xGrimzz
Level 1
(5 points)
Q: MacBook Pro FaceTime Camera not working.
Good day all.
First of all i'd like to wish everyone a happy easter!
I'm having some trouble with my FaceTime camera on my Macbook Pro Retina (Late 2013). I never use the camera for anything because I use FaceTime on my iPad and iPhone, but when I opened the camera and tried to use it, the green light flickers and isn't solid. And the photos on Photo Booth look like this:
And obviously that shouldn't happen. It's also best to say that I got my screen repaired by Apple now over a year ago (24/03/15) where my anti reflective coating came off. I've never tried my FaceTime camera since this because, as I say, I don't use it.
Are there any sort of things to try to make it work? I have tried turning it on with the MagSafe in and holding D at the same time and that hasn't worked. Obviously I don't want to pay £282 for a new retina display just for a camera I don't use. But also its obviously better to have everything working as it should in the first place.
Thanks for reading and any suggestions are more than welcome.
Thanks,
Mitch
MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)
EZ Jim
Level 7
(22,547 points)
xGrimzz wrote: ... I got my screen repaired by Apple now over a year ago ... I've never tried my FaceTime camera since ...
From your screenshot, yours is most likely a hardware problem. Contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider to have your Mac professionally serviced. When repairs are complete this time, ask the Apple tech to show you that the camera works before you pay for the work and take Mac home.
Be sure to backup your Mac and deauthorize iTunes before tendering it for service.
xGrimzz wrote: ... Are there any sort of things to try to make it work?
I will be surprised if your problem is user correctable because there are no user serviceable parts of the hardware. However, if you like, you can try these three additional things before seeking professional help:
(1) If restarting your Mac doesn't fix the problem,
(2) use Apple's http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090.
(BTW - The Troubleshooting article calls the camera an "iSight". However, after the article was published, Apple has changed the built-in camera's name on newer Macs from "iSight" to "FaceTime" and then to "FaceTime HD." Regardless of the name of your built-in camera, the same info and troubleshooting applies.)
Be sure to test more than one Apple app (Photo Booth, FaceTime, iMovie, QuickTime Player, etc.) in more than one user account. Do NOT use the "Guest" account for this test. If you do not have more than one user account for the testing, create a new one now. If you need help, how to do it is explained in http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201754.
A "Standard" user account is all you need for testing.
(3) If your cam won't work properly even with Apple apps, use OS X Recovery to completely reinstall your Mac OS from the Recovery System stored on your startup drive. Don't bother testing Skype or other third-party apps until you have your camera working with Apple apps.
xGrimzz wrote: ... I don't want to pay £282 for a new retina display just for a camera I don't use... suggestions ... welcome.
If you don't use the camera, and if you are not having any other problems with your Mac, it is certainly your option to use the Mac without repair.
If you want to to be able to use a webcam without spending money money for an entire new display, a Mac-compatible external webcam might be a cheaper solution. Be aware, however, that it is possible that your Mac's problem may also prevent an external camera from working. Therefore, you might want to take your Mac with you and shop locally. Ask the retailer to let you try any webcam of interest to see whether it will work with your MBP before you buy. If a known-working external cam will not work with your Mac, the a hardware repair is your only option to leaving the problem uncorrected.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
