Managing multiple webcams - where does system preferences allow this?

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Level 1

4 points

Managing multiple webcams - where does system preferences allow this?

Just one webcam always gives you the same view. I have two, one with a professional backdrop and one with a less intimidating personal view. I'd like to be able to switch between them, but cannot find any place in system preferences to effect this switch. Best would be to be able to switch during a videocall, but I'd settle for the moment on being able to choose either one or the other at the outset.

Some apps (eg Zoom) allow me to do this in their own preferences, but others (eg Google Meet, Facetime) not only don't allow me to switch, they only see one of the webcams.

Where does the OS keep info about the 'current' active webcam, and how can I switch?

Or are there any other solutions?

Mac mini, macOS 11.2

Posted on Feb 7, 2022 8:02 AM

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Answer 1

Rudegar

Level 10

181,290 points

Feb 8, 2022 10:54 AM in response to Ginestre56

Only tested it with Catalina and 2 usb cams one Logitech one more generic

worked fine in photo booth and Skype but not in FaceTime likely because the generic one had a pretty low res supported

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Answer 2

Ginestre56 Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 7, 2022 1:22 PM in response to Rudegar

Thanks, Rudegar - but not all apps have this facility: of the three you nominate, at least two (Facetime and Photobooth) don't. Skype as I recall doesn't either, but I can't check my memory right now.

In any case, since I have two connected to my mac, I want to be able to choose which to prioritise. At the moment, it's the mac which chooses - and it seems to choose the most recently connected. This is not satisfactory.

Anyone with any ideas?

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Answer 3

Ginestre56 Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 8, 2022 9:00 AM in response to Rudegar

Perhaps I'm being particularly stupid, but I just can't find these options on Big Sur, for either Photo booth (which has no Preferences option, though there is a 'Camera' menu item which merely lists one of my web cams) or Facetime, whose Preferences I attach in a screen shot.

Where should I look for a way to choose between my two webcams?

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Answer 4

Ginestre56 Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 8, 2022 11:43 AM in response to Rudegar

I can get each of the single webcams to work, if they are plugged in one at a time. Both are high quality - one is a Logitech hi end, and the other a Canon DSLR plugged in through an ATEM professional broadcast deck, which is perceived as a webcam. Both work fine, when plugged in alone. When both are plugged in, Zoom allows me to choose which to use. Other s/w doesn't.

What I'm seekig to do is to define either camera a or camera b as default from the operating system. At the moment, those apps (Facetime, Microsoft teams, Google meet, Photobooth and maybe others) which only see one webcam always choose the last one connected, whichever it happens to be, and ignore the other. This is not a feature, it's a bug. Zoom manages fine.

There must be some way to tell the OS that I want either camera a or camera b to be selected, and perhaps even toggle between, as I can in Zoom?

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