Green RoomMac guide · macOS 14 Sonoma and later
Mac or MacBook camera not working? Fix it in order.
A black preview or a "no camera" message is almost always a permission, an app's own setting, or a cable. On a MacBook, it can also be the lid or a camera cover. Start at the top.
Quick check first: open the free webcam test. If you see yourself there, the camera works and the problem is in one app (steps 1 and 3). If it stays black there too, keep going.
Fix a Mac camera, step by step
- Give the app permission.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera, and turn on the app you want to use (Zoom, FaceTime, Chrome, and so on). You may need to quit and reopen the app before it can use the camera.
- Check Screen Time.If you use Screen Time, open System Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy, then App Restrictions, and make sure Camera is allowed. Under App Limits, make sure the app you need isn't out of time.
- Pick the camera in the app.Zoom, Meet, and other call apps keep their own camera choice. Open the app's video settings and select the camera you want. In FaceTime, use the Video menu.
- Watch for Continuity Camera.Once it's set up, your Mac can switch to your iPhone's camera on its own when the phone is in range. If the call shows your phone's view, or a camera you didn't expect, pick your Mac's camera in the app.
- Quit other video apps.Close any app that might have the camera open, then reopen the one you need. A stuck app can keep the camera from starting.
- 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.
- Restart and update.On a Mac with Apple silicon, restart. On an Intel Mac, Apple suggests resetting the SMC. Install any pending macOS updates too.
If the built-in camera still doesn't work in any app, or the green light next to it flashes, Apple says it may need service.
MacBook camera not working?
The FaceTime camera on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro sits in the top edge of the display, so a few problems only happen on a laptop.
- The lid is closed. With the lid shut and an external display connected, the built-in camera can't see anything, so apps pick another camera or show none. Open the lid, or use an external webcam or Continuity Camera.
- A cover is on the lens. A sliding cover or sticker gives you a black picture. Apple also warns that closing a MacBook with a cover thicker than a sheet of printer paper (about 0.1 mm) can damage the display, and a cover can block the light sensor that sets brightness and True Tone. Remove it before you close the lid.
- Watch the green light. The light next to the camera turns green whenever the camera is on. If it's off during a call, the app isn't using the built-in camera. If it flashes green, Apple says the camera may need service.
Camera works, but looks bad?
A dark, grainy, or choppy picture is usually light, not hardware. Many webcams lower their frame rate in a dim room to gather more light. Put a lamp or a window in front of you, a little above eye level, and keep bright windows out from behind you. The webcam test shows your real resolution and frame rate and flags a dark or backlit picture.
Test it again
What Green Room does automatically
Green Room is a free menu bar app that keeps an eye on your camera, mic, and speakers, so you aren't troubleshooting while people wait.
- One-click preview. Click the icon next to the clock to see which camera your Mac suggests to apps, with a live preview.
- Says why a camera is missing. When a camera you usually use disappears, it tells you whether your Mac sees it on USB at all, or sees it but can't use it.
- Checks before you record. It reports the camera's resolution and frame rate, and flags a covered lens, a dark room, or a backlit face.