Apple devices all play together well, especially the iPhone and Mac which effortlessly lets you copy and paste or handoff applications. There is a lesser known function, Continuity Camera, which lets you use the main camera from your iPhone as the webcam for your Mac.
It’s a serious upgrade over the classic 720p FaceTime cameras featured in many Macs and even over the better 1080p lenses in newer ones. You’ll look sharper and even be able to use “CenterStage” to keep you in the frame.
Belkin’s MagSafe Mount lets you easily prop your iPhone up on the side or clipped to the of your MacBook. And take it from me, it’s a lot better than using some duct tape to attempt your own mount. Best of all, Amazon dropped it to the lowest price ever at just $25.31.
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Belkin iPhone MagSafe Camera Mount for MacBook, $25 was $30 on Amazon
As ingenious as this accessory is, it’s very intuitive to get started. As long as you have an iPhone with MagSafe, an iPhone 12 or newer, it will magnetically snap to the mount and can be set in either horizontal or vertical orientation. From there, you’ll pull the subtle clip which can safely clip onto the top of your MacBook Air or Pro’s screen. It is also made from a material that won’t cause scratches or scuffs, and even more importantly it doesn’t block your screen.
Then with your iPhone’s main camera array facing you, the Mac connects with those lenses and nearly instantly improves your web camera. You’ll notice crisper details and better lighting pretty quickly.
Simple as that and the mount is easy enough to toss into a bag as well. Thanks to a kickstand on the back, you can even use it to prop up your iPhone for easier viewing. Additionally, thanks to a grip built-in to the back, you could keep this attached and use it as an iPhone accessory.
You can pick between black or white for color, and both are down to $25.31. That’s a 16% discount from the MSRP for this mount.
How to Use Continuity Camera
First, ensure that you're running the latest version of iOS on your iPhone and that your Mac is running at least macOS Ventura. You'll need to be signed into the same iCloud account on both of your devices, and we'd hedge that is already the case.
From there, when a FaceTime comes through, or you send one, and if you're using the built-in webcam for a recording or with another video app, just set up your iPhone on the MagSafe mount and position it on the top of your MacBook. Ensure that your camera module, aka the back of the iPhone, is facing you, and you'll see a pop-up appear on your Mac asking to use Continuity Camera.
In typical Apple fashion, it does all the hard work for you, and you're off to the races.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
