How to fix Mac camera not working

All MacBooks have the best webcam in terms of their generation, and new generation MacBooks have the best webcam with a good resolution like 1080p. However, the M1 variants of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with the 13-inch Intel chipset are flat with so much noise and no depth sensor. But it can also be useful for most users, unless the webcam has stopped working. So, if you are facing the “Apple Mac Camera Not Working” issue, you can check out this detailed guide.

While Windows laptop or PC users may barely notice conflicts with the webcam, Apple MacBook users may experience some issues if the default webcam is not working properly. Well, there may be several reasons why the webcam is not working on your Mac. You can use the workarounds below to fix such an issue easily.

How to fix Mac camera not working after update

It is possible that somehow an outdated version of the software on the MacBook, problems with screen time settings, camera permissions being blocked, temporary conflicts with a system crash, problems with the camera itself, and more are causing problems with the camera on Mac.

Luckily, you can use all the troubleshooting methods individually to try and fix this problem completely.

1. Restart your Mac

You should try restarting your Mac device manually by following the steps below to make sure that the problem is not related to a system glitch.

• On a Mac, click Apple menu > Choose Restart.
• You can also deselect the application windows you don’t want to restart when you restart your Mac.

2. Reset SMC

Depending on the Mac model, you may need to reset the SMC accordingly. Resetting SMC on Macs with non-removable batteries can certainly be different.

M1 Mac:

You literally can’t reset SMC on any of your Macs with an M1 chipset, because there’s no such thing on M1 Macs. The Apple M1 chip basically performs all the functions related to the SMC, so there is no system management controller.

However, you can try turning off your Mac and waiting for about 30 seconds to reset the SMC and then restarting your Mac might solve the problem.

MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air:

Before resetting the SMC on any MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, you may also want to check if your specific Mac model has the Apple T2 Security Chip or not. These chips are available on 2018 or later MacBook, Macbook Pro, and Macbook Air models.

You can follow the steps below to reset SMC on any Mac with an Apple T2 security chip:

• First, turn off your Mac.
• Now press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds, then release the button.
• Wait a few seconds and your Mac will reboot into the system.
  • If that doesn’t help, turn off your Mac again.
• Press and hold the Right Shift + Left Option + Left Control keys for approximately 7 seconds.
• Next, press and hold the Power button.
• Press and hold all four indicated keys for another 7 seconds. As soon as your Mac turns on, it will turn off again because you were holding those keys.
• Well, nothing to worry about. Just release these keys and wait a few seconds.
• Finally, restart your Macbook again.

iMac, Mac Mini or Mac Pro:

As with MacBooks, you can also reset SMC on iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro, depending on the model. Make sure your iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro has the Apple T2 Security Chip, which is available for 2018 or later models.

Here you can easily reset SMC on Mac Mini, iMac or Mac Pro with T2 chip:

• Turn off your desktop Mac.
• Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release the button.
• Wait a few seconds and restart your Mac.
• If this step does not help in this case, you should turn off your Mac again.
• Unplug the power adapter from your Mac desktop and wait another 15 seconds.
• Now plug the power cable back in and wait 5 seconds again.
• Press the power button to turn your Mac back on.

Older Macs (before 2018):

In case you have an older Mac without the Apple T2 security chip, you will need to use a slightly different method to reset the SMC.

Steps to reset SMC for non-removable batteries:

• Turn off your Mac.
• Press and hold the Shift + Control + Option keys on the left side of your keyboard and press the Power button at the same time for about 10 seconds.
• Now release the keys and turn on your Mac.

Steps to reset SMC on Macs with removable batteries:

• Turn off your Mac.
• Second, remove the battery.
• Press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds.
• Now put the battery back into the Mac.
• Then turn your MacBook back on.

Check steps to reset SMC on older Macs:

• Turn off your Mac.
• Unplug the power cable and wait 15 seconds.
• Then reconnect the power cable and wait another 5 seconds.
• Now press the power button to turn on your Mac.

This method should fix your Mac camera not working problem pretty easily. If not, you can move on to the next method.

3. Check the camera indicator light.

It’s also possible that the camera light on your Mac next to the camera lens isn’t flashing green. A green light means the webcam is active. But in some cases, the constant blinking of the indicator can cause concern. In this case, you should contact Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller for further assistance.

4. Update your macOS software.

Make sure your macOS software is updated to the latest version, which will allow the system to work properly and also run other programs like the webcam, microphone, drivers, and more without problems.

Please note that it is recommended that you make a full backup of your Mac before following these steps to avoid data loss in the worst case.

• Go to the Apple menu in the corner of the screen.
• Click System Preferences (or System Preferences).
• If you selected System Preferences, click General on the left side of the window.
  • Then click “Software Update”on the right.
• If you chose “System Preferences”, click “Update Software”on the window.
  • Click Software Update, then check for new software updates.
• If a new software update is available in this case, click the Update Now button to install it. Some users may find “Update Now”, “Install Now”, or “Restart Now”options.
• You may also be required to enter an administrator password to continue.
• Now follow the on-screen instructions to complete the software update process.
• Wait for a while to boot the system again.
  • In the case of a software update, it says “your Mac is up to date”, which means that there is currently no new software version for your Mac model.

