Green Room

Fix · Discord on a Mac

Discord camera not working? Fix it on your Mac.

Discord needs the Mac's camera permission and the right camera picked. Test Video tells you which one is the problem.

Quick check first: Open the free webcam test. If you see yourself there, the camera works and the fix is in Discord (steps 1 to 3). If not, start with the Mac checks.

Fix it in Discord

  1. Pick the camera.Open User Settings with the gear at the bottom left, then Voice & Video. Under Video Settings, choose your camera from the Camera menu.
  2. Use Test Video.Click Test Video in the same section. If you see yourself, Discord can use the camera and the problem is in the call.
  3. Turn your camera on in the call.In a voice channel or call, click the camera button to start video.

Video backgrounds

Discord's video backgrounds are set in the same Video Settings section. If your picture looks wrong, set the background to none and test again.

Discord in a browser

In a browser, Discord needs the browser's camera permission for the site, and the browser needs the Mac's permission too.

Start over

Discord suggests Reset Voice and Video Settings on the Debugging tab of Voice & Video when settings get tangled.

Then check your Mac

If Discord looks right and the camera still doesn't work, go through these in order.

  1. Allow Discord on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera, and turn on Discord. If it's already on, turn it off and on again. Quit and reopen Discord after.
  2. Check Screen Time.If you use Screen Time, open System Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy, then App Restrictions, and make sure Camera is allowed.
  3. Watch for Continuity Camera.Your Mac can switch to your iPhone's camera when the phone is nearby. If Discord shows your phone's view, or a camera you didn't expect, pick your Mac's camera in Discord.
  4. Reconnect an external camera.Unplug a USB webcam or capture card and plug it back in. Try another port, and skip the hub or dock if you can. To see whether your Mac detects it, hold Option, choose Apple menu › System Information, and look under Camera.

Test it outside Discord

The free webcam test runs in your browser, with nothing to install. If your camera works there, your Mac and the hardware are fine, and the fix is in Discord's settings above.

Webcam testLive preview, resolution, frame rate, and lighting. Microphone testLive meter, then hear yourself back. Speaker testLeft, right, and a sweep to check every speaker.

On a Mac? Green Room checks your camera before Discord does.

Click the icon next to the clock for a live preview of the camera your Mac suggests to apps. When a camera you usually use goes missing, it tells you whether your Mac sees it on USB at all, or sees it but can't use it. A green dot shows when another app already has a camera open. Free, with no account.

Download free See how it works

Questions

Why is my Discord camera black?

Check System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera and turn on Discord, then quit and reopen it. Then pick the camera in Voice & Video and click Test Video.

How do I test my camera in Discord?

Open User Settings › Voice & Video and click Test Video under Video Settings.

Discord doesn't list my camera. What now?

Unplug and reconnect it, try a different port, and skip the hub. If your Mac doesn't see it in System Information, Discord can't either.

Other fixes

Discord mic not workingDiscord's mic can pass its own test and still send nothing, because Push to Talk or input sensitivity decides when you're heard. Discord audio not workingWhen Discord goes quiet, check whether you're deafened, which Output Device it's using, and whether one person is turned down. Zoom camera not workingMost of the time Zoom is pointed at the wrong camera, or macOS hasn't given zoom.us permission. Teams camera not workingTeams camera problems on a Mac come down to the Teams version, the camera Teams picked, or a permission macOS never got. Google Meet camera not workingMeet runs in your browser, so the camera has to get past two gates: the browser's permission for meet.google.com, and macOS's permission for the browser. FaceTime camera not workingFaceTime picks a camera for you.

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