Where the camera sits on a Mac computer

On a Mac notebook or iMac, the built-in camera sits at the top centre of the display. On current MacBook models that use a notch, the lens is in that notch. Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro have no built-in camera, so speech and video on those machines depend on an external webcam, a display that includes a camera, or another supported camera source. Exact placement and input names are model-specific; a hole or grill in the casing is not proof of a camera or a microphone.

Where to look on each kind of Mac

Open the lid or face the screen and look along the top bezel. The lens is a small circular window, centred on the display. When the camera is in use, a green indicator next to that window typically lights, which is a practical way to confirm you are looking at the camera rather than another opening. Closing a notebook lid covers the camera, so a MacBook running with the lid shut on an external display cannot use that built-in camera.

• MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro: top centre of the lid display; in the notch on notched models.
• iMac: top centre of the built-in screen.
• Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro: no built-in camera.
• Apple and third-party external displays: only if that display is documented to include a camera; this cannot be assumed from a bezel opening alone.

A millimetre-accurate map of every Mac and display is not supplied here. If no lens is visible, the machine is likely a desktop without a built-in display, or the attached display was never specified with a camera. In those cases the next action for video and speech is an external webcam or another supported camera, not a search of the computer housing.

How to identify the microphone that belongs with that camera

Locating the camera does not tell you whether a microphone is present or which audio input captures speech. Do not infer a microphone from a second hole, mesh or grill near the lens. Presence and ownership of an input have to come from the model’s documented features and from what macOS lists under Sound.

Open System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS versions), then Sound, then Input. A built-in Mac microphone typically appears as its own input named for the computer, separate from the FaceTime camera used for video. An external webcam that includes a microphone usually appears as a further input whose label matches the webcam’s product name. Speak while watching the input level meter; a live meter is the confirmation that speech is reaching that device.

Documented input strings vary by Mac and by webcam, and verified labels for each model are not available in this guide. If more than one input is listed, select the one whose name matches the camera you intend to use, then confirm with the meter rather than by inspecting the casing.

What this means for speech and conferencing

Conferencing apps on a Mac often take video from the FaceTime camera and audio from a different device. After you find the camera, check both the app’s microphone menu and the system Sound input so they point at the source you want. If the picture is from the built-in camera but the voice is thin, distant or missing, the app may still be using another input.

On a Mac with no built-in camera, or with the notebook lid closed, choose an external webcam in both the camera and microphone menus if that webcam is specified with a microphone, or pair the picture from one device with a dedicated mic if that is the input you prefer. macOS can also use an iPhone as a camera via Continuity Camera; treat that as a separate camera and a separate audio choice, and confirm the mic in Sound settings the same way.