You can now use your GoPro Hero8 as a webcam on your Mac

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GoPro Hero8
GoPro Hero8 (Image credit: TechRadar)

What you need to know

  • People are using webcams more than ever now that they're working from home.
  • We're all realizing that the cameras in our Macs are pretty poor at best.
  • GoPro has released software that lets Mac users take advantage of their Hero8 cameras instead.

With more and more camera makers offering software to allow their wares to be used as webcams GoPro has joined the fray. Mac users can now download a free beta app that can be installed at will.

The app will allow GoPro Hero8 users to enjoy solid 1080p webcam loveliness by plugging in a USB-C cable. Once installed and set up, the app then lets people use popular apps like Skype, Slack, and more. Although it's worth noting that some services will require the use of Chrome rather than their native apps.

GoPro8 as a webcam

GoPro8 as a webcam (Image credit: GoPro)

HERO8 Black now doubles as a durable, mountable, ultra-high-quality webcam with a beta camera firmware update and new desktop utility – no third-party accessories required.GoPro Webcam is for both the traditional and the creative home "offices" because not everyone is streaming from a desk. It's the personal chefs, art teachers and fitness instructors who will now be able to unlock a world of new perspectives within video conferencing so viewers – be it friends, family or clients – are so intimately involved that they can practically taste, touch or even feel the burn from whatever is being shared.

Owners of the Hero8 can download the beta app now, although it's important to remember that this is beta software.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.