Ahead of NAB 2026, Blackmagic Design has launched its latest update to the Blackmagic Camera app. The video-focused mobile application gives video shooters far more control over the iPhone’s cameras than the stock iOS Camera app, and the new version 3.3 update continues to build on this.
A new companion app for Apple Watch headlines the changes, serving as a wrist-bound control element. There’s also support for full-screen portrait mode via HDMI output for vertical video creation, and ATEM camera control with the Blackmagic Camera ProDock.
As mentioned, the new Apple Watch companion app is the biggest feature in version 3.3, and its initial offering doesn’t disappoint. Using your Apple Watch, you can see the full viewfinder right on your wrist, which is perfect if you’re shooting selfie videos with the higher-quality main camera on the rear of your iPhone. It doesn’t eliminate the need for a standalone monitor, as I showed in 9to5Mac’s Blackmagic Camera ProDock review, but it helps to augment an external display and can get you by without one in a pinch.
Above the viewfinder, the watch companion shows the timecode, focus settings, resolution, and remaining battery life. Below the viewfinder you’ll see audio input levels, start/stop record toggle, and a settings button.
Swiping up or down in the app lets users hide or show the information around the viewfinder, so they can focus solely on framing the shot. And for those times when you want to switch between the iPhone’s lenses? Just turn the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown.
If that’s not enough, inside settings, there are toggles for adjusting the following features:
Camera
- Auto Focus
- Auto Exposure
- Auto WB
- Lock All
- Stabilization
- Flash Light
Record
LUT
- No LUT
- Preview Only
- Record to FIle
Live Stream
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While the companion Apple Watch app is the key feature in the 3.3 update, there are plenty of additional goodies and bug fixes that Blackmagic Camera app users will be happy about. Here’s a look at everything new:
What’s new in Blackmagic Camera 3.3?
- Camera control with companion app for Apple Watch.
- Support for full screen portrait mode HDMI output.
- Support for ProRes RAW stabilization in iOS 26.1 and above.
- Support for ATEM camera control with Blackmagic Camera ProDock.
- Support for Blackmagic Focus and Zoom demands.
- Front camera now supports portrait and landscape without rotation for iPhone 17.
- Addressed possible issue recording ProRes RAW from front lens.
- Addressed preview lag with Blackmagic Camera ProDock as audio source.
- Addressed open gate H.264 and H.265 using incorrect bit rates.
Blackmagic Camera app 3.3, along with its companion Apple Watch app, is now available for free download on the App Store for both new and existing users.
As a Blackmagic Camera app user, this update ticks off a major want on my wish list with Apple Watch control. Previously, you could start and stop recording via the Shortcuts app, but having a dedicated companion app is a much better solution. Do you use Blackmagic Camera? What are your thoughts on the latest updates?
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