An app developer is suing Apple for Sherlocking it with Continuity Camera | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.An app developer is suing Apple for Sherlocking it with Continuity CameraComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...NewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechAppleCloseApplePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AppleAn app developer is suing Apple for Sherlocking it with Continuity Camera‘We’d not come between Apple and users, we’d come between Apple and their walled garden,‘ Reincubate’s CEO says.‘We’d not come between Apple and users, we’d come between Apple and their walled garden,‘ Reincubate’s CEO says.by Jay PetersCloseJay PetersSenior ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay PetersJan 27, 2026, 6:25 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: ReincubateJay PetersCloseJay PetersPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.Reincubate, which makes the Camo and Camo Studio apps for turning your iOS or Android phone into a webcam for your Mac or PC, is suing Apple, alleging anticompetitive conduct and patent infringement.Camo first launched in 2020, but two years after, Apple launched a similar feature called Continuity Camera, which works just with Apple devices. Reincubate alleges that Apple “copied the technology” and “used its control over its operating systems and App Store to disadvantage that interoperable solution and redirect user demand to Apple’s own platform-tied offering,” according to the lawsuit.“Camo was used by thousands of Apple employees, across all divisions of the company,” the lawsuit says. “At first, Apple encouraged Reincubate to increase its investment in Camo. But when Apple recognized that Camo was a threat—it took steps not only to copy it, thereby infringing Reincubate’s patents, but also to undermine Camo’s functionality such that Reincubate could not compete with Apple’s rip-off, called Continuity Camera, which was only operable between Apple devices and Mac computers.”Reincubate CEO Aidan Fitzpatrick says in a blog post that Apple was an early supporter of Camo in beta, claiming that the company had “thousands of staff” running it internally and had made “all sorts of promises” about how they could help with the app. “Yet once we’d proven it could be done and users loved it, they took it and built our features into a billion iPhones, Macs, displays, iPads and TVs, while shutting us out and preventing additional interop we could provide to the ecosystem,” according to Fitzpatrick.Fitzpatrick says he was “puzzled” by the launch of Continuity Camera. “Connecting two devices and seeking out a mount didn’t seem like the sort of setup that Apple would lean into. A global pandemic had been underway, and I figured that if Apple was focused on user needs, recognised the problems with their cameras and the move to remote and hybrid work, they might seek to rapidly replicate innovation, perhaps even with a point release, while also putting in play some multi-year initiative to lead with the cameras in MacBooks.”But Fitzpatrick argues that they did neither, and says that “as I write this the webcams in many Windows devices still outclass the one in my MacBook.” If Apple wasn’t going to “tackle video holistically, why bother cutting our legs off? The answer soon became clear: we’d not come between Apple and users, we’d come between Apple and their walled garden.”According to Fitzpatrick, this suit raises questions about larger concerns than Camo, namely, “whether there’s room for developers to stimulate the building blocks of the digital experience, or whether we must limit ourselves to building platforms that stand alone in the cloud, or ideas that are too insignificant to duplicate and freeze out.”Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

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Reincubate, an app developer specializing in tools that bridge iOS and Android devices with Mac and PC computers, is pursuing legal action against Apple, alleging anticompetitive behavior and patent infringement related to Apple’s Continuity Camera feature. The core of the lawsuit centers around accusations that Apple copied Reincubate’s technology and subsequently leveraged its control over the iOS and App Store ecosystem to disadvantage Reincubate’s product, Camo, and redirect user demand towards Apple’s own Continuity Camera.

The lawsuit, spearheaded by Reincubate CEO Aidan Fitzpatrick, details a timeline of events beginning in 2020 with the launch of Camo. Initially, Apple reportedly showed support for Camo, even claiming to have thousands of employees using it internally and offering assistance. However, following the introduction of Continuity Camera in 2023, Apple allegedly took control of the technology, rendering Camo’s functionality obsolete. Fitzpatrick asserts that Apple’s actions were motivated by a desire to maintain control within its walled garden ecosystem.

Fitzpatrick’s frustration stems from the fact that Camo, which allowed users to utilize their iPhones and Android devices as webcams for their Macs and PCs, was utilized by numerous Apple employees. After Apple launched Continuity Camera, a feature exclusively operable between Apple devices and Mac computers, Apple allegedly took steps to shut out Reincubate, preventing the creation of additional interoperable solutions.

The lawsuit raises broader questions about the dynamics of innovation within the tech industry. Fitzpatrick argues that the case challenges the extent to which developers can contribute to foundational digital experiences and whether innovation is limited to platforms that operate independently in the cloud. He believes that Apple’s actions represent a broader concern – the potential for dominant companies to stifle competition and limit the development of features that could benefit the entire ecosystem.

A key element of the dispute is the perceived shift in Apple’s support for Reincubate. Initially, the company publicly endorsed Camo and offered assistance, yet after Continuity Camera was launched, Apple allegedly shifted its focus to controlling the user experience, ultimately hindering Camo's competitiveness.

Currently, Apple has not responded to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit. The case is expected to raise significant questions about Apple's practices regarding third-party integration and its approach to competition within the broader tech landscape.