Fix · Microsoft Teams on a Mac
Teams camera not working? Fix it on your Mac.
Teams camera problems on a Mac come down to the Teams version, the camera Teams picked, or a permission macOS never got. Start at the top.
Quick check first: Open the free webcam test. If you see yourself there, the camera works and the fix is in Teams (steps 1 to 3). If not, start with the Mac checks.
Fix it in Teams
- Make sure you're on new Teams.Microsoft says classic Teams stopped working on July 1, 2025. If you still have an old copy, install the current Teams app from Microsoft and use that.
- Pick the camera in Teams.Select Settings and more (the three dots next to your profile picture), then Settings › Devices. Choose your camera from the Camera menu and check the preview.
- Turn the camera on in the meeting.If the camera button in the meeting controls has a line through it, select it to turn video on. Teams can join with video off.
Teams in the browser
Teams on the web needs your browser's camera permission as well as the Mac's. In Safari, Microsoft says to open Safari › Settings › Websites › Camera and set the site to Ask or Allow.
Microsoft's own fix
Microsoft's help for Mac is to turn on the Teams permission, then close all apps and restart. It also says to make sure no other app, like FaceTime, is using the camera, and to unplug and reconnect an external camera.
Then check your Mac
If Teams looks right and the camera still doesn't work, go through these in order.
- Allow Microsoft Teams on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera, and turn on Microsoft Teams. Microsoft's help names it Microsoft Teams (work or school). If it's already on, turn it off and on again. Quit and reopen Teams after.
- Check Screen Time.If you use Screen Time, open System Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy, then App Restrictions, and make sure Camera is allowed.
- Watch for Continuity Camera.Your Mac can switch to your iPhone's camera when the phone is nearby. If Teams shows your phone's view, or a camera you didn't expect, pick your Mac's camera in Teams.
- Close other video apps.Microsoft Teams's own help says to close other apps that might be using the camera, like Photo Booth or another call app, then try again.
- 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 Teams
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 Teams's settings above.
On a Mac? Green Room checks your camera before Teams 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.
Questions
Why does Teams say no camera is available on my Mac?
macOS is usually blocking it. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera, turn on Microsoft Teams, then quit everything and restart, as Microsoft recommends.
Does classic Teams still work on a Mac?
No. Microsoft says classic Teams stopped working on July 1, 2025. Install the current Teams app.
How do I check my camera in Teams before a meeting?
Open Settings and more › Settings › Devices. The camera preview there shows what people will see.
My camera works in Zoom but not Teams. Why?
Each app keeps its own camera choice and its own permission. Pick the camera in Teams under Settings › Devices, and check that Microsoft Teams is on under Privacy & Security › Camera.