Mac camera not working? 6 fixes to try

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Update macOS, then check two settings: Screen Time must allow the camera, and the app must be allowed under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera. Restart the Mac. A green light that flashes next to the camera points to a hardware fault.

When the built-in camera shows a black picture in FaceTime, Zoom or Teams, the camera is rarely broken. Usually an app is not allowed to use it, or another app is still holding it.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Step by step

  1. Update macOS

    Apple's first step is to make sure the software is up to date. Open System Settings, General, Software Update.

  2. Part of the Mac System Settings window: Check Screen Time

    Check Screen Time

    If Screen Time is in use, open System Settings, Screen Time, Content & Privacy, App Restrictions and make sure Camera is allowed. Also check that the app you want to use is not blocked by an app limit.

  3. Part of the Mac System Settings window: Allow the app to use the camera

    Allow the app to use the camera

    Open System Settings and click Privacy & Security, then Camera. Switch on the app that needs the camera. Quit the app and open it again.

  4. Restart the Mac

    On a Mac with Apple silicon, a restart is enough. On an Intel Mac, Apple also advises resetting the SMC, the controller that manages power.

  5. Try a different app

    Open Photo Booth or FaceTime. If the camera works there, the fault is in the settings of the first app. Many video apps have their own camera menu in which the wrong camera can be selected.

  6. Watch the light next to the camera

    A steady green light means the camera is on. If the light flashes green, Apple says this points to a problem with the hardware. Contact Apple Support.

Good to know

Only one app at a time shows the camera picture reliably. Quit other video apps before a call.

Do not close a MacBook with a camera cover fitted. Apple warns that this can damage the display, because the gap between screen and keyboard is very small.

An iPhone makes a better webcam than the built-in camera: how to use an iPhone as a webcam for a Mac.

In short: Update, Screen Time, Privacy & Security > Camera, restart, test in another app, watch the light.

Sources
  • Apple Support: If the built-in camera isn't working on your Mac
  • Apple Support: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.