How to Use iPad Camera – Everything You Should Know!

Table of Contents

You’ll find everything you need to know about how to use an iPad camera. Maybe you’ve just got a new iPad and have no idea what’s going on – or maybe you want to use it as a webcam and find the best settings.

We’ll cover this and more in our quick and easy guide to iPad cameras. The camera on an iPad isn’t that bad once you learn how to set it up correctly and get the most from it.

You’ll also find out how to fix some of the common problems when your iPad camera isn’t working how it should.

Let’s dive into the guide!

How to Use an iPad Camera like a Pro

Here are some of the topics we’ll go through in this section:

Different ways to open an iPad camera
Best camera settings
What to do when your iPad camera isn’t working
How to use your iPad camera as a webcam
Best iPad camera apps

Let’s jump right in!

How to Turn on Camera on iPad

There are three main ways to open the camera on your iPad. The first and quickest way is from the lock screen. All you need to do is swipe up on the bottom right-hand side of the lock screen. Make sure you swipe up about 1-2”.

The second way to open the camera is via the camera icon on your home screen or app drawer. The icon is a camera so it’s not hard to spot.

The third and final way is to drag open the Control Center. You do this by swiping up and holding from the center of your screen when the camera is unlocked. From this list, select the camera app icon.

How to Use an iPad Camera

Start by opening the camera. Once it’s open and ready, you’ll notice there are 3 options along the right-hand side of the display. These are the 3 shooting modes:

Video
Photo
Square

I’m sure you know what the first two options are. The Square option lets you film or takes photos in a square aspect ratio, not the native iPad one.

You can change between these options by swiping up and down on the modes list (not by pressing on the word).

There’s also an option to enable HDR. This button is about an inch under the switch camera icon. HDR saturates the colors of your photos and makes them look more vibrant – at the cost of exposure and sharpness at times.

Switching to the Front Camera

If you want to use the front camera of the iPad (if you’re on a video call or want to take a selfie), you’ll need to switch the cameras around.

With the camera app open, look to the top right-hand corner of the display. You’ll see another camera icon with a “rotate” symbol in it.

Press this icon to switch to your front camera. Pressing the icon again will switch you back to the main camera.

P.S. You can quickly take a photo by pressing the volume button on the side of the iPad instead of using the shutter button on the display.

Focusing and Adjusting Brightness

With the camera app open, you can tap anywhere on the screen to focus on that part of the image.

When you tap the screen, you should see a slider with a brightness icon. You can slide this up or down to adjust the exposure and brightness of the image.

Tapping somewhere else on the screen will reset the brightness to auto, and change the focus to where you tapped.

If you want the best iPad camera quality, always make sure to select the spot you want the camera to focus on.

What are the Best iPad Camera Settings?

To open your iPad settings, return to your home screen. Once you’re there, look for the Settings icon (it’s a silver cog wheel). Click on it to open your iPad settings screen.

On the left-hand panel, scroll down by swiping up on the panel. Navigate to the Photos and Camera tab. It’s about 8-10 tiles underneath the General settings tab.

Press on it to open the camera settings in the right-hand window of your display.

Here you can adjust some settings to your personal preference. You can enable HDR mode permanently if you want more saturated and colorful images.

Leave the resolution and MP settings as they come. You can increase or decrease them if you’d like. I like to set mine as high as possible to ensure sharp and high-quality images and videos. Be warned that higher-resolution videos and images take up significantly more space than lower-resolution or MP images.

How to Use an iPad Camera as a Webcam

There are a few steps to using your iPad camera as a webcam. We’ll break these down to keep it as simple and foolproof as possible.

You’ll need to connect to your Mac or Windows 10 PC. You’ll also have to download the relevant software. Don’t worry, it’s free and quick to install. Let’s get into the steps you’ll need to follow.

Step 1: Download and Install EpocCam to Your PC

If you aren’t sure where to find this software, do a Google search for “EpocCam Wi-Fi Virtual Webcam”. Hit enter and open the website page (the developer is Kinoni).

Once their page opens, follow all the instructions to download and install the EpocCam app.

This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and it’s easy to follow.

This app will connect to your iPad camera via Wi-Fi and use it as a webcam to display on your PC.

Step 2: Download the Windows 10 Drivers

Go to the same website you downloaded the app from. Look for the EpocCam iOS/Android and click it.

Find the link to the drivers that are for Windows 7 and later versions. Click on this link and let the drivers download. You’ll need these to let your Windows 10 PC connected to your iPad.

Once it’s downloaded, open the file and let the drivers install.

Step 3: Install the EpocCam App on Your iPad

You’ll find this app in the Apple Store. Open Apple Store up and type “EpocCam” into the search box. Hit search and select the app.

Let the app download and install, it won’t take long.

Open the app once it’s ready and allow the permissions it requests (if any).

Step 4: Connect your iPad to your PC via EpocCam

Make sure Wi-Fi is enabled on both your PC and your iPad. There should be a screen displayed showing that your iPad is searching for your PC.

Once it’s found your PC and successfully connected, the video feed will automatically be displayed on your PC.

If you’ve had any issues, make sure that EpocCam is open on the PC as well. If you still can’t connect, restart both devices and make sure you allow any permission and access requests made by EpocCam.

Double-check that you installed the correct drivers.

How to Fix an iPad Camera Not Working

If your camera doesn’t open in the first place, here’s what you can do:

Open Apple Store and type “iPad camera app” into the search bar
Download the most popular or best-rated app
Install it on your iPad and test it out

If it opens your camera, it means your camera isn’t damaged and your native iPad camera app is most likely out of date or defective. You can reinstall it or update it. If this persists, take it to an Apple repair place and have them check it out.

If your camera opens but doesn’t display correctly, here’s what you can do:

Make sure your case isn’t blocking the view of either the front or rear camera lens
Use a wet wipe to remove any stains or smudges from the camera lens
Inspect the lenses for any cracks or damage
Increase the resolution and megapixel count in the iPad camera settings resolution/MP
Make sure you have at least 500MB of free storage space on your iPad (in case your videos and photos aren’t being saved)

If you’ve tried out all of these issues and still haven’t found a solution, you should take your iPad to an official Apple repair center and have them take a look at it.

Final Thoughts

You should feel comfortable navigating through your camera app interface and settings panel. If you’re still a little unfamiliar with the layout, take some time to test out the different modes and settings.

The design and UI are simple and intuitive, so it shouldn’t take you long to find your way.

Always remember to keep your lenses clean and use a case with a little thickness (to avoid the camera bump sticking out too much).

Now that you know to use an iPad camera, put what you’ve learned into practice and get familiar with how it all works.

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Author

Alex Parker

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