FaceTime Camera Not Working? 8 Ways to Fix on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.mac facetime camera not working .facetime not working on mac.
This guide provides eight troubleshooting steps to follow if your device’s camera (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) isn’t working with FaceTime calls. If you’re having trouble with your Mac webcam (also called a “FaceTime HD camera”), see this article.
Before applying the guidelines below, make sure that no other application is using your device’s camera. There is a green light next to the FaceTime HD camera on Mac. Lights up when the app is using the camera. On iPhone and iPad, check for a green indicator in the status bar – just above the network signal bars.
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If the green light is on, close apps that might be using your device’s camera and check to see if your device’s camera is now working in FaceTime. Think: video calling apps (Zoom, Skype, Teams), messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), social media apps (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram), video recording apps, or even your browser. Restarting the device can also fix the problem with the FaceTime camera not working.
1. Check Internet Connection
Video calling apps may not transmit images during video calls if your internet connection is slow or unstable. If your device’s camera isn’t working during FaceTime calls, make sure your cellular data or Wi-Fi connection is working properly. Visit the web page in your browser or use other internet applications and check if they work.
If you are using a cellular service, contact your internet service provider. For wireless (Wi-Fi) connections, move the device closer to the router, or reboot the router. Turning airplane mode on and off can also refresh your device’s connection and restore the correct operation of the FaceTime camera.
2. Turn on FaceTime Camera
If your video tile shows a black screen during FaceTime calls on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’ve probably turned off your FaceTime camera by accident.
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In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, tap the screen during a call and press the video camera icon until the FaceTime camera is triggered.
On older versions of iOS and iPadOS, tap the screen during a call, swipe up on the card at the bottom of the screen, and tap Camera Off to activate the FaceTime camera.
If the camera is on but your tile is showing a black screen in a FaceTime call, turn Camera Off and turn it off again.
The FaceTime client on Mac also comes with a camera switcher. If the strikethrough video camera icon is highlighted, the FaceTime HD camera is disabled for this call.
Select the icon to turn the camera back on, or click Camera Off in the Touch Bar if you have one on your Mac.
3. Restart the FaceTime Call
If the FaceTime camera is on but others still can’t see you, end the call, close and reopen FaceTime, and restart the call. On a Mac, force-quit FaceTime, rejoin the conversation, and check if your FaceTime camera is now working.
Press Command + Option + Escape on your Mac keyboard, select FaceTime in the Force Quit Applications window, and select Force Quit.
4. Try Another App
Open the apps that use your device’s camera and check if they work. Launch the Camera app or third-party video calling apps such as Zoom and Skype. If your camera works with these apps, then the problem is FaceTime. Restarting your device or reinstalling FaceTime might fix the problem.
Note that you can still make and receive FaceTime calls even after you uninstall the FaceTime app.
- Press and hold the FaceTime app icon and select Uninstall App.
- Select “Uninstall Application” from the Uninstall Application menu.
- Finally, select Remove.
Go to the FaceTime page in the App Store and reinstall the app on your device. If the problem persists, restart your iPhone or iPad.
5. Allow Camera in Screen Time Settings
FaceTime (and other apps) will not receive video signals from your Mac if you have a camera limit set in your screen time settings. Go to the Screen Time privacy section and make sure your apps are allowed to use the Mac camera.
- Open System Preferences and select Screen Time.
- Select Content & Privacy in the sidebar, go to the Applications tab, and make sure the Camera checkbox is selected. Otherwise, the FaceTime camera will not work.
6. Force Quit Background Camera Processes
VDCAssistant and AppleCameraAssistant are two important system processes that run in the background when using your Mac camera. You may find it difficult to use your Mac camera if there is a problem with any of these services. Force exit VDCAssistant and AppleCameraAssistant using Terminal or Activity Monitor and check if that restores the FaceTime camera.
Force exiting VDCAssistant using Activity Monitor
- Go to Finder> Applications> Utilities and open Activity Monitor.
- Enter vdcassistant in the search box, select VDCAssistant and click the X in the toolbar.
- Select Force Quit to continue.
Force close VDCAssistant and AppleCameraAssistant using Activity Monitor
MacOS Terminal is another useful tool for stopping background processes. Here’s how to force close VDCAssistant on your Mac using it.
- Go to Finder> Applications> Utilities and open Terminal.
- Type or paste sudo killall VDCAssistant into the console and press Return.
- Enter your Mac password and press Return.
If your Mac has macOS Mojave or earlier, you will also need to force quit the AppleCameraAssist process (see Step 4). Otherwise, skip to step 6 if your Mac has macOS Catalina or later.
- Paste sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant into a terminal console and press Enter.
- Re-type your Mac password and press Enter.
Open FaceTime or other video calling apps and check if your Mac’s camera is now working.
7. Update Your Device
IOS, iPadOS, and macOS updates often contain bug fixes for FaceTime and other system apps. Check your device’s settings menu and install any available updates on the page.
On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings> General> Software Update and click Download and Install.
To update your Mac, open System Preferences, select Software Update, and click the Update Now (or Update Now) button.
8. Use an External Camera
If your Mac’s built-in FaceTime camera isn’t working, use an external webcam if you have one. Then set your webcam as your primary webcam for FaceTime calls and other apps.
Open FaceTime, choose Videos from the menu bar, and select your external webcam under Camera.
Contact Apple Support or visit your nearest Genius Bar if your device’s camera still isn’t working in FaceTime or other apps.
FaceTime Camera Not Working? 8 Ways to Fix on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
FaceTime Camera Not Working? 8 Ways to Fix on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
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