No Camera Available Error on macOS Catalina

macenthu1993 Said:

"No Camera Available Error on macOS Catalina: I have this issue too and none of these fixed it. Any other suggestions?"

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Seems to be a glitch in the macOS.

Takes a Few Steps:

Without getting too deep into it, the only way I've been able to solve this is through the use of SIP Management, User Creation, Terminal Commands, and a Third-Party App designed for Disabling and Enabling the iSight Camera. I'll leave it at that. ;)

Figured this out today, my time.

So, Report this to Apple:

Apple won't get back to you directly, but the more they hear of this, the more they'll know what to fix. So, provide your feedback.

1. Go Here: Feedback - macOS - Apple
2. Select: "Bug Report" for the "Feature Type"
3. Select: "Applications/Utilities" for the "Feedback Area"
4. Proceed from there as Necessary

AmacaC Said:

“No Camera Available Error on macOS Catalina: Hello, Please I just realized that my macbook camera isn't working for my applications (Photobooth and Facetime) after I updated to macOS Catalina.“

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Reinstall the macOS:

This seems to be a bug in the macOS or a glitch in either or both apps. Being that Photobooth and Facetime is built into the macOS, reinstalling the macOS would be the only way to fix this.

So, Try the Following in the Order Provided:

• Create a New Administrator User:

Create a new Administrator user and see what happens. If it does not occur, then it is something configured in your current user. Create this as the Administrator in:System Preferences > Users & Groups

• Boot into Safe Mode:

Try logging in using Safe Mode (Hold down shift key upon boot). See if you can log in. Items only load as they do by default, while you are booted into Safe Mode, because a caches are set aside.  Go Here: Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac - Apple Support

If of no success....

Move Ahead with Reinstalling the macOS:

Back Up your Mac:

Start by Creating a Time Machine Backupof my Mac. That way I could be assured that Incan recover my Mac, should I need the App back or if anything goes wrong due to the removal. So, Create a Time Machine backup of your Mac, so that you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reinstall.

Reinstall the macOS:

Nothing would be deleted. It's just that items that have become corrupted or deleted, item would be placed back to where they should be. Go Here: How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - Apple Support

AmakaC Said:

”No Camera Available Error on macOS Catalina: Hello, Please I just realized that my macbook camera isn't working for my applications (Photobooth and Facetime) after I updated to macOS Catalina.“

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Visit this Post:

Macbook Pro Camera doesn’t work “No Video”

And then...

Try Apple’s Recommended Answer:

1. Unplug: ALL Connected Devices
2. Boot: into Safe Mode (Hold Down: shift upon boot)
3. Let: the Mac boot up.
4. Log In: as the same user
5. Restart: the Mac
6. Log in: as the same user
7. Verify if the issue persists

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As for Its Solution: Allow the apps below to control your computer.”... Well, don’t do that, as it’s pretty risky business — Zoom is listed there (which has reportedly been hacked recently) — So, contact Apple before proceeding with the post’s own solution. The Helpful Answer is just feedback on supposed solution.

Contact Apple Support:

Contact Apple Support, if Apple’s Recommend Answer does not work. Ask the Apple Rep on the phone about following through with an app controlling your computer.

Contact Apple:

--- Contact Us - Choose Locations

--- USA: 1(800)MY-APPLE

--- Proceed from there as Necessary

Note: Calls seem to be taking much longer than normal to get an Apple Rep to answer the call. And that makes sense, because many are at home at the moment (due to the Coronavirus Pandemic), hence they have more free time on their hands for a chance to call Apple Support.

I'm having the exact same issue after updating Catalina. Did all the steps on all the blogs (PRAM, SMC, another admin user, safe mode, etc. etc) and even spoke with Apple tech support. System report still says there's no camera found and it doesn't show up under USB.

I have a 13" MBP 2016 w/Touchbar.

Chat support determined it was a "hardware issue" and I'd have to make a tech appt. This seems incorrect as it was working correctly before updating to 10.15.4 (or possibly 3. I hadn't used the cam bw those updates, but it was def working before). This is really irritating to be told that suddenly my hardware has died coincidentally when I updated software.

Commenting on this thread to say I'm experiencing the same issue, I've tried everything suggested, and hopefully someone will reply with a fix.

There is a lot of topics on the internet about that:

https://www.reddit.com/r/applehelp/comments/fqp3zy/2016_macbook_pro_camera_stopped_working/

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251272380

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251222774

It's obvious that this is a problem with the Catalina version.

