10 Steps to Fix "No Camera Connected" Issue on MacBook Air/Pro/iMac 2024 (UTF-8)

If you have a MacBook Pro or Air, chances are you use the built-in camera for FaceTime calls often. MacBooks are known for their high-quality front-facing cameras that allow you to attend meetings and take clear videos and pictures. But what if you encounter a black screen every time you try to access it?

You might see a "Disconnected camera" error on a black screen. Don't worry – we know how frustrating it can be when your camera stops working during a Zoom meeting, and we're here to help. Let's dive into 10 solutions →

* Don't know how to performMac Digital Camera Photo Video Recovery? Follow the guide to get 2GB free recovery method.

Why isn't the camera working on my Mac?

The good news is that the “No camera connected” message typically indicates a software issue, rather than a hardware one, which can usually be easier to fix. It could be that an app you were running previously on macOS had commandeered the camera, or the camera may simply be lacking the necessary permissions.

Camera use might be restricted due to screen time limits. If there's a hardware issue, the camera indicator light might flash. In such cases, contact Apple support.

How to Fix the “No Camera Connected” Error in 10 Steps

Here are the top five methods to fix the camera disconnected issue on your Mac, none of which will take too much of your time or effort.

1. Restart your Mac 2. Check the Camera's Appearance 3. Verify Your Internet Connection 4. Make Sure the App Has Permission to Use the Camera 5. Update the App to the Latest Version 6-10. Steps 6 through 10

Step 1: Restart your Mac

The first and easiest solution is to restart your MacBook. Here's how:

1: Look in the top-left corner, and you'll see an Apple icon.

2: When given the option, select “Restart” from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: After a few moments, your MacBook will shut down and then turn back on by itself.

Step 2: Inspect the camera's exterior

Another way to check if your camera is working is by examining its appearance. Here's how:

1: Open Finder.

2: Click the Applications option on the left. You'll find Finder at the left end of the menu bar.

3: Just double-click Photobooth. This will open your webcam by default. If you see an image, your camera is working.

Step 3: Check your Internet connection

Sometimes, it's a good idea to check your Internet connection before placing a FaceTime call from your MacBook. But how, you ask? Read on.

1: From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.

2: Select Network from the drop-down menu.

3: Select the network adapter you want to check.

4: Here you can see your network connection status.

Step 4: Check if the app has permission to use the camera

Sometimes, your device might not give permission for certain features to work, like with FaceTime, Zoom, or Photo Booth, for example. Here's how to check those permissions:

1: Click the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.”

2: To learn more about security and privacy, choose Security and Privacy from the menu.

3: Click the Privacy tab in the top-right corner of the screen.

4: Click the “Privacy” tab in “System Preferences” > “Security & Privacy.”

(Note: If your Mac is locked, click the lock icon in the bottom left corner to make changes to system settings.)

5: You can now view the app's permissions by clicking on its entry in the left-hand panel.

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will do my best to translate it into Chinese.

Step 5: Update the app to the latest version

It's possible that your Camera app simply hasn't been updated. Perhaps your system is out of date. If so, restart macOS and head to the App Store to update all of your apps.

1: Open the Mac App Store by clicking its icon in the Dock, searching for it with Spotlight, or finding it in the Applications folder.

2: To view all available updates, click on Updates in the sidebar.

If any apps have updates available, an Update icon appears next to them; tap it to manually initiate the update.

The remaining five techniques may be a little more involved, but they have all been proven effective in fixing camera issues.

• Step 6: Uninstall and reinstall the app's new version
• Step 7: Disable suspected problematic apps in Activity Monitor
• Step 8: Force quit camera-related apps using Terminal
• Step 9: Reset the SMC
• Step 10: Reinstall macOS on your MacBook or iMac

* Download the tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to restore any type of file or folder that you might have lost on your MacBook Pro, Air, or iMac.

Step 6: Uninstall and reinstall the app with the new version

You can access your Applications folder from any Finder window by using the sidebar's Applications item.

