# When is the camera light on with the NotchStar mirror? > 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. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-mirror-camera-light/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. The green camera light comes on when the Mirror tab is open and goes off when you leave it. NotchStar starts the camera when the Mirror view appears and stops it when the view disappears, so the light matches what you are doing. ## What to expect 1. You pick **Mirror**. The preview appears and the green light beside the camera turns on. 2. You pick another tab, or the notch closes. NotchStar stops the camera session and the light turns off. The camera does not run while the notch is closed, and no other NotchStar tool uses it. ## Why this matters macOS shows the light whenever an app is using the camera, so a light that matches the Mirror tab is a simple way to see that nothing else in NotchStar is watching. Apple's page says the camera and the green light turn off when you close or quit all apps that can use the camera. Checked on 4 November 2026. ## If the light stays on NotchStar is not the only app that can hold the camera. A call app, a browser tab or a screen recorder may still have it. Quit those and look again. If the light only appears with the Mirror tab, it is working as designed. Read [what the mirror records](https://www.notchstar.com/help/does-notchstar-mirror-record-video/) and the [Mirror feature page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/). ## Quick answers. ### The light stayed on after I closed the notch. Why? Another app may be using the camera. Quit apps that can use it and check again. Apple says the light turns off when all such apps are closed. ## 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. - [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 allow camera access for the NotchStar mirror](https://www.notchstar.com/help/allow-camera-access-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. - [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. ## More in Mirror. - [How to allow camera access for the NotchStar mirror](https://www.notchstar.com/help/allow-camera-access-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. - [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. - [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.