Virtual Classroom Camera Apps

Overviewer is an innovative new camera app, designed by developer Charlie Chapman, that is designed to make it a little easier for teachers grappling with virtual learning processes to use their iPhone camera in lieu of the overhead webcams that became ubiquitous in many classrooms in the years leading up to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Available for free on the App Store, the Overviewer app makes use of Zoom's screen-sharing functionality, which can be used in conjunction with any iPhone that's connected to a computer via a physical cable or wirelessly. The app essentially showcases what your smartphone camera sees without any other visual noise getting in the way, while its ability to automatically rotate the stream means it can be projected on landscape view. This makes it easier for teachers to showcase anything from math problems to images and assignment lists without fiddling with settings.

Although it's being positioned as an app-based replacement for teachers who miss the easy functionality of overhead document viewers in the classroom, the Overviewer camera app is a handy tool for anyone who needs a streamlined document-viewing solution as they work or study from home.