Operating System Guide
Mac Webcam Test — Check Your MacBook or iMac Camera
Run the live test below, then use the macOS fixes underneath. Mac camera problems cluster around three things: Safari's separate permission layer, the green-light-but-black-screen fault, and Continuity Camera taking over unexpectedly.
Live Readout
What Your Camera Is Actually Delivering
- Camera:—
- Resolution:—
- Frame Rate:—
- Aspect Ratio:—
- Microphone Detected:—
These are the values your browser negotiated with the camera just now, not the numbers on the box. A difference between the two is exactly what the guidance below is for.
How to Test Camera on MacBook — Permissions First
System permission firstOpen System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera and confirm your browser is enabled. On macOS Monterey and earlier this lives at System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab > Camera.
Safari has its own settingSafari maintains per-website camera permissions independently of the system list. Go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Camera and set this site to Allow. A site denied here stays blocked even with system permission granted.
Quit and reopen after grantingmacOS frequently does not apply a newly granted camera permission to an already-running app. Fully quit the browser with Cmd+Q and reopen it — not just close the window.
Green light on but the screen is black
What this specific symptom meansThe indicator light is hardwired to the camera's power. If it is lit, the hardware is working and something downstream is failing to render the frames — this is not a broken camera.
Another app is holding itFaceTime, Photo Booth, Zoom or a background browser tab may already have the camera. Quit them all, then try again.
Reset the camera serviceOpen Terminal and run sudo killall VDCAssistant. This restarts the macOS camera daemon and resolves the black-screen fault in most cases. The service relaunches automatically.
Check Screen Time restrictionsSettings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy > App Restrictions contains a Camera toggle that silently disables the camera system-wide when off.
Continuity Camera and the FaceTime HD sensor
Your iPhone may be taking overWith Continuity Camera, macOS Ventura and later can automatically select a nearby iPhone as the camera instead of the built-in one. If the view looks unexpectedly sharp or is pointing at the wrong thing, check the camera selector in your app and choose FaceTime HD Camera explicitly.
Built-in resolution varies by modelMacs from roughly 2021 onward carry a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Earlier models are 720p. A 720p reading in the test above is correct behaviour on an older Mac, not a fault.
No physical shutterApple's built-in cameras have no manual cover, so a black image is always a software or permission issue rather than something obstructing the lens.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Safari say camera access is denied?Safari stores permissions per website separately from macOS. Open Safari > Settings > Websites > Camera and set the site to Allow, then confirm Safari itself is enabled in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera.
My MacBook camera light is on but the screen is black. Why?The light is wired to camera power, so the hardware is fine. Another application is usually holding the stream. Quit all apps that use the camera, and if it persists, run sudo killall VDCAssistant in Terminal to restart the camera service.
How do I stop my iPhone becoming my Mac webcam?macOS selects a nearby iPhone automatically through Continuity Camera. In your video app's camera selector, choose FaceTime HD Camera explicitly, or disable Continuity Camera in the iPhone's Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity.
What resolution is the MacBook FaceTime HD camera?Macs released from around 2021 onward have a 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Older models are 720p. The test above reports the actual resolution your Mac is delivering.
Supported Browsers on macOS
Camera access depends on WebRTC support, which varies by browser even on the same device.
| Browser | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Safari | Full support | Native WebRTC implementation; the reference browser for macOS |
| Chrome | Full support | Full WebRTC support, widely used |
| Firefox | Full support | Full WebRTC support |
| Edge | Full support | Chromium-based, same engine as Chrome |
Related Testing Tools
Once the camera is working, these check the things a basic preview cannot: the full diagnostics bench, microphone and room acoustics, and a ranked fix plan built from your results.
Other platforms: Windows 11 · Windows 10 · a Chromebook · iPhone Camera · Android Camera · Linux · iPad Camera