5. Check your Screen Time settings

Some users have reported that using macOS Catalina or later on a Mac can sometimes conflict with Screen Time. Make sure your webcam is turned on and the apps you use have free time.

• Go to the Apple menu.
• Click System Preferences (or System Preferences).
• Then click Screen Time.
• Select Content & Privacy.
• Then tap App Restrictions (or Apps).
• Now check the Camera box.
• Click App Restrictions.
• If you need to use the camera with an app listed, make sure the app is turned off or not selected.

Well, in most cases, this method can fix the Mac camera not working issue.

6. Allow webcam permissions

You can try allowing webcam access on your Mac if your Mac is running macOS Mojave or later. Be sure to follow the steps below for the built-in camera.

• Select the Apple menu and click System Preferences (or System Preferences).
• Click Security & Privacy.
• Now click “Privacy and Security”(or “Privacy”).
• Then tap on “Camera”and be sure to turn on any apps you want to use the camera in.
• You may be prompted to exit and restart a specific application.

7. Try turning on the webcam using the terminal

Sometimes your webcam could be in use by an app and didn’t close properly for a new app to try to use the webcam. Thus, you may need to launch the Terminal in order to exit the process by doing the following.

• Go to Apple Finder and open Applications.
• Click “Utilities”and select “Terminal”.
• Then type the appropriate command into the terminal and press Enter to run:

sudo killall VDCAssistant

• This command will stop the VDCAssistant process that allows the camera to work. If any prompt appears, enter your administrator password to continue.
• You will then need to type the following command in the Terminal and press Enter:

sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant

• After that, restart your Mac to change the effects.

Note. Although this method may be applicable to OS X and may not be recognized by some users on macOS Big Sur.

8. Check Activity Monitor for Rogue Apps

We should also mention that some third party apps can be rogue enough to consume more system resources or block some services for some specific apps like camera permissions. It’s better to check the Activity Monitor by following the steps below to detect rogue apps and close them all manually, which can solve Mac camera not working issue.

• Go to Apple Finder and open Applications.
• Launch Activity Monitor and check for third-party apps or tasks.
• Now be sure to close any other running applications or utilities that may cause camera conflicts such as Skype, FaceTime, Photo Booth, etc.
• If you’re not sure enough to know which apps might be accessing your camera, you may need to save your progress first and then close all running apps to refresh your system.
• Obviously, it is always a good idea to restart your Mac after completing the tasks completely.

9. Run Apple Diagnostics

If all else fails, try running the Apple Diagnostics tool on your Mac to shut down your Mac. Be sure to turn off unnecessary external devices such as USB devices. You should also keep the machine in a well ventilated area to ensure proper air ventilation.

For Mac computers based on the Intel chipset:

• First you need to turn on your Mac.
• Now press and hold the D key.
• Then go around the progress bar on the black background.

For Apple Silicon Mac:

• Press and hold the power button while your Mac starts up.
• Now let go once you see the launch options.
• Then press the Command + D keys to duplicate the selected files.
• You will need to wait for the testing process to complete and store the reference codes you get in the results.
• After that, you will need to check the help codes to make sure there are no problems with the system or its programs. If you’re getting codes like NDC001, NDC003, NDC004, NDC005, and NDC006, you might be having problems with your Mac’s camera.

10. Check the webcam for physical damage.

If something physically happened to your webcam, be sure to check if the problem is manifested in the webcam or not. Any damage, moisture/dust, etc. can be of great concern to you. We recommend that you leave your MacBook and visit a service center to have it checked by a technician.

11. Reset NVRAM Mac

If no other methods have helped you fix your camera related problem, be sure to follow this method to reset Mac NVRAM quite easily. Well, NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) basically stores all the local settings on the machine, such as sound volume, kernel panic information, etc.

Thus, even after turning off the computer or restarting the Mac, the volume level or status does not change. Similarly, NVRAM also stores camera settings or preferences to make the user’s experience smoother. In some cases, you may experience issues with the camera on your Mac. So, you need to reset Mac NVRAM.

You can follow the steps below to reset NVRAM on Mac:

• Shut down your Mac completely.
• Then don’t forget to turn it back on and press and hold the Option + Command + P + R keys while the system boots.
• After about 20 seconds, you should be able to hear two startup sounds.
• Now be sure to release all keys as soon as you hear the second sound.

Note. On Macs with the T2 security chip, you will need to release all keys after you see the Apple logo on the screen for the second time. (logo is not the first time)

That’s all for now. This complete guide details all the necessary workarounds that can help you fix your Mac camera not working problem no matter what Mac device you are using. If you’d like to share any thoughts or ask any questions, be sure to leave a comment below.