How to fix iPhone SE not recognized as Webcam on Mac mini M2

I have been suffering with this issue for weeks and gave up until I found the most ridiculous solution. I know what it sounds like but give it a try..

Just wanted to share this since i saw another post where no one found a solution. I’ve got this to work on my mac mini wirelessly. For some reason, it will only work when your iphone is nearby your mac mini, locked, in landscape mode and not moving. The moment it connects as a camera, you can set it any place and angle you want. But initially it has to be close to the mac, locked, straight, landscape and still. Id suggest keep it on tripod is better. Additionally, if you just finished using it and then want to use it again in a different session, you have to unlock the phone and then lock it again and then repeat the steps above.

It literally worked for me

Continuity camera is such a huge disappointment. It will work once, then the next ten times you try to use it, it will fail. Troubleshooting steps are inconsistent, other than the fact that you have to do them repeatedly to get the Mac to see the camera again.

Hopefully Apple will figure it out with macOS 14 or iOS 17, whichever is the problem. Right now, it's not worth the hassle.

I've been plagued by this issue and finally figured the source of my experience with this problem

Use Case:

• If it's connected via usb, it always works. But its such a hassle to setup the camera cable where I want
• If it's wireless, it sometimes works. It could see my phone, but video would be black (useless)

Cause of flakey behavior:

Continuity camera does not work if my laptop is connected to VPN. If I disable VPN, connect camera then re-connect to VPN it remains working.

I sporadically connect to VPN so didn't think to consider it as a potential issue until I started realizing when this issue occurs throughout the day.

I found that the iPhone must be horizontal (landscape) and screen off when trying to use as Continuity Camera wireless. Quirky. (Also I believe (need to confirm) that the rear camera's must be positioned in upper right corner).

This feature is not very robust. It works some time, but not all the times. You need to lock your phone screen first, lay the phone in landscape oritation, place the phone in a stable positon and THEN start the app such as FaceTime. When it does not work, restart the Mac Mini

I was sooo frustrated not getting this to work even seeing post like this. What I finally tried was lock and in landscape mode like apples continuity page shows, camera on the right, and it instantly showed up 😑😑😑

I don't know who did this but this is stupid. I should be able to connect in any orientation. After you connect you can even move it around! This needs to change and as evedent by so many others this is currently not a good solution. I should be able to see my phone or ipad and just connect. Especially with a Mac mini or Studio that has no built in camera.

Hi ml5661,

Thanks for contacting Apple Support Communities!

We understand that your Mac doesn't see your iPhone is connected to use Continuity Camera from your iPhone SE.

If you haven't done so already, we'd suggest that you restart both your Mac and iPhone and set up Continuity Camera again. If you need help to restart your devices, you can follow the steps in the articles below:

Restart your iPhone - Apple Support

Shut down or restart your Mac - Apple Support

If you're still not able to see that your iPhone is connected, check out the additional troubleshooting steps outlined here: Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac - Apple Support

"If you need help

If Continuity Camera isn't working as expected or your iPhone disconnects from Wi-Fi to optimize Continuity Camera, try these solutions.

If Continuity Camera isn't working as expected

• Make sure that your iPhone and Mac meet the system requirements.
• Make sure that your iPhone is properly mounted.
• Install the latest macOS updates, iOS updates, and updates for your video app.
• If you haven't unlocked your iPhone since it last restarted, unlock it, then lock it again.
• Plug your iPhone into your Mac.
• Restart your iPhone or Mac.

If you get a notification that iPhone Wi-Fi disconnected

While using Continuity Camera wirelessly, you might be notified that your iPhone has disconnected from Wi-Fi to optimize Continuity Camera. Your iPhone then uses its cellular data connection for background networking tasks like email and messages. To stop or prevent this rare occurrence while using Continuity Camera, plug your iPhone into your Mac or turn off cellular data on your iPhone.

System requirements

This Continuity Camera feature works with the following devices and operating systems, using one iPhone and one Mac at a time. The Continuity Camera feature for scanning documents or taking a picture has different requirements.

iOS 16 or later

• iPhone XR or later
• (All iPhone models introduced in 2018 or later)
• iPhone 11 or later for Center Stage
• iPhone 11 or later (excluding iPhone SE) for Desk View
• iPhone 12 or later for Studio Light
•   

macOS Ventura or later

• Any Mac compatible with macOS Ventura or later

Additional requirements

• Your iPhone and Mac must be signed in with the same Apple ID using two-factor authentication. Continuity Camera does not support Managed Apple IDs. 
• Your iPhone must have Continuity Camera turned on in Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff. It's turned on by default.
• Your iPhone and Mac must be near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.
• Your iPhone must not be sharing its cellular connection and your Mac must not be sharing its internet connection.
• To use Continuity Camera wirelessly, your Mac must not be using AirPlay or Sidecar.
• To use Continuity Camera over USB, your iPhone must be set to trust your Mac."

We hope this helps.

Take care!

I tried standing my iPhone 12 on its side in front of my Mac mini then opening FaceTime and continuity camera worked fine. Seems iPhone must be stationary on it's side (landscape) and near the Mac in order for continuity camera to work.

Note: Prior to trying this the only way I could get the iPhone camera to show up in continuity mode was to connect via USB.

Although you are reading what issue your users are experiencing, you are not actively listening to your users. Offering system requirements, although helpful is subpar. Expect us to know this already and find another possible solution.

Got it working when I turned off wireless sync of iPhone on Finder

Is there a solution for this problem?

Iphone 14 is now updated at ios17 and Mac mini m2 is also on newest version.

All the required steps for this to work have been checked and devices restarted.

Nothing works.

It's like this feature doesn't exist.

Answers like restarting bluetooth, wi-fi and computer should be banned from this forum. Of course we already tried that.

Toxic persons who address themselves as "we" should be banned IMHO.

It was not an intermittent thing in my case, it was a solution that worked for me 3 times already. Without restart, without toggling wifi and whatnot. Toggling Bluetooth.

If it doesn't work for you - maybe you have a different issue. Let's see if it helps others.

ml5661,

Thanks for providing those additional details, and great job on the troubleshooting you're done to isolate the issue.

Based on the information you've provided, and the steps you've gone through, reaching out to Apple Support directly would likely be the next best option.

You can reach out them directly using this link here: Contact - Official Apple Support

Best regards.