In this blog post, we will discuss whether it is possible to connect a USB webcam to your iPad or iPhone using a lightning to USB adapter. This is a common question asked by many users who want to use their external camera for various video purposes. Let’s dive into it and see if it is possible or not.
Firstly, if you are not familiar with the lightning to USB 3 adapter, it allows you to connect USB devices to one end and has a lightning connection on the other end. It also has a lightning power port, which enables users to charge their device while using USB devices like keyboards, audio interfaces, USB microphones, etc.
But, can it work with a USB webcam? Well, the answer is not that simple. In a test conducted by StudioLive, they found out that the USB webcam can’t connect directly to the lightning to USB adapter as it requires too much power. However, they also shared a workaround where a user can use a powered USB hub to get a little extra juice.
The powered USB hub allows users to power up all of the USB ports and plug the hub into the iPad/iPhone. This way, the device gets the required amount of power, which means there won’t be any message issues. Unfortunately, the bad news is that even if you try this workaround, there is still no app in iOS that supports external cameras. Thus, it isn’t possible to use an external camera on an iOS device.
In conclusion, while it is possible to connect a USB webcam to your iPad or iPhone using a lightning to USB adapter and a powered USB hub, it is not possible to use the external camera as there is no app in iOS that supports it.
If you have any suggestions for other USB devices that can be tested out in iOS, leave a comment below. Also, if you have used a webcam with an iOS device before, we would love to hear from you.