For a lot of people, the iPad is the device they choose to work with, which may include taking video calls. Though the front-facing camera on iPads has gotten better over time, many still prefer external webcams because they’re often much better than the built-in webcam on your tablet or even laptop. And now, if you use Microsoft Teams on iPad, you’re finally able to use external cameras, as Microsoft has announced via a blog post.
When we say “finally,” it’s because Apple has included support for external USB-C cameras on the iPad since iPadOS 17. So technically, Microsoft is a little late to the party with this feature. But if you have to use Microsoft Teams for work and you tend to use the iPad most of the time, then this is certainly welcome news.
But again, why would someone want to use an external camera for video calls on their iPad? For one, the iPad selfie camera, even on an M4 iPad Pro, is just 12MP. Typically, external webcams have more megapixels, higher resolution, dynamic range, and the ability to adjust the viewing angle and even tweak lighting for various environments. There’s often a very clear difference between using the built-in camera versus an external one, and the latter is higher quality and even more professional-looking in video feeds.
So, how do you get the external camera support to work in Microsoft Teams on iPad? It’s very easy! All you need to do is connect the external camera to the iPad via the USB-C port, then join your Microsoft Teams meeting — the camera can be connected before or during the meeting. When you want to switch back to the default iPad camera, just disconnect the external camera from the iPad.
Currently, there’s no native or Microsoft Teams control to switch between the built-in or external camera. Instead, whenever the external one is plugged in, Teams will default to it. Most USB-C cameras are supported, so chances are high that the one you’re currently using will work, so long as it’s USB-C.
Make sure to grab the update to Microsoft Teams on your iPad to gain external camera support today.