Earlier this year, Apple added the ability to use FaceTime on Apple TV by connecting an iPhone or iPad to use as a webcam. Third-party video calls were promised to follow, and now perhaps the most popular video conferencing app around is available for tvOS.
To use it, you’ll need a second-generation Apple TV 4K or later, updated to tvOS 17, and a relatively modern iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 17. Install the Zoom for Home TV app on your Apple TV and follow the instructions therein. Being a separate app, it won’t have all the features you’re used to from the main app, but it’ll be a nice option for when you want a simple video call on a large screen.
For best results you will need to buy something like this MagSafe mount from Belkin to hold the iPhone in place, although simply propping the phone on a shelf will do the job in a pinch.
Continuity Camera also works great with macOS
This all works thanks to Continuity Camera, a neat feature that allows one Apple device to wirelessly share its camera feed with another. It’s a handy way to improve on the built-in webcam on the Mac, instead using a much higher quality iPhone camera, and now it’s even handier for big screen video calls, considering the Apple TV doesn’t have a camera of its own.
Zoom became a household name during the pandemic, and remains popular for meetings and digital get-togethers. Being the first big third-party app to enable this functionality on Apple TV is a big deal, beating other apps to the punch – though some people may still prefer the simplicity of FaceTime.