The increased number of live streams, video conferences, and group calls that people engage in regularly has made the Mac camera the essential component of the machine. However, there’s no Camera application, and you cannot find it in System Settings either.
But the settings can be tweaked and played with through third-party applications like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, etc. You can also adjust the settings of the camera on Mac via FaceTime or use your iPhone’s camera for video calls using the Continuity Camera feature (available on macOS Ventura and later).
But what do you do when the Mac camera isn’t working? Although this might be a major hassle, it can be easily fixed.
Quit the Processes Using the Camera on Your Mac
To resolve the camera not working issue, kill the macOS camera process. You can back up critical files beforehand to avoid data loss.
You can quit camera processes by quitting the applications using the camera. Or launch Terminal by clicking Applications > Utilities > Terminal. Then, type sudo killall VDCAssistant and press the Enter key. Next, type sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant and press the Enter key. If prompted, you may have to enter the admin password.
Restart your system to see if the problem is resolved.
Make Sure the Application has Permission to Access the Camera
If your Mac is running macOS Mojave or later, you can choose the applications that will use your Mac’s camera. If you had denied permission to access the camera for any application, you must change the permission so it can allow the webcam.
To change permission, click the Apple logo and select System Preferences. Then, click Security & Privacy > Camera. Ensure the application you want to use has permission to access the camera. If it doesn’t, click the padlock icon and enter your system’s password to let the app use the camera.
Find Out If the Camera Is Restricted Via Screen Time
Is the Mac’s camera working for one application but not for another? The first step is to understand the problem. Open different applications and see whether the camera is working. If so, the problem might be related to Screen Time. You may have restricted the app you are trying to use via Screen Time; hence, it cannot access the camera.
You can fix the problem by removing the Screen Time limit.
Click the Apple menu > System Settings > choose Screen Time > Content & Privacy > choose the App Restrictions option > ensure the Allow Camera option is turned on under the Allowed section.
Reopen the application to see if the camera issue is resolved.
Restart Your Computer
Most of the time, the simplest solution offers the best results. Have you tried restarting your system? The problem can be resolved with this simple step.
Rebooting your computer will give your machine a fresh start and resolve all the small glitches.
Update The Latest MacOS Version
Sometimes, camera problems are related to the existing macOS version. The solution is to update macOS. You will get the latest version, and the issue will be instantly fixed.
You can update your macOS software by going to the Apple menu and choosing System Settings. Then, click on General and Software Update. If updates are available, click Upgrade Now.
Wait for the updates to be installed, and then reboot your system to let the changes occur.
Restart Mac In Safe Mode
Although restarting the simple solution to most problems might not be enough. In such situations, restart your system in Safe mode.
In Safe mode, your system will start with only the important applications and processes it needs to run efficiently. If the camera works fine in this mode, the problem is likely caused by a third-party app or software.
You can launch your system in Safe mode by restarting your computer and holding the Shift button. When the login screen appears, Safe Boot is written on the top.
If you are using an M1 Mac, boot your system into Safe mode by turning off your system and holding the power button until you see the startup options. Then, choose the startup drive and hold the Shift button. Next, choose Continue in Safe mode and release the Shift key. Your Mac will boot into Safe mode.
Quit Conflicting Apps
If there’s another application using your Mac’s camera and you are trying to open another application that needs the camera, it will not work. Only one app can use the camera at a time. Open the Activity Monitor to find out if two apps are trying to use the camera. If so, close one of the apps.
Final Thoughts
These steps will resolve the camera issue and help you get back on track. But if these don’t work, you can use the Continuity Camera feature to use your iPhone’s camera as your Mac’s webcam. Check whether your devices are compatible using this feature.
Besides these, do you have any other solution to offer? Share them below.
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