The short answer
In the Creavit Studio recorder, open the Camera menu, choose the iPhone camera and pick 9:16. Scan the QR code shown on your Mac with your iPhone. The phone opens camera.creavit.studio in the browser; tap Connect to Mac. Both screens show the same 4-digit code. If they match, click Accept on the Mac. Your phone is now a vertical camera, and you can switch between the Back and Front camera while live.
You do not install an app on the phone. Video travels over WebRTC on your local network, straight from the phone to the Mac, at 1080×1920 and up to 30 fps. Audio comes from the Mac's microphone.
Why use the phone instead of the Mac's camera
A built-in Mac camera is landscape and sits at the top of the display. For reels and shorts you usually want a vertical frame, and sometimes you want to film something other than your face: a product on the desk, a sketch on paper, a device in your hand.
The iPhone gives you both. The front camera works for a talking head, the back camera for a product shot or a close-up, and the stream is already vertical at 1080×1920. Because the phone feed is a normal camera layer in Creavit Studio, everything you would do with a webcam still applies.
Step by step
1. Put the Mac and iPhone on the same network
The video goes directly from the phone to the Mac over the local network, so both devices should be on the same Wi-Fi. Mount the phone where you want it to film. A small tripod or a stand behind the laptop works well for a face shot; an overhead arm works for desk demos.
2. Choose the iPhone camera in the recorder
Open the recorder, then the Camera menu. Choose the iPhone camera and select 9:16. The Mac shows a Phone Camera panel with a QR code and the note "Scan with your iPhone. No app to install."
3. Scan and connect
Point the iPhone's Camera app at the QR code. It opens camera.creavit.studio in the browser. Tap Connect to Mac.
The pairing link expires after 2 minutes. If it expires, choose Create new QR code on the Mac and scan again.
4. Compare the code and accept
The Mac shows "A phone wants to connect" with a 4-digit code. Your iPhone shows a code too. Accept only if your iPhone shows the same code. If it does not match, or you did not try to connect, choose Not my phone.
Until you accept, the phone's video stays out of previews and recordings. This step protects you if someone else on the same network scans your QR code.
5. Pick the Back or Front camera
On the phone, tap Back or Front. You can switch while live. A common pattern for a product reel:
- start on the Front camera for a 3-second hook to camera,
- switch to the Back camera to show the product up close,
- switch back to Front for the call to action.
Keep the camera page open on your phone while you record. If you leave the page or the phone locks, the camera feed can stop.
6. Check the microphone on the Mac
The phone sends video only. Sound comes from the Mac's microphone, so choose your mic in the recorder as usual. If the phone is far from you, a microphone near your mouth sounds better than the laptop's built-in one.
7. Record
Record as you normally would: camera only, or screen and camera together. A session can last up to 6 hours. When you are done, choose Disconnect phone on the Mac.
8. Edit the camera layer
In the editor, the iPhone footage is a camera layer like any webcam. You can:
- change layouts (full camera, camera over screen, side by side),
- apply masks and shapes,
- use camera background removal,
- turn on Follow face so the frame glides with you when you move (see face tracking).
Framing tips for vertical reels
- Hold the phone upright. The stream is vertical, so mount the phone in portrait and keep your eyes in the upper third of the frame.
- Leave room for captions. Short-video apps place buttons and text near the bottom and right edge. Keep your face and the product away from those areas.
- Light the subject, not the room. A window or lamp in front of you does more for image quality than any setting.
- Plan the camera switches. Decide in advance which lines you say on the front camera and which moments need the back camera, so you do not fumble with the phone mid-sentence.
Privacy and security
- No app install on the phone, and no certificate to install.
- Local video. The camera stream goes from phone to Mac over your local network. It is not uploaded to a server.
- Encrypted pairing. The signaling used to set up the connection is end-to-end encrypted. The QR code holds a secret that never reaches a server.
- Explicit approval. You confirm the matching 4-digit code before any video appears.
The Mac can also start a local connection without the internet. In that mode Safari may show a certificate warning for your Mac; the panel explains what to choose (Show Details, then visit this website).
Limits to know
- Frame rate and size: 1080×1920 at up to 30 fps. If you need 60 fps phone footage, record on the phone and import the file instead.
- Audio: comes from the Mac's microphone, not the phone.
- Same network: the phone and Mac need to reach each other on the local network. Guest Wi-Fi networks that isolate devices can block the connection.
- Keep the page open: the browser page on the phone is the camera. Leave it in front while recording.
- Pairing window: the QR link is valid for 2 minutes; a connected session lasts up to 6 hours.
When to use it, and when not
Use the iPhone camera when you want a vertical reel with a better image than the built-in camera, when you need the back camera for objects, or when you want to cut between a face shot and a close-up in one recording.
Stick with the Mac's camera for quick screen recordings where a small camera bubble is enough. And if you want to record what is on the iPhone's screen (an app demo, for example), that is a different workflow: see the iPhone screen recorder for Mac or the Creavit Studio iPhone app.
Quick setup checklist
- Mac and iPhone on the same Wi-Fi.
- Phone mounted and framed for the first shot.
- Camera menu set to the iPhone camera and 9:16.
- Codes match before you click Accept.
- Microphone chosen on the Mac.
- Camera page kept open on the phone.
Common questions
Does this work without an app on the iPhone?
Yes. The phone uses a web page at camera.creavit.studio. Nothing is installed.
Can I use both the front and back camera in one video?
Yes, one at a time. Switch between Front and Back on the phone while you record.
Does my video go through the internet?
The video travels over your local network from phone to Mac. Only the encrypted pairing messages are used to set up the connection.
Keep going
The iPhone camera for reels page gives an overview. Plan what to film with the AI Content Planner, learn about screen recording with a webcam, and post the result with scheduled publishing.