How to Fix FaceTime Camera Not Working Effortlessly

Jason

By Jason

Update on

Facetime Camera Not Working

MacBook laptops are undoubtedly one of the best computers on the market. With frequent updates from Apple and each laptop performing as well as the last, it’s no surprise that they’re so popular among many groups.

FaceTime is one of the best apps you can use on a MacBook. Although most people suspect this is only available for iPhones and handheld iOS devices, FaceTime is a cross-platform video conference app.

So, when users notice the FaceTime camera not working, it can be annoying.

It’s no surprise that there are some issues when it comes to using FaceTime. Given the large user base and popularity, there are bound to be a few issues now and again.

What makes this even more of a struggle to fix is that the error didn’t arise shortly after an iOS or macOS update. It has come without any warning.

One solution is to use a different video calling app whilst Apple fixes the bug, but this isn’t preferable.

How Can We Fix FaceTime Camera Not Working Problems?

Heading to Google to search for answers can be helpful, but not in this case. Only generic fixes, including a factory reset, have been given as advice.

As such, here are some of the solutions that we found to be most effective for fixing the FaceTime camera not working problem.

#1 – Software or Hardware Test

Before deciding on which approach to take, we must determine where the problem lies. In most cases, it is indeed software, but it’s worth checking if the camera hardware is faulty simply as a precaution.

The quick way of testing this is to open an alternative camera application. This could be Photo Booth, Skype, or iMovie, and just check if the webcam works for that program instead.

If you notice that the webcam is working for the alternate app, then it’s an issue with FaceTime – this is the outcome most of the time. But if your webcam persistently doesn’t work in any other app or program, this is a sign that it’s a hardware problem.

Don’t worry just yet! A hardware problem doesn’t automatically mean that your laptop is broken and even a simple laptop restart can fix it.

You can also try connecting an external webcam via USB. Again, if FaceTime works with the external webcam, then it’s a hardware issue, and if it doesn’t work, the issue is with FaceTime itself.

Deducing where the issue is can give a better idea of how to fix it. Therefore, make a note of what you find out from these tests.

#2 – Adjusting the MacBook Camera Settings

Next, simply try tweaking your MacBook’s webcam settings. Computers work in weird and mysterious ways, so changing a few settings might be all it takes to fix your FaceTime camera not working.

So, how exactly can you adjust the settings? After you open the Mac camera settings, check the “Video Device“. Make sure that whichever camera is chosen also has “Built-in” written next to the camera’s name. If this isn’t written, click on the drop-down menu and choose the video device that does have this.

Adjust mac camera settings to Fix facetime camera not working

You can then click on the settings cog next to the video device and further change settings.

Please remember that if you don’t know what a setting does, you shouldn’t change it.

This may cause more camera problems that you need to fix, so the main setting you should focus on is making sure that you select the proper video device.

#3 – Turn Your MacBook Off and On

The most obvious thing to try is turning your MacBook off and back on. We often think of this fix as a joke, and yet it’s one of the most useful things to do.

Not only can this be suitable for fixing the FaceTime camera not working, but it can also help when fixing many other computer problems. Even more impressive is that it works with all technology, not just computers!

Back on track – restarting your MacBook will force underlying processes to close, and hardware memory to clear, and it’ll reboot the FaceTime app as a fresh process. Afterward, either FaceTime will work once again or it won’t.

restart macbook

If this doesn’t help, don’t worry; this can be very helpful, regardless! It lets us know that there aren’t any processes causing the camera issue; therefore, even if FaceTime is still unusable, we have more information.

#4 – Force Closing Any Camera Apps

The next thing to check is if any other apps or programs are using the MacBook’s webcam. As insignificant as this might seem, if another app is using your camera, then FaceTime won’t be able to.

This is because a camera feed cannot be run through multiple programs at once, so you can see why this might be problematic.

Force Closing Camera apps to Fix facetime camera not working

Check this by going to “Applications > Utilities” and opening the “Activity Monitor” app. All of your laptop’s running processes will appear for you to browse.

In particular, search for “VDC Assistant,” and once you’ve found it, click the app and then on the X at the top-left. Confirm your action from the notification and check if FaceTime is working.

#5 – Force Closing VDCAssistant/AppleCameraAssistant

At this stage in the repair process, things get a little more difficult. Following on from above, if that didn’t help, we need to go deeper to close two camera-based processes: VDC Assistant and Apple Camera Assistant.

Force Closing VDCAssistant/AppleCameraAssistant

The Activity Monitor can be incredibly useful, but the operating system will sometimes ignore your actions. This usually only occurs if you attempt to stop a system process.

One way to get around this limitation is to use the Terminal tool and follow the steps below.

