Logitech makes some of the most popular webcams in the world, but using them on some of the most popular computers, like the M2 MacBook Air or the M1 Pro MacBook Pro, is not an amazing experience. Plugging one into any Mac M1 or M2 for a video call isn’t a problem, but if you want to tweak the detailed settings or use some of these webcams’ standout features, doing so now ranges from clunky to impossible. That’s because its most capable webcam software, Logitech Capture, isn’t available on Apple silicon computers.
Logitech has changed its software plan for people using the latest Mac laptops and desktops without going to great lengths to tell anyone. Instead of offering Logitech Capture, its software de facto focused squarely on webcam settings and content creation features, it has two distinct, smaller Mac apps to choose from: Logi Tune and Logitech G Hub. Tune is a confusing app that lets you toggle settings for Logitech gadgets, with calendar integration added, for some reason. The G Hub is designed for gamers who want to adjust RGB lighting and sensitivity settings for gaming-focused products and now webcams.
Each app’s interface looks different and allows you to toggle different settings, so you have a choice which app you use – a lot of choice, if you ask me, given the limited functionality in each. But none of them offer as many options as Logitech Capture. You can access basic settings like the ability to zoom in for a more accurate crop or make a series of adjustments to the image settings (or set them to automatic settings), but you can’t adjust the frame rate or resolution. What that means is that people who own a Mac M1 or M2 can’t utilize its face tracking feature or switch between horizontal or vertical orientations on a pretty, relatively high-end webcam like the $160 Logi StreamCam.
And these things aren’t super apparent unless you’re using an affected computer. I tested webcams on an Apple silicone-free laptop, so it wasn’t until a reader contacted me that I realized that some of Logitech’s picks in our best webcam buying guide have limited functionality on M1 and M2 Macs. There are a lot of posts on Reddit about this too, and a lot of people working on solutions that Logitech hasn’t come up with. Someone even managed a workaround to get a previous version of the Logitech Capture software working on an M1 equipped machine. It dropped at launch for me, though.
I asked Logitech if they planned to port Capture to computers with M1 and M2 chips. Spokesperson Christian Cooper said On the edge that “There are currently no plans for Logi Capture to support M1 or M2 chips. However, camera and video settings are supported in our Logitech G HUB software and Logi Tune for macOS.”
After a few follow-up questions about whether these apps offer feature parity with Logitech Capture (they don’t) and whether their new software strategy was born out of a technical hurdle with M1/M2 Macs (or if that sloppiness was the plan all time), Logitech spokeswoman Ciara Dixon provided this standard answer which did not provide helpful answers.
“Logitech offers a variety of software options for a variety of customers on various operating systems, including Windows and Mac. For video conferencing (including webcam, headset, and Logi Dock), we recommend using Logi Tune. For gaming and streaming, the G HUB offers convenience and control over multiple devices from Logitech G, Blue Microphones and Litra Glow. Streamlabs is the all-in-one live streaming and recording software across multiple platforms including Twitch, YouTube and Facebook.”
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This software issue is an issue for newer Macs right now, but it’s about to be an issue for a lot more users soon. As of the latest update, Logitech has disabled the Capture app entirely for Windows computers and older Intel-based Macs. In his latest patch notes for the software for Windows 10 and various versions of macOS, he says: “This is the final version of Logitech Capture and no new software updates will be available. Logitech recommends that you download and install the Logitech G HUB if you want to adjust supported webcam settings.” It has a support page that instructs all users to download Logitech G Hub and instructs users to uninstall Logi Capture.
Right now, that means if you have a Mac M1 or M2, you won’t be able to get the most out of your Logitech webcam. This issue will spread – by Logitech’s choice – to Windows and other Intel-based Macs in late 2022. Naturally, we reached out to Logitech again for more answers.
Until Logitech is clearer about their software plans for their webcams, we will add a note to our webcam buying guide that your experience with their webcams varies greatly depending on the computer you use.