How to Manage Camera Permissions on Mac

The first time an app tries to use your camera, macOS asks whether to allow it. Your Mac stores that choice, and you can change it at any time in your system settings. Browsers add a second layer: the browser app needs macOS permission, and each website needs the browser's permission. This guide covers both layers.

Before you start

Camera permissions are managed locally by macOS. You don't need an online account or an outside service to view or change them. Check these points first:

• Know which app or website you want to allow or block.
• Check your macOS version in Apple menu > About This Mac. The settings app and its layout changed in macOS Ventura (version 13), so the steps differ for older versions.
• Be ready to enter an administrator name and password, because macOS may ask for one before you can change privacy settings.
• On a work or school Mac, your organization may control camera access through a management profile. If so, you might not be able to change the setting yourself.

Step-by-step instructions

macOS Ventura and later

• 1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
• 2. Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
• 3. Click Camera.
• 4. Turn the switch on to allow an app, or off to block it.
• 5. If macOS asks you to quit and reopen the app, do so. Otherwise, quit and reopen the app yourself so the change takes effect.

macOS Monterey and earlier

• 1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
• 2. Click Security & Privacy, then open the Privacy tab.
• 3. Select Camera in the list on the left.
• 4. Click the lock icon and enter your administrator password to make changes.
• 5. Select the checkbox next to an app to allow it, or clear it to block it.
• 6. Quit and reopen the app.

If an app is missing from the list

An app appears in the Camera list only after it has asked for camera access. Open the app and start a feature that uses the camera, such as a video preview or a call. When macOS shows the prompt, click Allow. If you clicked Don't Allow earlier, the app stays in the list with access turned off, and you can turn it on there.

Browsers and websites

For video calls or camera tests in a browser, first make sure the browser itself, such as Safari or Chrome, is allowed in the Camera list in macOS. Then check the website's permission in the browser. In Safari, choose Safari > Settings (Preferences in older versions), click Websites, select Camera, and choose Ask, Deny or Allow for each site. In Chrome and other browsers, you can usually open a site's permissions by clicking the icon to the left of the address bar and changing the camera setting there.

Reset camera permissions

If the list seems wrong or an app no longer shows the prompt, you can reset camera permissions from Terminal with the command tccutil reset Camera. This clears the saved choice for every app, so each app asks again the next time it uses the camera. To reset a single app, add the app's bundle identifier after the command. The reset only removes saved choices, so you can restore access by allowing the apps again when they ask.

Check the output

• Open the app and start its camera preview. On Macs with a built-in camera, the green light next to the camera turns on while the camera is in use. Many external cameras have their own indicator.
• In the app's video settings, confirm the selected camera. If you use an external webcam or an iPhone as a camera, the app may be set to a different device.
• In a browser, open a camera test page, allow access when the browser asks, and check that a live preview appears.

Camera permission only controls whether an app can use the camera. It doesn't change resolution or frame rate, which depend on the camera, the app's settings and the connection. If the picture appears but looks dark, grainy or soft, look at lighting and the app's video settings rather than permissions.

Common problems and next steps

• The app isn't in the Camera list: use a camera feature in the app so it requests access, then respond to the prompt.
• Access is on but the preview is black: quit and reopen the app, close other apps that may be using the camera, check the selected camera, and restart your Mac if the problem continues.
• A website still can't use the camera: check both layers. The browser must be allowed in macOS, and the site must be allowed in the browser's site settings.
• The setting is grayed out or keeps switching back: a management profile on a work or school Mac, or Screen Time content and privacy restrictions, may be controlling camera use. Ask your administrator, or review the Screen Time restrictions if you manage them yourself.
• No camera is detected at all: this is a connection or hardware issue, not a permission issue. Open System Information and check the Camera section to see whether your Mac recognizes the camera. For an external camera, try another cable or port.
• You want more privacy: turn camera access off for apps you no longer use. You can turn it on again later from the same list.