Learn how to connect and use an external camera on your iPad or Mac for FaceTime calls, Zoom, Teams, and other video conferencing apps.
Built-in cameras on iPads, MacBooks, and iMacs are pretty decent, but many third-party webcams bring perks such as better picture quality, improved low-light performance, higher frame rates (like 60 fps), a wider field of view, and faster autofocus. Plus, you can mount an external webcam onto your monitor, tripod, or elsewhere for an elevated position and angle.
The built-in camera on most iPads and Macs is just 1080p. So, if you want to video call in 4K or enjoy the perks mentioned above, you’ll need to invest in an external webcam from a trusted brand such as Logitech, Razer, Dell, HP, Elgato, AVerMedia, Asus, and more.
I’ve used my Logitech C270 webcam for this tutorial. It’s not actually better than the built-in one, but at least you’ll get an idea of how everything works. Before proceeding, be sure your iPad is running the latest version of iPadOS.
Connecting a webcam to an iPad or Mac
It’s as simple as plugging a thumb drive. If your external webcam has a USB-C connector, plug it into your iPad’s or Mac’s USB-C port, then hit “Allow” if you see a popup. If the webcam has a USB-A connector, you’ll need a USB-C dongle or adapter to connect it to an iPad or a newer MacBook.
Using an external webcam in iPad apps
iPadOS offers no external camera configuration settings or anything of that sort; it’s just plug-and-play to keep things simple.
Start by opening a video calling app that supports external third-party cameras, like Apple’s FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom (Google Meet and Slack don’t support external webcams yet). Then make a call or go to camera view, and you should see that the app has already detected video feed from the external camera.
Most of the apps won’t let you select between the built-in camera and the external one. Also, using an external webcam will prevent you from switching between the built-in front and rear cameras.
To stop using the connected webcam, unplug it from the USB-C port, and the device will instantly switch to the built-in camera.
It seems like external webcams on iPad are limited to video calling and video conferencing apps. While my Logitech webcam works in FaceTime, Zoom, and Teams on my iPad Pro, I cannot access it in the built-in apps like Camera or Photo Booth and third-party apps like Instagram.
Using a third-party webcam in Mac apps
macOS lets you choose between the connected or the built-in camera. You can also use your iPhone as your Mac’s camera.
In the FaceTime app, click the Video menu and select your external webcam as the camera and microphone source.
In Photo Booth, hit the Camera option in the menu bar and make your pick.
In QuickTime Player, start a new movie recording by using the File menu and then hit the tiny arrow next to the record button to use your external webcam as the camera and microphone source.
In Zoom and other third-party apps, use in-app settings to choose the right USB webcam from the list of available cameras.
You may come across Mac apps that offer no clear option to select the desired camera, like Keynote. Instead, they use whatever default camera macOS thinks is best. As an example, when I start recording a live video inside a Keynote presentation, my Mac mini automatically uses my nearby iPhone as a wireless camera, completely ignoring the connected Logitech webcam. To use my Logitech instead, I need to tap Disconnect on my iPhone first before Keynote can start using the external camera, as that’s the only one available. Unfortunately, this trick doesn’t work on MacBook and iMac as you can’t disconnect the built-in camera.
On the iPad, the developer must explicitly add external camera support. On the Mac, however, the vast majority of apps and browsers work with third-party webcams.
If an external camera won’t work on your iPad or Mac
Follow these fixes if an app continues using the built-in camera even though you’ve selected an external webcam in settings.
- Force Quit and reopen the app.
- Disconnect and reconnect the external webcam.
- Make sure the connection is snug.
- Verify that your USB-C hub isn’t faulty.
- Restart your Mac or iPad.
- Update the app in question.
- If that doesn’t help, delete and reinstall the app.
- Check the manual or contact support to confirm the camera works on iPadOS and macOS.
Does the iPhone support an external webcam?
iOS doesn’t yet support external webcams. I connected my Logitech camera to the USB-C port of my iPhone, but it didn’t work in FaceTime, Zoom, or Teams.
More on video calling: