Camera not working in Big Sur

The perfect test then I guess is to ensure your time machine is up to date and then erase the Internal drive. Then install macOS but don’t yet migrate any data. Test the camera. If it still fails, The problem is nothing to do with your self installed applications such as Norton. Finally use migration assistant to restore your data.

My apologies for the wording. I've upgraded Macs "made" since 2013 to Big Sur. I'm responsible for administrating Macs at our enterprise-level company, in addition to being the resident Mac expert to my friends.

Did you try crating a new admin-account and see if the camera works there?

Just a thought; reboot your Mac holding down the 'D' (Diagnostics) key.

See if it allows you to perform a diagnostics hardware check and confirm that the camera is not working.

Check your internet security account such as Kaspersky and make sure that that security is not blocking your Mac’s camera.

Hi, there's an update available since today Big Sur 11.2, maybe they fixed the issue, if anyone has an update regarding to this let us know, thanks!

mirella180 - a user in a past post reported “fixing” the problem by installing Microsoft Teams. No restart was required. Can you keep us updated on the outcomes?

Norton and any other 3rd-party anti-virus programs should be uninstalled. They cause more harm than good.

OnThe45 wrote:

My computer, which I see is so far unlisted in those having this problems, is: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)

Also, firmware is the older 425.0.0.0.0

List of affect Macs updated:

MacBookAir8,1 (MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018))

MacBookPro11,2 (MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014))

MacBookPro11,4 (MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015))

MacBookPro13,1 (MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016))

MacBookPro13,2 (MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports))

MacBookPro13,3 (MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016))

MacBookPro14,2 (MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports))

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I think the solution will be for you all to contact Apple via https://support.apple.com/mac and for you all to direct Apple to this thread (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252138459), while explaining that this issue seems to be affecting a great number of Mac users which means, in most cases, it's not going to be a hardware issue.

Perhaps if Apple see the extent to which this problem exists, they'll escalate the issue.

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I have the same issue after upgrading to Big Sur. So far I've been lucky enough to get the camera "re-detected" by doing multiple restarts - it eventually shows up in the "System Report..." application.

Intermittently, on restarts, it goes away again.

I hope the update to 11.2 as explained by a few will fix it for good.

I also thought to share my experience. The camera on my 13-inch MacBook Pro Touch Bar has always worked without any problems. Until the installation of BigSur. Since then, my camera no longer works. In the system report, as with everyone here, the camera is not recognized. Also 11.1 and 11.2 have not improved anything. I have now wiped my Mac's hard drive and reinstalled BigSur. Now my camera is recognized in the system report again, but still does not work. I have completely reconfigured the Mac and installed no apps at all. As soon as I open FaceTime to check the camera I only get a black screen. After about a minute I get a message that Facetime can't receive a video signal from the camera. This is all very disappointing from apple. A two year old computer for 2000 EUR.

Hi,

Same problem here. Yesterday I've got MBP 15" 2016 with Big Sur installed that isn't good for my music stuff and decide to install Mojave that is the last OS supporting all software I need. So I've restore MacBook, format Mac HD and made "clean" installation of Mojave. Camera isn't working here with all symptoms you described (green light lights for a few seconds and no image in any software). After that I've installed "clean" Big Sur version 11.2.2 and problem still there.

Maybe some of you remember OS X 10.7 Lion which broke MBP 15" Core i5/i7 2010 with random kernel panic and Black Screen Of Death (BSOD) dedicated to switch between Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M. Problem by 100% was with firmware upgrade, comes with 10.7. And downgrade to OS X 10.6 didn't solve the problem (BSOD still was there, but in small q-ty and not so often like at 10.7 ). Unfortunately I don't remember how Apple solved that problem (or didn't solved), because I sold my laptop.

Now I see the same: Big Sur brought us a new firmware which broke camera and downgrading to previous OS can't fix the problem. So it's not a hardware or software problem, it's a firmware problem.

Hope Apple will fix it someday...

gree_shanti wrote:

Now I see the same: Big Sur brought us a new firmware which broke camera and downgrading to previous OS can't fix the problem. So it's not a hardware or software problem, it's a firmware problem.

Hopefully a new firmware update from Apple will fix the camera. They just need to officially accept the firmware is the problem and then produce new firmware which will get the camera going again.

there're no working solution due to camera firmware yet.

in cases when I need a camera in Google Meet, I'm using NeuralCam Live https://apps.apple.com/ru/app/neuralcam-live-smart-webcam/id1524933155 for my iPhone.

I've read 23 pages on this thread. it seems that the issue is from the firmware. everyone is having the same problem with camera. I have install a fresh Big Sur 11.2.3. not install any external app, not install antivirus or anything else. But still camera doesn't work. It's just a black screen.

I'm using Mac-mini and plug my external monitor Acer that has built in webcam connected via usb port. The Mac mini detected the webcame's vendor ID, product ID, but again it's just a pitch black screen on any app using camera. Something wrong with the firmware , or missing driver for sure.