Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount review: Unparalleled value for iPhone users

Belkin's camera mount, designed to work with Continuity Camera on macOS, also happens to be one of the best-value accessories you can buy.

When Apple unveiled macOS Ventura last year, one of the more interesting features showcased was the Continuity Camera, which allowed users who owned an iPhone and a Mac to use their phone's rear camera as their Mac's video feed. Since many of the best phones also have great cameras, Continuity Camera seemed like a genius idea, particularly useful for people who work remotely. But surprisingly, Apple didn't make a mount that would actually attach the iPhone and Mac. Instead, the company announced that Belkin would be making it.

The product that resulted from this collaboration is the Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount, which I expected to be a great way to get better-quality video on your Mac. But after months of testing, Belkin's accessory has turned out to be much more than that. It's not just a camera mount for your MacBook, it's also a ring holder and a kickstand. Plus, its compact form factor means you can throw it in a pocket or a bag without any inconvenience. Retailing for just $30, Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount is an accessory every iPhone user should own, even if you're only going to use Continuity Camera once or twice.

About this review: This review was written after 10 months of testing a Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount, iPhone 14 Pro, and MacBook Air purchased by the writer. Neither Apple nor Belkin had any input in this review.

The best way to use Continuity Camera

Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount is designed to mount your iPhone to the top of your MacBook's screen. You can then use Continuity Camera with macOS Ventura or newer to stream your iPhone's camera feed to your laptop. While Apple deserves a lot of credit for the feature, Belkin packed a few features into this tiny mount, including a ring holder kickstand.

Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount was teased at WWDC 2022, but it didn't become available for purchase until that fall. This coincided with the release of iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, the software versions required to use Continuity Camera. Now, it's widely available from Apple and Belkin for $30. You can choose from white or black color options, and you'll also find the accessory at third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon. Although this review is of the Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount for iPhone and MacBook, there's a slightly different version of this accessory that lets you mount your iPhone to Mac desktops and displays.

Though Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount is clearly a product made for utility, it also manages to look good. The majority of the mount is made of silicone, but it has a solid feel thanks to the build quality and magnets found inside. There's also the ring holder kickstand, which is made out of metal and has a really firm hinge. Aside from being a pleasure to use, the moving parts on this mount make it really fun to fidget with if you're trying to kill time. Right above the kickstand, there's a small plastic piece that flips up, and this is designed to hook onto your MacBook's display.

I don't usually keep the MagSafe Camera Mount attached to my phone all the time, partly because I prefer a MagSafe wallet as my default accessory. But I do keep one in my bag, and there's a case to be made for daily driving the mount. The ring holder is quite good, and the MagSafe magnet ring is definitely strong enough to hold your iPhone securely. It's also great to have a kickstand that will let you prop up your iPhone in the event you want to watch a video or play a game. Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount is one of the easiest products to recommend because even if you don't plan to use Continuity Camera that often, it's still a valuable tool to have in your everyday carry.

MacBook webcams have gotten a lot better over the years, but they're still not even close to matching the specs of iPhone camera systems. That's the genius of this accessory and the Continuity Camera feature in general. Instead of buying an expensive webcam, you can spend $30 on a Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount and get similar performance. Depending on your iPhone model, you might even get better video quality from your smartphone than a dedicated webcam, which was my experience with the iPhone 14 Pro. That possibility is more likely when you consider all the image processing features that Apple software does in real-time while using Continuity Camera.

If you take a closer look at the mount while attached, you'll notice that a small piece of plastic hooks onto the display to hold up your smartphone. It's a pretty intuitive design, as it places any stress on the display bezel and not the actual panel. It also ensures that even the biggest iPhone camera sensors fit atop your MacBook, though compatibility could worsen if Apple continues to make the camera systems bigger. My biggest concern with this mount was the extra weight being placed on the display hinge, as too much stress can loosen the hinge over time. So far, that hasn't been an issue, but you'll need to keep the display positioned at about 90 degrees while your iPhone is mounted.

The software part of this accessory is all made by Apple, but it's worth mentioning. Once your devices are updated, when your Mac detects your iPhone mounted, it'll automatically connect to your Mac as a video input source. For this to work, the iPhone's display needs to be locked and in horizontal orientation. Then, you can select your iPhone as your video source in your respective application. I've used this with Google Meet, Zoom, FaceTime, and Photo Booth, and all passed with flying colors. For reference, here's the difference in photo quality between my MacBook's built-in camera and my iPhone with Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount.

MacBook camera on the left, iPhone camera connected to MacBook on the right:

You should buy the Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount if:

You should NOT buy the Belkin MagSafe Camera Mount if:

You don't need to use Continuity Camera often to justify buying Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount. In fact, the Continuity Camera feature is more tailored to people who need high-quality video only occasionally. If you need high-quality video on a routine basis, you should probably invest in a dedicated setup with a webcam.

But if you occasionally work from home or take a video call every once in a while, this accessory paired with Continuity Camera is the perfect solution. And when you're not in the middle of a video call, the ring holder and kickstand make Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount a great addition to your everyday carry.

Belkin's MagSafe Camera Mount is designed to mount your iPhone to the top of your MacBook's screen. You can then use Continuity Camera with macOS Ventura or newer to stream your iPhone's camera feed to your laptop. While Apple deserves a lot of credit for the feature, Belkin packed a few features into this tiny mount, including a ring holder kickstand.

Brady Snyder is a technology journalist that has written about mobile devices and computers for multiple publications. He graduated from St. John's University in 2023 with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in English. Prior to joining XDA Developers, Brady wrote over 500 articles for Screen Rant's tech team, where he covered an Apple beat. Based in New York City, he reviews consumer technology, software, and services. Brady is an expert in iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS — but experiments with Android and Windows as well.