How to Clear Continuity Camera Cache in macOS 13

Continuity Camera allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, but corrupt cached data and stuck background processes can cause connection drops, black screens, or detection failures. This guide provides the exact steps to clear the camera subsystem cache, flush Continuity daemons, and remove corrupted temporary files in macOS 13 Ventura.

Step 1: Force Restart Camera Daemons

macOS manages camera connections through system-level background processes. Resetting these daemons forces the operating system to dump active session caches and rebuild the connection.

  1. Open Terminal (via Spotlight or in /Applications/Utilities/).

  2. Run the following command to terminate the primary camera daemon:

    sudo killall VDCAssistant

  3. Enter your Mac administrator password when prompted and press Enter.

  4. Run this command to reset secondary camera services:

    sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant

    (Note: These processes restart automatically with clean temporary states.)

Step 2: Flush Continuity and Sharing Services

Continuity Camera relies on the macOS sharing daemon to establish an encrypted handshake between your iPhone and Mac. Restarting this service clears temporary pairing data.

  1. In Terminal, run:

    killall sharingd

  2. Next, restart the Control Center process to refresh the camera selection menu:

    killall ControlCenter

Step 3: Delete Cached Preferences and Temporary Files

Stale configuration files stored in your user library can prevent new video feeds from initializing properly.

  1. Open Finder.

  2. Press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" window.

  3. Paste the following path and press Enter:

    ~/Library/Caches

  4. Locate and delete folders related to media capture, specifically any folders starting with com.apple.cmio or com.apple.avfoundation.

  5. Press Command + Shift + G again and navigate to:

    ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost

  6. Locate any files containing com.apple.controlcenter or com.apple.camera and move them to the Trash.

Step 4: Remove Conflicting CoreMedia Plugins

Outdated third-party virtual camera plugins (from apps like OBS, Zoom, or Logi Tune) frequently interfere with Continuity Camera in macOS 13.

  1. Press Command + Shift + G in Finder and enter:

    /Library/CoreMediaIO/Plug-Ins/DAL

  2. If this folder contains any .plugin files, move them to your desktop or Trash.

  3. Restart your Mac to apply the changes.

Step 5: Reset the Connection on iPhone

To ensure stale tokens are cleared from the mobile device side as well:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Tap General > AirPlay & Handoff.
  3. Toggle Continuity Camera off.
  4. Wait 10 seconds, then toggle Continuity Camera back on.
  5. Bring the iPhone near your Mac and launch an app that uses the camera (such as FaceTime or Photo Booth) to establish a fresh connection.