iPhones Pause Charging During Continuity Camera
Apple seems allergic to saying that an iPhone won’t charge with MagSafe during Continuity Camera. However, it may not charge over USB either. Several users in a Reddit conversation reported that their iPhones lost charge during Continuity Camera sessions, even while plugged in.
I suspect that Continuity Camera taxes the processor sufficiently that the iPhone heats up. (It’s always warm when I take it off the mount after a meeting.) Since MagSafe charging also causes the iPhone to get warm—warmer than USB-based charging—Apple’s battery optimization system may be putting charging on hold to protect the battery from thermal overload. Which is good, if unexpected in the moment.
The practical upshot is that if you use Continuity Camera, you should expect your iPhone’s battery to drop, potentially significantly.
It would be good to get some clarification from Apple about predicted battery behavior when using Continuity Camera.
I had considered using the feature myself, but was worried about subjecting the battery to a bunch of shallow charging sessions by plugging it in. If the battery does not in fact charge during a Continuity Camera session, then the feature may be more feasible than I had assumed.