#1 – Close any of the apps you have open that are using the laptop’s webcam.
#2 – Using “Spotlight Search,” search and open the “Terminal” program.
#3 – Once the window appears, type in the command “sudo killall VDCAssistant” and press the “Enter” key.
#4 – Next, type in “sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant” and press the “Enter” key.
#5 – Exit out of the Terminal window and attempt to open FaceTime once again.

When you enter the “sudo” command, you will be prompted to enter your account password. This is necessary because if you misuse the command in other situations, you could break the macOS.

If you now check FaceTime, we can find out if these processes were causing the FaceTime camera not to work. Hopefully, this does the trick, but we still have things to try if it doesn’t.

#6 – Update macOS and Camera Apps

Lastly, you should always update the macOS version whenever an update is available to avoid the FaceTime camera not working. Apple releases various security updates throughout the year, and for your safety, you should keep your laptop up to date.

Similarly, these updates also contain software fixes. If you avoid updating your laptop, you won’t just miss out on new macOS features but also encounter camera issues like this. Update your OS version, and you might realize that the camera starts to work again.

Update macOS to Fix facetime camera not working

This also applies to updating any apps that use your camera. If the issue is with the app and the developers are aware of it, the updates they release could be to repair the problem.

#7 – How to Fix ‘FaceTime Camera Not Working’ via Tenorshare ReiBoot

This ultimate tool – Tenorshare ReiBoot, can repair your iPhone system effortlessly. It’s the best iOS recovery tool to fix ‘FaceTime Camera Not Working,’ iPhone freezing, or other issues.

So, please free download and launch ReiBoot on your computer, then connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable. After that, you will see below the interface; click the button ‘Enter Recovery Mode.’

Tenorshare ReiBoot

Once your iOS device gets into recovery mode successfully, you will see the ‘Exit Recovery Mode‘; click it. And wait about 20 seconds, and your iPhone will reboot.

After all, is done, please recheck your iPhone; you will be able to receive or make FaceTime calls now. If not, please double-check if the operation goes wrong or not.

By clicking the option of ‘Fix All iOS Stuck,’ ReiBoot can detect all situations on your iOS devices automatically.

Whatever issues are on your iPhone, please choose to refresh the OS by clicking on ‘Repair Now.’ Then you will be directed to download or import the correct firmware. Just follow up on the hint to complete all jobs.

Download Firmware with Tenorshare ReiBoot
Tenorshare ReiBoot Repair Completed

Bonus Tip: iToolab FixGo & Tenorshare TunesCare

Both of these tools have proven incredibly useful in times of need. You might fix the FaceTime camera not working but then have issues with your iPhone FaceTime too!

If this happens, iToolab FixGo is your friend. This professional repair tool can fix many iOS errors, including update failure, black/white screen of death, frozen iPhone, stuck on Apple logo, and many more. You can also fix FaceTime by using one of the recovery modes.

iToolab FixGo

Tenorshare TunesCare is also a great repair tool. Your FaceTime app might be working flawlessly, but what if iTunes starts breaking?

Rather than reinstalling iTunes and losing your valuable library files, Tenorshare TunesCare repairs it and avoids data loss. It also fixes issues like iTunes has an invalid signature or iTunes could not connect to this iPhone.

Tenorshare Tunescare

All in all, make sure that you take the time to check out these programs. You might find it useful to try out both of their free trials – this will give you hands-on experience with the features and help you decide if they can help you.


FAQs

  1. Why is my FaceTime camera blurry? Blurriness in FaceTime calls can be caused by poor lighting conditions, a slow internet connection, or a low-resolution camera. Ensure you have sufficient lighting, a stable internet connection, and consider upgrading your device if the camera resolution is low.
  2. Can I use FaceTime on Windows? FaceTime is an exclusive Apple service and is not directly available for Windows. However, you can use alternative video calling applications such as Skype, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams to connect with others on Windows devices.
  3. How can I fix FaceTime freezing issues? FaceTime freezing can be due to a weak internet connection or insufficient device resources. Ensure you have a stable internet connection, close unnecessary background apps, and consider restarting your device to resolve freezing issues.
  4. Why does my FaceTime camera show a black screen? A black screen on the FaceTime camera can occur due to several reasons, such as a software glitch, privacy settings, or a hardware problem. Follow the troubleshooting steps mentioned earlier in this article to address the issue.
  5. Is FaceTime available internationally? FaceTime is available for international calls; however, it requires an internet connection. Ensure that you have a stable internet connection or use Wi-Fi to avoid excessive data charges from your cellular provider.

To Conclude

As troubling as this laptop issue may be, don’t let it discourage you. Fixing a computer is just a matter of troubleshooting and narrowing down the list of potential causes.

After you finally discover why your FaceTime camera is not working, you can try one of our fixes above.

It’s more than likely that someone else has had the problem and that you’ll be able to find some information about it online.

Jason
Jason

Skilled software testing specialist with expertise in comparisons and research, passionate about blogging, reviews, and creating video tutorials.

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