Using my iPhone as a web cam and mike with my new monitor which has neither

Question

Using my iPhone as a web cam and mike with my new monitor which has neither

I have recommisioned a late 2014 iMac retina as a monitor for my new Mac mini 4. I am able to use the original speakers as I purchased a cross over board. I want finally to have a working camera and microphone. I have tried following the instructions about continuity camera but not getting very far. I did thin k the phone and Mac had to be connected by bluetooth but have since found out that this is not supported. Can someone point me to some clear instructions on how to get this working.

Thank you

Mac mini, macOS 26.2

Posted on Jan 13, 2026 9:37 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Servant of Cats

Level 8

37,085 points

Jan 13, 2026 10:34 AM in response to raymondfromwakefield

Target Display Mode went away when your iMac - the first 5K Retina iMac – came out. Apple later added restrictions on Target Display Mode such that no current or recent Mac supports using any iMac as a Target Display. It's not clear what you are doing to 'recommission" that iMac as a monitor, but it doesn't sound like it involves Target Display Mode.

The Continuity Camera feature that lets an iPhone serve as a webcam for a Mac requires a Mac which is running macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. Your iMac cannot run anything higher than macOS 11 (Big Sur) and does not support this feature. Your M4 Mac mini should support the feature, so I would suggest carefully going over all of the requirements – for both the Mac and the iPhone – to see if there is anything you missed.

Continuity features and requirements for Apple devices - Apple Support

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Answer 2

LotusPilot

Level 10

303,644 points

Jan 13, 2026 10:31 AM in response to raymondfromwakefield

Your Mac and iPhone must meet specific system requirements:

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

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)

macOS Ventura or later

Any Mac compatible with macOS Ventura or later

Additional requirements

Your iPhone and Mac are signed in to the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication.
Your iPhone has Continuity Camera turned on in Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff). It's turned on by default.
Your iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.
Your iPhone is not sharing its mobile connection and your Mac is not 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.
Reactions, Presenter Overlay, camera modes and mic modes have other requirements.

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