Blackmagic Camera Update Puts iPhone Control on the Wrist and Turns It Into an ATEM Studio Camera

Blackmagic Design released Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.3, adding an Apple Watch companion app for remote iPhone camera control and full ATEM camera control over a single HDMI cable when paired with the ProDock. The free update arrives ahead of NAB 2026, where Blackmagic will demo the workflow at booth N2502.

Apple Watch as Wrist Remote

The companion app runs on Apple Watch and mirrors the core controls of Blackmagic Camera. Operators can start and stop recording, check framing, monitor audio levels, and adjust exposure, focus, and LUTs without touching the iPhone. Zoom and lens selection are also exposed on the wrist.

The intended use case is mounted iPhones: gimbals, overhead rigs, jib arms, and crash cams where reaching the phone is impractical.

"We really want to help everyone use their iPhones in professional productions and to come up with new ways that the iPhone can be used," said Blackmagic CEO Grant Petty in the announcement. "The Apple Watch companion app does that because it means you can mount an iPhone anywhere and still have full control of it from your wrist."

iPhone as Studio Camera via ProDock

The ATEM integration is the bigger workflow addition. Pairing an iPhone with the Blackmagic Camera ProDock and connecting a single HDMI cable to an ATEM Mini carries video, tally, and full camera control down the same line.

That puts the iPhone into the same control layer as Blackmagic's studio and cinema cameras, which we covered when the broader ATEM camera control story landed.

From ATEM Software Control or the ATEM Micro Camera Control panel, a switcher operator can remotely adjust:

• ISO, white balance, and shutter on the iPhone

• Focus and zoom control

• Recording triggers and tally

• A primary color corrector powered by DaVinci

The result is a single-cable studio camera workflow for iPhone, routed through the same switcher interface used for Blackmagic's broadcast cameras.

Focus and Zoom Demands

Version 3.3 adds support for Blackmagic's Focus and Zoom Demands, which connect to the ProDock over USB-C. Each demand carries two USB-C ports for daisy-chaining and ships with tripod-handle mounting hardware, giving operators tactile lens control without reaching for the touchscreen. Customizable buttons can be mapped to common camera functions.

Other Additions in 3.3

The update brings smaller workflow fixes. Full-screen portrait mode is supported on HDMI output. The iPhone 17 front camera gains portrait and landscape support for monitor output. ProRes RAW stabilization is available on devices running iOS 26.1 or later. Performance improvements round out the build.

These additions follow pre-record and autofocus introduced in prior versions of the Blackmagic Camera app.

Availability and NAB Demo

Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.3 is a free download from the App Store. Apple Watch control and the ATEM studio camera workflow will be running at Blackmagic Design's booth, N2502, during NAB 2026.