iPhone 16 not recognized as a camera by Mac Mini

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Level 1

18 points

iPhone 16 not recognized as a camera by Mac Mini

IPhone 16 Pro, IOS version 18.0.1 and Mac Mini M1, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1

For a couple of years I have been using an iPhone 13 as a camera for my Mac Mini while doing Zoom calls. Then this week I bought a iPhone 16 Pro to replace the iPhone 13. Now Zoom no longer sees a camera. I tried Photo Booth it doesn't see a connected camera either. The new iPhone 16 is the only change in a working system.

I've tried rebooting both devices with no change.
Bluetooth on the Mac doesn't see the iPhone, Bluetooth on the iPhone sees the Mac Mini but gets the following error message "Pairing Unsuccessful "Mac mini' is not supported".
I'm not using a VPM. Zoom has permission to access the camera on the iPhone.
On the Mac Mini under Privacy & Security > Camera Zoom is allowed (even though there is no physical camera on the Mac Mini).

Mac mini, macOS 15.0

Posted on Oct 13, 2024 4:01 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

6x6

Level 6

19,245 points

Oct 13, 2024 4:48 PM in response to bud_jones

To turn on Continuity Camera on iPhone, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff, then turn on Continuity Camera.

Continuity Camera works wirelessly, though you can also use Continuity Camera by connecting your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable.

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Answer 2

Oct 13, 2024 7:16 PM in response to bud_jones

You might want to double-check your configuration against these articles:

Continuity features and requirements for Apple devices - Apple Support

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

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Answer 3

bud_jones Author

Level 1

18 points

Oct 14, 2024 12:29 PM in response to Servant of Cats

The articles helped. Thanks. Still haven't moved the problem but I think I have a better idea of just what the problem is. It appears that my Music account has both my old iPhone and my new iPhone in its Manage Devices list. I'm not sure what to do about it though. Both entries show there are 30 days remaining before I can remove them.

Other places I've checked and found ok: iCloud has my new phone and it is trusted. Find My has the new phone as it should.

New phone does not show up in the Mac Mini finder even when I hard wire it in with a USB. It does show up when I list the Network Locations in the Hardware configuration list. When I try to pair the iPhone with the Mac Mini I get an error message "Mac mini is not supported"

I've tried rebooting both the iPhone and the Mac Mini.

So it appears the problem is the old iPhone id in the Music device list along with the new iPhone. The system is confused over which to use for Continuity Camera and wants to stay with the old id. Now how to get rid of the old id? I still have access to the old iPhone.

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Answer 4

TheLittles

Level 10

202,805 points

Oct 13, 2024 5:11 PM in response to bud_jones

bud_jones Said:

"iPhone 16 not recognized as a camera by Mac Mini: [...]On the Mac Mini under Privacy & Security > Camera Zoom is allowed (even though there is no physical camera on the Mac Mini)."

-------

Usable to Use an iPhone's Camera on a Mac:

Any Profiles? If you create a profile, then it might be blocking out access to using a camera in all. So, see if there are any profiles, and, if so, see about trashing them.

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Answer 5

Oct 14, 2024 2:03 PM in response to bud_jones

bud_jones wrote:

New iPhone still won't pair with the Mac Mini in Bluetooth. The Mini Mac still doesn't see the iPhone even when it is plugged in with a USB.

Macs and iPhones sometimes use Bluetooth to implement Continuity features – but they do not work together using Bluetooth pairing.

So I'm not surprised that you could not pair your new iPhone to your Mac mini. The surprising thing is that you were ever able to pair the old iPhone with the Mac mini.

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Answer 6

TheLittles

Level 10

202,805 points

Oct 14, 2024 6:15 AM in response to bud_jones

because d_jones Said:

“No profiles set. I'm the only user of the system and don't have a need for separate profiles so I've never implemented them.”

———-

About Camera and Profiles:

Some Apple users disable the use of camera through use of creating a profile —a nifty thing to do, if you just want some everyday privacy, and if you intermittently open the FaceTime app.

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Answer 7

bud_jones Author

Level 1

18 points

Oct 14, 2024 1:40 PM in response to bud_jones

Continuing the saga. Fired up the old phone and succeeded in removing the old phone from Apple Music account. Old phone paired with the Mac Mini in Bluetooth so I told the Mac Mini to forget about the device then deleted everything on the old iPhone and shut it down.

New iPhone still won't pair with the Mac Mini in Bluetooth. The Mini Mac still doesn't see the iPhone even when it is plugged in with a USB.

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