How to Fix Your Mac Camera Not Working in Microsoft Teams

Is your Mac's camera not showing up, or showing a black square, in Microsoft Teams? Most cases come down to a missing permission, another app holding the camera, or the wrong camera picked in Teams. This guide walks through the fixes in order, starting with the quickest, for the new Teams app on current macOS.

First, Make Sure You're on the New Teams

Microsoft replaced "classic" Teams with a new Teams client. Classic Teams reached end of availability on July 1, 2025, so it no longer works at all. If you still have an old copy around, or you're following an older guide with paths under ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams, those steps apply to the classic app and won't help.

The new Teams supports one of the three most recent versions of macOS. If your Mac is on an older version, update macOS first or use Teams on the web (see below). The current Teams app runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, so you don't need Rosetta for it.

Quick Checks

1. Test the camera outside Teams. Open FaceTime or Photo Booth. If the camera doesn't work there either, the problem is with macOS or the hardware, not Teams; skip to "Restart Your Mac" below.
2. Close other apps that use the camera. Quit FaceTime, Zoom, Photo Booth, browser tabs with video calls, and any camera overlay apps. Microsoft lists this as the first step in its camera troubleshooting guide.
3. Reconnect an external webcam. If you use a USB webcam, unplug it and plug it back in, ideally directly into the Mac rather than through a hub.
4. Quit and reopen Teams. Press Command-Q in Teams (closing the window isn't enough), then open it again. If it won't quit, use Apple menu > Force Quit.

Check the Camera Permission in macOS

macOS blocks the camera for any app you haven't allowed. Apple's steps for controlling camera access:

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
2. Click Camera.
3. Turn on Microsoft Teams (Microsoft's guide calls it "Microsoft Teams (work or school)").
4. Quit Teams with Command-Q and open it again. macOS may ask you to do this before the change takes effect.

If Teams isn't in the list: an app only appears there after it asks for the camera. Open Teams, start a meeting or open its device settings so it requests access, and click Allow when macOS asks. If it still never appears, you can reset the camera decision for Teams only in Terminal, then reopen Teams so it asks again:

tccutil reset Camera com.microsoft.teams2

Check Screen Time too. Apple's built-in camera troubleshooting article notes that Screen Time can block the camera. In System Settings > Screen Time, check Content & Privacy > App Restrictions and make sure Camera is allowed, and make sure Teams isn't blocked by an App Limit.

Pick the Right Camera in Teams

Teams sometimes holds on to a camera that's no longer connected, such as a display's built-in webcam or an iPhone used with Continuity Camera.

1. In Teams, select Settings and more (the ... button next to your profile picture), then Settings > Devices.
2. Under the video settings, choose the camera you want from the Camera dropdown and check the preview. Microsoft's device settings guide covers the options on this page.
3. Turn off options like Soft focus or Adjust brightness temporarily if the preview looks frozen or very dark, to rule them out.

Make a Test Call

A test call shows you whether your camera, microphone and speaker work in Teams before you join a real meeting. In Teams, go to Settings and more > Settings > Devices and select Make a test call under Audio settings. Microsoft notes that the test call is only available in the desktop app, not in Teams on the web.

Update macOS and Teams

Install any pending macOS update from System Settings > General > Software Update. In Teams, select Settings and more > Check for updates. Microsoft recommends both in its camera troubleshooting steps.

Restart Your Mac

If the camera fails in every app, or still won't come back after the steps above, restart the Mac. Apple's advice for a camera that won't activate is to restart a Mac with Apple silicon, or reset the SMC on an Intel-based Mac. Restarting is also the safe way to reset the camera system on current macOS; older guides that tell you to run sudo killall VDCAssistant were written for older Macs and macOS versions, and aren't an Apple-documented fix.

If the green camera light flashes, or the camera doesn't work in any app after a restart and an update, Apple says the Mac might need service.

Clear the Teams Cache

Microsoft treats clearing the cache as a targeted step for a small number of local client problems, not a first step for everything, and Teams takes longer to start afterward while it rebuilds the cache. If the camera works in other apps but not in Teams, it's worth a try.

1. Quit Teams with Command-Q.

2. Open Terminal (in Applications > Utilities) and run these two commands, which are the new Teams cache locations from Microsoft's guide:

   rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams
   rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2
   

3. Open Teams again and sign in if asked.

Reinstall Teams

As a last resort, drag Microsoft Teams from the Applications folder to the Trash, clear the cache folders above, restart the Mac, and download a fresh copy from Microsoft's Teams download page. On a work or school Mac managed by your IT team, ask them first, since they may install Teams for you.

Use Teams on the Web as a Fallback

If you need to join a meeting right now, open teams.microsoft.com in a supported browser. Microsoft supports the latest three versions of Edge, Chrome and Firefox, and the latest two versions of Safari. The browser needs its own camera permission:

• In macOS, allow the browser under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera.
• In Safari, go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Camera and set it to Ask or Allow.
• In Chrome or Edge, check the site permissions for the camera in the browser's privacy settings.

If the camera works on the web but not in the app, the problem is in the desktop app, so the cache reset or reinstall above is the next step.

When Your Organization Is the Cause

Teams in a work or school account can be restricted by your organization's policies, for example video turned off for certain meetings. If the camera works in the test call but the camera button is greyed out in a specific meeting, the meeting organizer or your IT team controls it. Contact your IT support, or Microsoft support for a personal account.

Tip: Check Your Camera Before the Call

A quick look at your camera before you join saves the "can you see me?" minute at the start of a meeting. FaceTime or Photo Booth work for this. FaceScreen can also do it from the menu bar: it shows a floating camera view on top of your other windows, and its Mac version includes a Ring Light that uses your screen as a soft light for calls and recordings. Quit FaceScreen (or any other camera app) before your call if your camera only supports one app at a time.

Final Verdict

Start with the simple causes: another app holding the camera, a missing macOS permission, or the wrong camera selected in Teams. A test call tells you quickly whether the fix worked. Clearing the cache and reinstalling are for when the camera works everywhere except the Teams app, and Teams on the web is a reliable fallback while you sort it out.

Note: First published in January 2025 and updated in October 2026 for the new Teams app. Steps are current as of October 2026; Microsoft and Apple change menus and requirements over time, so check their linked guides if a step looks different.

Disclosure: FaceScreen is made by Softal, the same company behind Apps.Deals.