Webcam Not Working on Mac? How to Fix It
Quick answer: On a Mac, a camera that will not work is almost always a permission the app lacks, or another app already using it. Allow the app under Privacy and Security, close other video apps, and restart.
macOS grants camera access per application, and allows only one application to hold the camera at a time. An app that never appears in System Settings, Privacy and Security, Camera has never requested access — that is an application build issue, not a setting you can toggle.
Confirm the camera works: open the webcam test in your browser.
Grant camera permission
Open System Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Camera, and turn on the toggle for the app you are using. Quit and reopen the app afterwards.
Close other apps using it
macOS lets only one app use the camera at a time. Quit Zoom, FaceTime, Photo Booth and any browser tabs that may hold it, then try again.
Reset if it stays stuck
Restart the Mac to release a stuck camera. If a green light never appears, the camera is not starting — a restart clears most software locks. For a black preview specifically, see a webcam showing a black screen. Photo Booth is a quick hardware check: if you see yourself there, the camera is fine and the failing app just needs quitting and reopening to pick up the permission. On Apple silicon a restart resets the camera process and clears most glitches.
Confirm it works
Re-run the webcam test (our webcam test walkthrough shows what to look for), then rejoin your call.
How to fix a camera on macOS
Macs handle the camera differently from Windows: there's no on/off switch for the camera itself, so it turns on automatically when an app that has permission requests it. That makes permission the first thing to check — System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera, and switch on the app you're trying to use. An app that was open before you granted access usually needs to be fully quit and reopened to pick it up. To prove the camera works at all, open Photo Booth: if you see yourself there, the hardware is fine and the problem is a specific app's permission or settings.
When the camera still won't start
If Photo Booth is black or shows "There is no connected camera," close every other app that might be using it — FaceTime, Zoom, Teams, Safari — since macOS lets only one app use the camera at a time. If it's still stuck, a quick restart clears most cases by resetting the camera process; on Apple silicon Macs a simple restart replaces the old SMC reset entirely. As a deeper step, you can quit the camera's background process: open Activity Monitor, search for "VDCAssistant," and quit it so macOS relaunches it fresh the next time an app asks for video.
The setting almost everyone forgets
One macOS-specific cause catches people out: Screen Time content restrictions. Under System Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy → App Restrictions, there's a Camera toggle, and if it's off the camera is blocked across the entire Mac with no obvious error — apps simply act as though no camera exists. Turning it back on instantly restores the camera everywhere. This is a frequent culprit on Macs set up with parental controls or handed down from another user. Once it's working, confirm with the webcam test in your browser.
Common Mac camera scenarios
A few Mac-specific situations explain most remaining cases. Continuity Camera can hijack things unexpectedly: if your iPhone is nearby and signed into the same Apple ID, macOS may auto-select it as the webcam, leaving your built-in camera apparently "not working." Pick the camera you actually want in the app's video settings, or move the phone away. For an external USB webcam, almost all are UVC-class and work without drivers — just plug in, grant permission, and select it in the app; if it doesn't appear, try another port and avoid unpowered hubs. For the browser on a Mac, the browser itself needs camera permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera, and the website needs its own permission via the address-bar prompt — both are required. And if you see "camera is in use by another application," quit FaceTime, Zoom, Teams or any Safari tab that grabbed it first, since only one app can use the camera at once.
Sources: MDN — MediaDevices.getUserMedia() · Microsoft — Camera, microphone and privacy
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my camera working on my Mac?
Usually the app lacks permission. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and enable the app, then quit and reopen it. Test the hardware itself in Photo Booth — if you see yourself there, the camera is fine and it's an app-level issue.
How do I test my Mac's camera?
Open Photo Booth from Applications. If you see a live image, the camera hardware and driver are working. If Photo Booth is black too, close other apps using the camera and restart the Mac.
My Mac says 'There is no connected camera' — what now?
Close all other apps that might use the camera, since macOS allows only one at a time, then restart. If it persists, open Activity Monitor and quit the VDCAssistant process so macOS relaunches the camera fresh.
Why is my Mac camera blocked with no error?
Check Screen Time → Content & Privacy → App Restrictions and make sure Camera is turned on. When that toggle is off, the camera is disabled across the whole Mac and apps behave as if no camera is connected.
Do I need to reset the SMC to fix the camera?
On Apple silicon Macs there's no SMC reset — a normal restart does the same thing and fixes most camera glitches. On older Intel Macs an SMC reset can occasionally help, but try a restart and quitting other camera apps first.
Why does my Mac use my iPhone as the webcam?
That's Continuity Camera auto-selecting a nearby iPhone signed into your Apple ID. Choose your built-in or external camera in the app's video settings, or move the iPhone away if you don't want it used.
Does an external webcam need a driver on a Mac?
Most webcams are UVC-class and work without any driver — just grant camera permission and select the device in your app. Only certain vendor-specific features need an extra app; basic video is plug-and-play.
How do I give an app camera permission on a Mac?
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and toggle the app on. If the app was already open, quit and reopen it so it picks up the new permission.
My Mac camera light is on but the image is black — why?
The camera is streaming to an app but you see black, usually because the wrong camera is selected, such as Continuity Camera picking your iPhone, or the app froze. Reselect your camera and restart the app.
Test it yourself: Webcam Test
Which macOS version this applies to
These steps apply to macOS Tahoe and to macOS 27. macOS Tahoe is the last version of macOS that runs on Intel Macs. Its successor, macOS 27, was announced at WWDC 2026 and is Apple Silicon only. If your Mac has an Intel processor, Tahoe is the last release it will receive, and the camera permission layout described here will not change again on that machine.
One Tahoe-era detail worth knowing before you troubleshoot: camera access is enforced through the Hardened Runtime, which notarised apps are required to use. An app must declare a camera entitlement before it can even ask for permission. So an app that never produces a permission prompt, and never appears in System Settings, Privacy and Security, Camera, has almost certainly not been built to request the camera — no amount of toggling will add it.
macOS also allows only one app to hold the camera at a time. That single rule explains most "camera works in FaceTime but not in Zoom" reports, and it is why quitting the other app comes before any permission work below.