The iPad finally gets support for external USB webcams and cameras. Apple’s latest iPadOS 17 developer beta includes support for several USB webcams and even devices-connected cameras such as Cam Link 4K from Elgato or mirrorless cameras that have webcam modes.
Twitter user Stephen Robles has demoed the USB webcam support, noting that it currently only works in FaceTime. That’s because this is a new underlying API in iPadOS 17 and developers need to update their apps to support the new camera options. It will be especially useful for apps such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams to be able to use external USB cameras and webcams.
Another Twitter user, Brian Vol, discovered that you can even use Elgato’s HD60S+ USB capture card to stream content from a game console or other HDMI device to a FaceTime call. Once apps like Twitch and YouTube are updated to support this new remote camera capability, the iPad will also become a much more capable mobile streaming device.
Apple is currently testing iPadOS 17 with a developer beta available immediately for free to registered developers. A public beta of iPadOS 17 will be available in July ahead of the final release this fall.
