How To Activate Camera On Mac

Check the camera indicator light

If the camera indicator light next to the camera flashes green on your Mac notebook, contact Apple.

How to enable your Mac’s webcam/microphone for an online proctored (OLP) exam. Instructions on how to access MAC security and privacy settings to allow Sentinel to use your microphone, and camera. ISight cameras can be used with any software that is programmed to interface with them, and are useful for live video chats as well as recorded videos and still photography. Turn on your iSight camera by enabling it within any iSight-compatible Mac program.

Update your software

Check Screen Time settings

If your Mac is using macOS Catalina and you use Screen Time, make sure your camera is turned on and apps that use the camera have time available.

Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.
Click Content & Privacy in the sidebar, then click Apps.
Make sure the checkbox for Camera is selected.
Click App Limits in the sidebar. If you need to use your camera with an app in the list, make sure the checkbox for Limits is not selected.

Enable Camera On Macbook Pro

Give apps permission

If your Mac is using macOS Mojave or later, choose which apps can use your built-in camera:

Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Security & Privacy.
Click the Privacy tab, then click Camera in the sidebar.
Select the checkbox next to the apps that you want to use your camera in. You might be prompted to quit and reopen an app before it can use your camera.

Try another app

Try to use your camera in another app. For example, if you can't use your camera in FaceTime, open Photo Booth.

Reset the SMC

If you still can’t use the built-in camera on your Mac, resetting the SMC might help. Learn how to reset the SMC on your Mac.

Learn more

How To Activate Camera On Macbook Air

If you can't connect to FaceTime, learn what to do if FaceTime isn't working on your Mac.