camera
Before troubleshooting the Continuity Camera feature, make sure your device supports this feature. Here’s what you need to get Continuity Camera running on your Mac:
- iPhone XR and newer devices running iOS 16 or later.
- A Mac running macOS Ventura or later
- You’re signed in to the same Apple ID on both devices
If you have a compatible iPhone and Mac but still can’t use Continuity on your Mac, try the following troubleshooting methods.
2. Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
The Continuity Camera feature relies on an active Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection. So, make sure these features are enabled on both devices.
On your Mac, press the button Control center on the right side of the menu bar and enable the toggle buttons for the following items Wireless and Bluetooth.
Similarly, open the menu on your iPhone Control center by dragging the slider at the top right of the screen and activating the feature Bluetooth and Wireless seesaw
Also, make sure that the iPhone is not sharing its cellular connection and that the Mac is not sharing its internet connection. Also, you should not use AirPlay or Sidecar while using this feature.
3. Update your iPhone and Mac
Since Continuity Camera is a software feature, it’s a bug because it’s a new feature in macOS Ventura. Over time, Apple fixes these bugs in the latest macOS and iOS updates, which is one of the many reasons you should update iOS on your iPhone.
Therefore, you should install the latest iOS and macOS updates as soon as they become available. Here’s how to check for the latest macOS update and install it on your Mac:
- Open System Settings On your Mac from the Dock.
- go to General > Software Update.
- click on it Update now if there is a software update.
Similarly, here’s how to check for the latest iOS update and install it on your iPhone:
- Open Parameters on the iPhone.
- go to General > Software Update.
- hit Download and install if there is a new update
Wait for the updates to install and restart your Mac and iPhone automatically. After restarting, check if the Continuity Camera works as expected. But if it’s not there or you can’t find any update, try the other solutions below.
4. Enable Continuity Camera on iPhone
Continuity Camera is enabled by default in iOS 16. However, if you accidentally disabled this setting at some point, this may be the reason why you cannot use the Continuity Camera feature on your Mac. So, follow these simple steps to enable it on your iPhone:
- open Parameters on the iPhone.
- go to General > AirPlay & Handless.
- Activate the button next to it Continuity Camera.
Once enabled, you should be able to use the Continuity Camera feature. If you still can’t, try the following troubleshooting methods.
5. Sign out and sign in to your Apple ID
The Continuity Camera feature requires you to sign in with the same Apple ID on both your iPhone and Mac. However, Apple ID issues can also prevent you from using this feature.
Therefore, you should try to sign out of your Apple ID and sign in again on your iPhone and Mac. Here’s a guide to help you safely sign out of iCloud on Mac and iPhone.
Open to reconnect Parameters iPhone and System settings Select the option on your Mac To login and enter your login information.
6. Reset Network Settings on Mac and iPhone
If nothing else works for you, resetting the network settings may solve this problem. You can easily reset the network settings on your iPhone from the Settings app on iOS.
Follow these simple instructions to reset network settings on iPhone:
- open Parameters on your iPhone and go General.
- Then, scroll all the way down and tap the button Move or reset iPhone choice.
- Choose now Reset itlater Reset network settings.
- Enter your iPhone passcode when prompted.
Your iPhone network settings will be reset and you can try to check if the Continuity Camera is working as expected.
Unlike iPhone, you can’t reset network settings on Mac from macOS Ventura’s updated System Settings app. However, there are several different ways to reset network settings on a Mac.
7. Restart your Mac and iPhone
As a last resort, you can try restarting your iPhone and Mac as this is the best way to fix minor software bugs and errors on your device. Also, there are several ways to restart your iPhone even if the buttons don’t work.
Similarly, you can restart your Mac by pressing the button Apple Menu and option selection To start again in the drop-down list. If your Mac is frozen, there are other ways to restart it.
After restarting your Mac and iPhone, you should be able to use the Continuity Camera feature.
If none of the troubleshooting steps above helped, it’s time to seek help from an Apple expert. If you think this is a problem with your iPhone or Mac, you can get technical support with the Apple Support app on your iPhone.
If the problem is hardware, Apple experts will help you in ways we can’t, especially if your devices are still under warranty.
Fix MacOS problems with ease
We hope you will be able to get the Continuity Camera feature on your Mac. Assuming the built-in webcam is 720p and lower, it’s a great way to get better video call quality on your Mac.
As with Continuity Camera, Apple has added many features with macOS Ventura. However, macOS isn’t perfect, so you’ll often find bugs. So, knowing some basic troubleshooting tips will help you solve such problems.