How do you fix the issue of Macbook pro camera not working? If you don’t know how to fix this issue, then this detailed guide is exactly what you need!
The Mac computers, including the MacBook Pro, have a built-in web camera. In addition to using it, you can use a USB connected webcam on your Mac.
However, there are times when you might find that the camera isn’t working. The computer may not recognize it, or it could be unavailable.
This can be frustrating, and you will want to do what you can to get it working again. Continue reading to learn the different possible solutions when your camera isn’t working.
Macbook Pro Camera Not Working (How To Fix)
1. Check the Lens
The best place to start is with the simple solutions. It is hard to imagine that the solution could be so easy, but you might have the camera lens covered.
Some people cover the lens when they aren’t using the webcam for privacy, and it is possible to forget about this. Check to see if your camera lens is covered, especially if you aren’t getting an error message but you are seeing a black screen.
2. Check the Permissions for Your Webcam
Whenever you try to connect to a camera for the first time, your Mac will ask you to grant permission for it to access the camera.
If you accidentally click to deny access without realizing it, you might not be able to access the camera later when you try to use it.
You might need to make a video call or record something. Luckily, you can access the settings to grant permission if you have previously denied it.
You can go to the System Preferences, and click on Security and Privacy. Then select Camera. You will find a list of the apps that have requested access to the camera, and any that have been approved will have a check mark.
If the box is not checked, that means that permission was denied. You will see a lock icon at the bottom left of the screen, and you can click on it to change the settings.
You will need to enter your administrator password or your Touch ID to authenticate your access, and then you can approve or revoke any apps that you want to approve or deny access for.
Just place a check mark for apps you want to approve access for and uncheck any boxes where you want it denied.
3. Try Killing the VDCAssistant and AppleCameraAssistant Processes
When you use a webcam on your Mac, there are two processes that perform duties for your webcam. One is VCDAssistant, and the other is AppleCameraAssistant.
When you are using your Mac, they can stop working. If this happens, the system will usually restart them automatically.
However, there are times when this doesn’t work. Your Mac might try to kill the process, but it doesn’t take. You can override this by doing a manual kill of the process.
Start by searching for Terminal in Spotlight, or you can go to Applications and choose Utilities. Then, you will want to type in the following command:
- Sudo killall VDCAssistant;sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant
Next, you will type your password as admin, and you can try to use the webcam again. If it worked, your Mac should relaunch the process that it needs so that it will work.
You can also restart your Mac. Some people aren’t comfortable typing in commands this way, so you can shut down your Mac and restart it to kill these processes.
4. Restart Your MacBook Pro
If the other solutions haven’t worked, you can try to restart your Mac. You might have too many windows open or too many applications that are trying to access the camera at the same time.
When you restart your Mac, it will automatically close all open applications, and you can refrain from opening them when your Mac starts back up again.
Go to the Apple icon on the top left of the screen, and choose Restart from the window. In the next window, uncheck the box that says “Reopen Windows When Logging back in.”
Your Mac will shut down and close out all of the open apps, and then you can try it again when you restart it.
5. Reinstall the App You Want to Use
If you haven’t been able to get your camera to work with the other troubleshooting solutions, you might be having a problem with the app that is trying to access the camera.
If you couldn’t fix it by checking the permissions, then there might be a problem with this app. Apps can stop working, and if it is an older app, it might not be compatible with the newer versions of MacOS.
You can try to delete the app from your Mac and reinstall it. Go to the Applications folder, and drag the icon for the app to the Trash icon.
Then you can download and reinstall the app. If you don’t see the app requesting access to the camera when you reinstall it, it is possible that your app is not compatible with the latest version of MacOS.
You might need to find an updated version of the app, or you might need to find a similar app to accomplish what you are doing.
6. Check Your Screen Time Settings
MacOS has a feature that allows you to monitor how you or family members use your Mac. It is similar to the idea of parental controls, which are also available on your Mac.
One of the features of this is that it can limit your access to the camera and to apps that may need to use it. You can easily check the Screen Time settings on your Mac.
Go to the System Preferences, and click on Screen Time. Then, check Content and Privacy. You can select Camera next, and then check to see if it is enabled.
It should also be enabled under the Apps tab. If the camera isn’t enabled you can enable it. You can change the settings, or ask the person who is in charge of the account to do it for you.
7. Check to See If Your Internal Webcam Can Be Detected
If you are still having trouble with your internal camera, you can check to see if your Mac is able to detect it. This is not difficult; you can choose the Apple menu at the top left of the screen, and then choose “About.”
Next, you can choose System Report. Select Camera on the sidebar, and you should see FaceTine HD Camera (Built-in) listed. You will also see numbers and the model ID.
If you don’t see your camera, there may be another issue that has made it stop working. You might find that there is something wrong with the hardware or it is damaged. You can take it to an Apple repair shop to see if this is the case.
8. Reset the System Management Controller
Your Mac has a System Management Controller, and it is in charge of low level settings including fans, LEDs, and your webcam. If you can’t find your webcam listed in the System Report, you might want to try this.
The SMC is what allows your Mac to respond when you press the power button, and it controls the temperature of your Mac and its battery.
You can reset it by removing the battery from your Mac after you shut it down, and then you can hold the power button for five seconds. Once this is done, you can reconnect the battery, plug it in, and turn your Mac on again.
9. Check for Problems with Your External Webcam
Although your Mac has an internal camera, you might use an external webcam. People do this because they might want a more sophisticated camera or you might need it to provide you with better video quality.
If you are using a webcam with a USB connection, first make sure that it is plugged in. You can unplug it and plug it back in again.
You can also try to use a different USB port, as well as a different USB cord to make sure that the cord isn’t causing the issue.
If you have your external webcam connected with a hub, you should check to see if it is getting enough power. You can try to remove the hub and plug this webcam into the Mac directly.
Then, check to see if the LED lights come on to show that the webcam is being used. Another thing to check is to see if your Mac recognizes the webcam.
You can go to the Apple logo on the top left part of the screen, and then click “About.” Next, you will choose “System Report.”
Look for the USB section in this sidebar, and then you can look to see if your webcam is listed there. If you don’t have an LED lit up on your webcam and you can’t find it in the System Report, you might have a problem with your external webcam.
You also might need another driver to make the external webcam compatible with the Mac, in which case you can download the software you need.
Conclusion
If none of the solutions above work, you can either take your Apple MacBook Pro to a technician for repair or try reinstalling MacOS.
If you do this, be sure to back up everything you have on your Mac. If all else fails, you can buy an external webcam that will work with your Mac.