1: Try holding down the Command (⌘) key while double-clicking the app in Spotlight; this should open it in a new window.

2: Drag the application to the Trash, or select it and choose File > Move to Trash from the contextual menu.

3: Remove the software by choosing Finder > Empty Trash.

Note: To reinstall an app, go to the App Store and download the content that you previously deleted.

Step 7: Disable Suspected Apps in Activity Monitor

If you suspect that an app on your MacBook is corrupting files and causing issues with your device, it's time to disable it.

1: Tap on the "Go To" option in the status bar at the top of the screen. Select "Utilities" from the drop-down menu.

2: Next, click on "Activity Monitor".

When the Activity Monitor window appears, find and quit the problematic app.

4: Click the “X” button in the top-left corner of the Activity Monitor window.

Step 8: Force quit the camera app from the Terminal

If you think your camera is running slow or acting up, it can be very helpful to force quit the app related to your camera using the Terminal.

1: Close any apps that have access to your camera.

2. To open Terminal, press the Spotlight search button, type “Terminal,” and then press Return.

3. Enter the command sudo killall VDCAssistant. If prompted, type your password and press Return.

4: In the Terminal window, type the command sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant.

(Note: After this, open an application that uses the built-in webcam to verify that the issue is resolved.)

Step 9: Reset the SMC

If you're seeing "No camera connected," resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac is a good troubleshooting step. Follow the steps for your system to fix a MacBook camera that isn't working or displaying correctly.

1: Shut down your Mac.

2: Hold down Control + Alt + Shift for 7 seconds, then hold the Power button for an additional 7 seconds.

3: You can now press the Power button to turn it on.

Step 10: Reinstall macOS on your MacBook or iMac

Lastly, you could try reinstalling macOS on your iMac or MacBook to see if that improves matters. Here's how:

Step 1: In the macOS Utilities window, choose Reinstall macOS.

Step 2: Click Continue now and follow the on-screen instructions to start the installation process.

Click on “Continue” to reinstall

Important note: Reinstalling macOS can be risky if you don't have backups of your important files and content. So, if you decide to proceed, we have the perfect solution to help you recover your files.

Mac Data Recovery Wizard: Your Data Recovery Partner

Did you know that you can recover lost files in case of a macOS reinstall? Surprised, aren't you? Well, it's time you turned to the best software in town that can help you recover, or should we say, “restore” all your files after a macOS reinstall.

Unfortunately, even the best data recovery tools might not be able to retrieve files that have been permanently deleted or lost. That said, we found that the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is the best macOS data recovery software we've come across so far.

Though not a perfect solution, Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is one of the world's most powerful and reliable tools to recover deleted files from Mac trash in 3 simple steps.

Moreover, it searches deeper into storage devices than any other Mac data recovery software for the best results. It causes no harm to your original data and keeps your personal information secure. It is the first and only solution that can address the encryption issue with the T2 chip.

Moreover, you will be amazed to find that with its Mac SD Card File Recovery feature, you can now easily retrieve all your lost videos and photos with the software.

Some of the features include:

• Recover deleted files – even from the Recycling Bin, with original filenames, after deletion from digital cameras (photos and videos).
• Mac hard drive recovery – back up and restore data from damaged or reformatted external hard drives.
• SD card photo recovery – recover deleted or lost photos and data from memory cards.
• Different data loss scenarios – such as system crashes, upgrades, viruses, or power outages.

Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to recover lost macOS files using Wizard Recovery tool:

Step 1: Search for the Lost File

On macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma, select the disk location where you want to search for the lost files (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device). Then, click the “Search Lost Files” button.

Note: Before data recovery, it's better to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup for your Mac to prevent further data loss. After backup, the software can recover data from Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Browse the scan results

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the disk volume you select immediately and display the scanning results.

Step 3: Select the files and recover them.

In the scan results, select the files you want to preview and then click the “Recover” button to get them back.