One of the previous advantages of third - party virtual camera apps ( like Camo from Reincubate ) over a built - in or total - on webcam used with your Mac is that they let you use an iPhone as a webcam for FaceTime , Zoom , and other videoconferencing apps . Apple changed that equating by addingContinuity Camera , which let your iPhone appear as another video remark to any app on your Mac .

But there was still a virtual camera advantage : Continuity Camera showed you frame in in the opinion of your phone ’s Ultra Wide camera or espouse you around with Center Stage . But you could n’t get the advantage of a place between those options : zooming in or out and pan within the frame .

Apple tot that lineament quietly in a way that ’s hard to discover in macOS Sonoma . Sonoma raised the profile of the video menu from Ventura and previous macOS releases . Before Sonoma , you used a combination of options in the Control Center , in a simplified television app , and in individual apps to control Continuity Camera features , like Center Stage , Portrait , and Studio Light , as well as microphone modality .

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At left, 0.5x is selected and 1 is shown as the next increment; at right, 2x is selected and 1 is similarly shown as the next increment. (Video preview removed for clarity.)

In Sonoma , all those features are centralized in the picture menu . ( FaceTime still offer access to camera options in the ego - eyeshot in macOS , too . ) With any app open that accepts video remark , like FaceTime or Zoom , the video recording menu appears . Choose the bill of fare and you see a video trailer . Now , brood over the preview . A dial - like indicator with two buttons tag among the pursual :

At left , 0.5x is selected and 1 is shown as the next growth ; at right , 2x is select and 1 is similarly shown as the next increase . ( Video prevue removed for clarity . )

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At left, 0.5x is selected and 1 is shown as the next increment; at right, 2x is selected and 1 is similarly shown as the next increment. (Video preview removed for clarity.)

you may rap the button to jump to a genus Lens and enlargement or drag to move through diminished increments . An x appears after the number to indicate it ’s the selected photographic camera zoom broker .

Within the prevue , you’re able to drag to tear apart to move the area shown within the big frame . Click Recenter to center the frame within the camera ’s full theatre of view .

This pan - and - rapid growth feature only works when Center Stage is disabled . If you are using Desk View , you are determine to Main to Telephoto reach , as the Ultra Wide camera is in habit for Desk View .

This Mac 911 article is in reaction to a question give in by Macworld proofreader Kevin .

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