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

UPD My previous message was somewhat premature, here is the final version ;)

Here is what helped me to rectify this issue. It worked for me over Wi-Fi without a hiss since I've installed Ventura this past winter while my MBP M1 had an old Dell P2416D monitor hooked to it via USB-C.

However, I've bought a Dell P2723QE a couple of weeks ago and was so happy to have a single USB-C cable to provide a 90 W power delivery, external 4k video output and gigabit Ethernet networking. But Continuity camera stopped working, i.e., when I selected it in the list, the phone displayed its standard "Connected to…" screen for a while and then closed it shortly afterwards with standard Continuity sound. Camera preview window has been remaining black.

However, today I've found out that this issue can be reproduced only if Ethernet cable is connected to the monitor. Once I've disconnected it, Continuity camera started connecting over Wi-Fi properly again.

So, I recommend to check your display and try other options for video output, if possible.

I had the same problem with many months ago. I had updated iPhone to latest iOS and connect via cable to my Mac Studio. It hadn't work at all. I had contact Mac support today and went through every options.. finally given up until I come across this support group. Someone mention putting the phone closer to Mac e.g. 10-15cm while in landscape. Not connect via cable but notice green light showing on top taskbar near the clock. I quickly look at my FaceTime which I had left it on and it is working for first time.

Trying again after closing FaceTime. It doesn't work but I decided to try put the phone back to where it should be and leave it in position. It working now.

Think it all do the position of your iPhone. Put the phone on landscape. Move into 10 degree in angle and leave it in sable position. Make sure it is closer to your computer. Wait for a min or two. It will start showing. That is via wireless.. I going to try cable later on.. Don't want to jink it.

Great answer! I was suffering of this issue since upgrading to iOS 17.

this seemingly ridiculous steps made working on first try. Locked, still and landscape! Made my day, thanks buddy!

On another note, I hope a fix through software update will come soon, never had issue with continuity camera before!

Apple's approach worked for me. It was necessary, as they said, to connect my iPhone 14 to the Mac (running Sonoma) via a USB cable and then restart the Mac. Also, this reenabled the use of my Apple Watch to unlock the Mac, as well as send SMS text messages via iMessages.

I had almost abandoned the idea of using the iPhone as a continuity camera since it only worked at random with Zoom. I found that for some reason the iPhone gets "disconnected" from the Mac, and that the only way to connect it back is to use a cable (in my case a USB-C to Lightning cable) to connect it physically to the Mac. Then the iPhone will ask if you want to connect to that Mac, and after you answer yes you disconnect the cable and the continuity camera works. I did not find this step in any of the many guides around, but it seems to solve the problem.

My had stopped working and I followed all the troubleshooting instructions, and nothing. I even went as far as turning my lights on as one commenter suggested, and then it dawned on me that my VPN was on both my computer and phone. So I disconnected both and it worked.

Are you serious RN?! It worked for me as well!

You know what is the most funny part of this? I have this issue for months. It worked every time with my Macbook Pro M1 but it stopped working after a week or so on my Mac Mini M2 Pro so I called to Apple to solve the issue cause I need to use it every day and its way easier to connect it to my Mac Mini with my hude external monitor than grabbing another device and trying to work from it.

They have been collecting dev data from my Mac Mini, they did not know how to handle this and suddelny they told me it is expected this is not working on devices with no built in camera and its working only with cable connected to the devices. I was wtf...but ok, it really did work. But it took them like 4 months to came with this and they dont even know its working but in this weird way? Interesting.

Thank you very much, made my day!

If you tried everything here and it still doesnt work then try following.

Turn off your VPN on mac mini and iphone.

NordVPN on mac has this extra option for threats which usually causes this problem.

If everything works with both VPNs turned off then you need to seek deeper and find out which option in VPN causes it.

This is a preposterous "solution" and it didn't work for me. Anything this finicky is broken. Apple needs to fix this.

I have a new Macbook M3 Pro with Sonoma 14.4.1 and an iPad Pro 11-inch 3rd generation with iOS 17.3.1. I tried every solution listed in the forum short of safe mode and re-installing the OS (that's supposed to be a "solution", really?). I locked the iPad in portrait mode, made sure Bluetooth is on, that they're on the same wireless network, that the firewall isn't blocking anything, that Handoff is turned off, that Continuity Camera is on, etc. I tried connecting the iPad's Bluetooth to the Macbook but it won't pair and apparently that's not necessary anyway. This is broken, Apple.

For context, I can connect the iPad to this Macbook M3 Pro or a Windows 10/11 PC using the Elgato EpocCam Pro app on the iPad and the (free) Elgato Camera Hub (1.9) software running on Sonoma and I get 1080p video from the iPad camera wirelessly. It's dead simple and works flawlessly. I can also connect an Android phone to Windows 10/11 using DroidCamX and use its camera for 1080p. I cannot get video from Apple's Continuity Camera no matter what I try, going on 2 or 3 hours now.

Please fix this, Apple.

Turning Bluetooth off & back on.

It helped me on macOS Ventura 13.3

I have this problem as well. Continuity camera works on my MacBook Pro wirelessly but DOES NOT work on my Mac Studio. I keep having to connect it via USB.

Very annoyed!!

See info from Apple. Needs to be locked, stable, landscaped, enough light, back camera not ubstructed

Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac - Apple Support

I have the same issue.

Tried all these steps and others that I found on internet and didn't work

Mac mini M2

macOS Ventura 13.2.1

iPhone 11 Pro

iOS 16.3.1

I found that the iPhone must be horizontal (landscape) and screen off when trying to use as Continuity Camera wireless. Quirky.

This isn’t the case on my MBP. It will recognize the iPhone camera even when the camera is face down. Are you saying that the max studio is different?