# How to allow camera access for the NotchStar mirror

> Open the Mirror tab and click Allow when macOS asks for the camera. NotchStar only shows a live preview and never records. Steps if you missed it.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/allow-camera-access-notchstar-mirror/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

To allow camera access for the NotchStar mirror, hover over the notch, pick the Mirror tab and click Allow when macOS asks. NotchStar does not ask earlier. The prompt appears the first time the Mirror tab opens, and the preview starts as soon as you allow it.

## Steps

1. Hover over the notch to open it, then pick **Mirror**.
2. macOS shows its camera prompt for NotchStar. The text reads "NotchStar shows a live mirror preview from your camera. Nothing is recorded."
3. Click **Allow**. The live picture appears in the tab.

## If you did not see the prompt

The prompt appears once. If you clicked Don't Allow, or the Mirror tab shows "NotchStar needs camera access for the mirror", follow [what to do when camera access was denied](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-permission-denied/).

## What the permission covers

The camera runs only while the Mirror tab is on screen. The other tools in [NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/) never touch it. Read [what the mirror records](https://www.notchstar.com/help/does-notchstar-mirror-record-video/) for the full answer, and the [camera check guide](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/check-mac-camera-before-video-call/) for a pre call routine.

Menu names checked against Apple's page for macOS Sonoma 14 to Tahoe 26. The Camera list sits under Privacy & Security in System Settings.

## Quick answers.

### Why does NotchStar ask for the camera?

Only the Mirror tab uses it, to show you a live preview. The permission text says nothing is recorded.

## Keep reading.

- [A quick mirror before every call](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/): Check how you look before a call with a live, mirrored camera preview in the notch. The camera runs only while the Mirror tab is open.
- [NotchStar mirror says it needs camera access: how to fix it](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-permission-denied/): If the Mirror tab asks for camera access after you clicked Don't Allow, turn NotchStar on under Privacy & Security, Camera, then reopen the tab.
- [Does the NotchStar mirror record video or take photos?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/does-notchstar-mirror-record-video/): No. The NotchStar mirror is a live preview only. It does not record, save, send or photograph anything, and the camera stops when you leave the tab.
- [Check your Mac camera before a video call](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/check-mac-camera-before-video-call/): Preview your camera, check permissions and confirm the camera selected in your meeting app. Use a mirror preview without mistaking it for a recording test.

## More in Mirror.

- [NotchStar mirror says it needs camera access: how to fix it](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-permission-denied/): If the Mirror tab asks for camera access after you clicked Don't Allow, turn NotchStar on under Privacy & Security, Camera, then reopen the tab.
- [Does the NotchStar mirror record video or take photos?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/does-notchstar-mirror-record-video/): No. The NotchStar mirror is a live preview only. It does not record, save, send or photograph anything, and the camera stops when you leave the tab.
- [How to check your framing before a video call with NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/check-framing-before-a-video-call-notch/): Hover over the notch, pick Mirror and check your framing, lighting and background in two seconds before you join a call. The camera stops when you leave.
- [When is the camera light on with the NotchStar mirror?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-light/): The green camera light comes on when the NotchStar Mirror tab is open on screen and goes off when you switch tabs or close the notch.
- [Why the NotchStar mirror preview is flipped](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-image-flipped/): The NotchStar mirror flips the picture like a real mirror, so moving left looks like moving left. There is no switch, and only the preview is affected.
- [Which camera does the NotchStar mirror use?](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-which-camera/): The NotchStar mirror uses the default camera macOS picks. There is no camera picker in the app, so choose the camera in macOS or unplug the one you do not want.