# How to test your Mac camera > Open Photo Booth or QuickTime Player to see if your Mac camera works. Look for the green light, pick the right camera, and check app permissions. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/tips/test-your-mac-camera/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. The fastest test is to open an app that uses the camera and look for your picture. Apple says the camera turns on automatically when you open an app or feature that uses it, such as FaceTime or Photo Booth, and a green light beside the camera glows while it is on. If you see yourself, the camera works. ## Test with Photo Booth or FaceTime 1. Open Photo Booth or FaceTime from the Applications folder or Spotlight. 2. Wait a moment. The green light next to the camera should glow, and your picture should appear. 3. Close the app. The light should go out when no app is using the camera. Apple notes that FaceTime, Photo Booth and other apps that come with your Mac have automatic access to the camera, so they do not need permission. That is why they are a good first test: if they work and your call app does not, the problem is in the call app. ## Test with QuickTime Player Open QuickTime Player and choose **File > New Movie Recording**. A green light next to the built in camera shows it is active. Click the options menu button next to the record button to pick a **Camera** if you have more than one. You do not have to press record. ## If you see a black picture or nothing Go through the steps in [what to do when your webcam is not working](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/fix-mac-webcam-not-working/). The most common causes in Apple's own list are app permissions and Screen Time limits. A call app may also be set to a different camera than the built in one, which you change in that app's video menu. ## Check the picture before a call A test shows that the camera works. It does not tell you how the call looks. Check your lighting, the background, and where your eyes will land. Apple's video effects, if your Mac supports them, are covered in [video effects for calls](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/mac-video-effects-for-calls/). ## A quicker preview in the notch NotchStar's [Mirror tool](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/) shows a live, mirrored preview in the notch. Open the notch, pick Mirror, and macOS asks for camera permission the first time. The camera runs only while the Mirror tab is open, so the green light matches what you are doing. It is a preview only: it does not record, take photos or apply filters, and it uses your Mac's default camera with no camera picker. The older [camera check guide](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/check-mac-camera-before-video-call/) walks through the whole pre call routine. ## Quick answers. ### How do I know my Mac camera is on? Apple says a green light beside the camera glows when the camera is on. It turns off when every app using the camera is closed or quit. ## 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. - [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. - [How to allow camera access for an app on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/allow-camera-access-for-an-app-on-mac/): Open System Settings, Privacy and Security, Camera, then switch the app on. Which apps are always allowed, and what to do if an app is not in the list. - [How to fix a Mac webcam that is not working](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/fix-mac-webcam-not-working/): Apple's steps for a built in Mac camera that will not work: update, check Screen Time, allow the app, restart, and when to contact Apple. - [How to see which app is using your Mac camera](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/see-which-app-is-using-your-mac-camera/): Look for the green dot in the menu bar and click Control Center to open the privacy window that lists apps using your camera or microphone. ## More in Camera and calls. - [How to allow camera access for an app on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/allow-camera-access-for-an-app-on-mac/): Open System Settings, Privacy and Security, Camera, then switch the app on. Which apps are always allowed, and what to do if an app is not in the list. - [How to see which app is using your Mac camera](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/see-which-app-is-using-your-mac-camera/): Look for the green dot in the menu bar and click Control Center to open the privacy window that lists apps using your camera or microphone. - [How to fix a Mac webcam that is not working](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/fix-mac-webcam-not-working/): Apple's steps for a built in Mac camera that will not work: update, check Screen Time, allow the app, restart, and when to contact Apple. - [How to use your iPhone as a webcam on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/use-iphone-as-webcam-on-mac/): Mount an iPhone near your Mac, open FaceTime or a call app and choose the iPhone from the video menu. Requirements and fixes from Apple. - [How to use video effects on a Mac video call](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/mac-video-effects-for-calls/): Turn on Portrait, Studio Light, Reactions and other effects from the Video menu during a call. Which Macs and macOS versions Apple says support them. - [How to allow a website to use your camera in Safari](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/allow-camera-for-websites-in-safari/): Choose Safari, Settings, Websites, Camera to allow or block the camera for each site. Where this differs from the app permission list.