What Does This Error Mean?

MacBook camera not working in apps is almost always caused by the app not having camera permission, or another app already using the camera. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera and confirm the app has access enabled.

Affected Models

MacBook Air (all models)
MacBook Pro (all models)
MacBook (2015–2019)

Common Causes

Camera permission not granted to the app in Privacy & Security settings
Another app already using the camera — only one app can use it at a time on macOS
macOS revoked camera access for the app after a system update
Third-party privacy or security software blocking camera access
Corrupted TCC permissions database preventing access grants from being saved

How to Fix It

Grant camera permission to the app.

Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. Find the app you want to use and toggle its camera access to On. If the app is not listed, open it and wait for the macOS permission dialog to appear, then allow access.
Quit all other apps using the camera.

macOS allows only one app to use the built-in camera at a time. Open Activity Monitor, search for Zoom, FaceTime, Photo Booth, or any other camera app, and quit it. Then relaunch the app you want to use the camera with.
Restart the MacBook.

A full restart releases the camera from any background process that captured it without properly releasing the connection. After restarting, open only the one app you want to use the camera with before testing.
Test in Photo Booth.

Open Photo Booth — Apple's built-in camera app — and check whether the camera produces an image. If Photo Booth shows a black screen, the issue is with the camera driver or hardware, not a specific app. If Photo Booth works correctly, the problem is the third-party app's permissions or settings.
Reset camera permissions via Terminal.

Open Terminal and run: tccutil reset Camera This command resets all camera permission grants for every app, requiring each app to request access again on next launch. After running the command, reopen the affected app and allow camera access when prompted.

When to Call a Professional

If Photo Booth also shows a black screen with no image, and the green camera indicator light does not activate, the camera hardware or its cable inside the MacBook may be faulty. Contact Apple Support.