Hi, have you found out a solution to this?

The issue: "No video. FaceTime has not received any video from the connected camera. Restarting your computer may fix this issue" seems to bye quite popular in the last few weeks:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251186757

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251196062

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8309582

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250327868

I tried almost everything without success.

I also tried to raise a bug report here https://www.apple.com/feedback/ maybe it could be a signal to Apple.

bhanu_teja Said:

“No Camera Available Error on macOS Catalina: I have updated to Mac OS Catalina Version 10.15.6. I have the exact same problem. Very frustrating!!”

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Inform Apple of this.

Either they didn’t fix this, or it’s a Third-Party App getting in the way. Read the post I provided above: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251194697?answerId=253020269022#253020269022

I don't have a solution yet, but I have the exact same problem. Since Apple isn't likely to solve (let along acknowledge) this bug anytime soon, I'm open to anyone else here who wants to try to tackle it with me!

I know it can't be a hardware issue because I've been dealing with it all pandemic and every time there's a patch to can'talina (10.15.1 --> 10.15.2 etc) my camera starts working again, but only for a short time.

I just upgraded to 10.15.7 and like usual, it detected my camera again. I made a point of checking if the camera was detected as the very last thing I did before closing my laptop lid for the night, and also as the very first thing I did when I opened it the next morning, and sure enough, the camera wasn't detected anymore.

Now you might be thinking that it was closing/opening the lid that caused the problem, but I'm pretty sure I did that during the day after the upgrade and the camera was still recognized.

I checked for cron jobs but there are none for my user or the root user. I'm not sure what other processes would run overnight with the lid closed (I didn't think anything was supposed to be running with the lid closed...)

Anyway, in case it's useful to anyone else, I did find these suspicious logs from the 10.15.7 upgrade, especially the very last line:

I already had cleaned and installed it, nothing was resolved.

I've tried too:

• Safe Mode
• Create new account
• Cleaned NVRAM/PRAM
• Reset SMC

So, I was reading a log inside "System report..." and I saw a lot of libs deprecated throwing errors.

Give Apple Feedback:

I don't have the issue - but, inform Apple of it - give them feedback. They won't get back to you directly on it, but, the more they hear about it, the more they will know what is going on, and what needs to be fixed. If it worked before the update installation, then one should be confident it's the software causing the issue - not the hardware.

Feedback:

1. Go Here: Feedback - macOS - Apple
2. Select: "Performance" for the "Feedback Type"
3. Select: "Peripheral/Device Support" for the "Feedback Area"
4. Select: "macOS Catalina 10.15.5" for "Which operating system are you running?"
5. Proceed from there as necessary.

Hi, I am getting the same error since yesterday. 2 days ago the camera worked fine, the day after it stopped working showing this error text (after 3/4 seconds of green light on, the one beside the camera):

"FaceTime has not received any video from the connected camera. Restarting your computer may fix this issue."

Could you please let me know in you had the same error message? I noticed there are many users experiencing the same issue, and at this point I really think it is a software issue rather then an hardware one.

I called Apple support and after various attempt they said it is an hardware malfunction. Now I should pay, I do not know how much, for something that it is a software bug. :(

Thank you

exact same computer and exact same problem; the tech via phone I spoke to was not even able to perform diagnostic on my computer so not good. I was able to do a diagnostic myself; camera shown to be fine.

I have exact same problem. Stopped working after unfortunately I missed the auto update and it proceeded overnight. I do not allow auto updates normally b/c each time there is a new OS my computer has big problems. I have found best to wait for many bugs to be worked out. Camera was working before now after auto Catalina update not working, not rocket science. This laptop is a big dud w/ keyboard, screen, keys falling off (all Apple admissions of product problems) :/ tough b/c my last Mac Pro also had hard drive crash after a few years...what is going on? I used to think so differently of Macs and their overall integrity. Not happy esp right in the middle of stay home orders where video is fundamental and has caused me to not be able to WORK!!

Has anyone been able to solve this? I have the exact same problem.

13" Macbook Pro on Catalina 10.15.4

Apple Support said it must be a hardware problem, but I find it hard to believe. It stopped working with the update.

I agree this is software. I ran diagnostics and no issues with my scan. The tech I spoke to said it was likely software then and he advised me to reinstall OS. They issued a Catalina update (10.15.5) that mentions issue with built-in camera. I installed that and sadly still no luck.