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How to Fix Macbook Pro/Air “no connected camera” Error

Macbook Pro camera not connecting error

If you’re a proud owner of a Macbook Pro/Air like I am, then there is no doubt that you have been face-timing a lot using the front camera.

The MacBook comes with an excellent quality front camera that captures crisp videos and pictures for your meetings and chats.

Today, these cameras are called the Facetime camera, and you might have known it as the iSight camera.

To get it out of the way first, the camera works like an absolute charm, and there are no problems. But frequent users like us might have faced an issue sometimes where a black screen appears.

The screen shows that the camera is crossed off. The error is “no connected camera”.

I know how frustrating this error can be as the camera is part of the MacBook body and not an addition. So the error looks as if the hardware is having problems.

This error is not limited to the particular models of the MacBook Pro/Air, but can also be found in the different models and different OS versions.

Most users like you and me commonly face the problem while using Facetime, but it can also happen while using other applications that access the front camera on the Macbook.

Now don’t get frustrated or upset if you get this error message, as you will be pushed to think that it is a hardware problem.

Also, you do not have to carry it to the nearest service center, as there are simple tricks that you can do to solve the problem on your own.

 

How to Fix Macbook Pro/Air “no connected camera”

To Fix the Macbook Pro “no connected camera” error, close all open applications and then reboot your Macbook Pro.

 

Rebooting the Mac

This one is the simplest trick and has no doubt been applied by you on various devices you own in case of a problem. Just reboot it or simply turn it off and on once.

As simple as it may sound, a majority of the time, this does solve the problem.

This is always a good option for not only the camera error, but other technical issues as well. It simply recalibrates the systems of the device, and the problem is fixed. This may be a dependable solution for you but is not always feasible at all.

Suppose you are in the middle of a meeting or a Facetime conference, then it is very much problematic for you to turn it off and on again. This can also be not an option if you are on a deadline and need to keep it.

At this moment, it won’t be possible for you to reboot the device at all.

So, in that case, you do not have to worry as we have another solution ready for you as well.

 

 The best quick fix for the ‘camera not connected’ error

As I mentioned earlier, in many situations, rebooting the device may not be an option for you, so there is another way to resolve the problem without any kind of reboot. It is a command-line that makes the device forced to quit its operation.

So, in other words, this is an operation similar to rebooting your device only without turning it off.

To apply this solution, you need to follow the following steps given below: 

  1. First and foremost, close all the applications that can try and open the camera. Be sure to close any program that can access the camera.
  2. Then go to the Accessories/Utility directory and search for the terminal. Open it when you find it.
  3. Use the following command exactly: sudokillallVDCAssistant 

After entering the command, hit enter. If you are still on the same terminal, then you enter this command: sudokillallAppleCameraAssistant

  1. You will be prompted to enter the administrator password as you are making use of the superuser privileges. Enter the password for the execution of the command.
  2. When done, start the application that was showing the error with the camera.

Once the command is executed the camera, the application should work perfectly normally.

If you want to know what exactly is happening when you use this command, here it is. The VDC assistant that you mentioned in your command opens the camera when any of your apps is using it. Now what happens in some cases is that even after you have closed the assistant, the VDC keeps using the camera for that application.

As a result, when you open another application, the camera appears to be not connected. The command you executed simply forces the VDC to close the camera and start afresh. Now it’s understandable that you normally are not used to giving terminal commands, but this is a safe and sure-shot fix for the ‘camera not connected’ error.

However, be careful as everyone’s hardware is a little different from each other, so there’s no need to worry if the same solution doesn’t work for you or your friend. The terminal command works every time, and the fun fact is you can use it anytime for manually disabling the camera.

 

Why is my Mac saying no connected camera?

This is a common problem and the main reason most of the time is that some application which is using your camera has not closed properly.

As a result, when you try to access the camera through any other app, it seems that some other application is using the camera, and it gives the error that the camera is not connected.

There is no direct way to solve this as the configuration of the camera settings is done by the applications themselves.

 

What to do if my Macbook camera is not working?

The simplest way to fix this problem is to go to your Activities terminal and close all the applications using the camera like Skype or Facetime.

If that doesn’t work, save whatever you were doing and reboot the Mac. This normally solves the problem.

 

How to fix Macbook Pro “no connected camera error”?

There are several solutions you can try in case you get this error message.

  • Close all the applications that are using the camera.
  • Reboot your Macbook.
  • Give the force close command using the syntax mentioned in the previous section of this article.

 

How to fix Macbook Air “no connected camera error”?

You can follow these simple steps if you are facing the problem on Macbook Air as well.

  • Sometimes Skype may have some problems using the camera. In that case, just make sure that you have the latest version installed or just reinstall it. This could be due to a mismatch in the configuration settings.
  • The same fix can be applied by you on the Facetime app as well.
  • If nothing works, then the final option is to reset Mac’s system controller altogether. This can be easily done after shutting down your PC. Just plug in the power adapter and hold down the Shift, Control, and Options key along with the Power button for 30 seconds.

 

Note- The system controller reset buttons are different for different chipsets so that it can be different for different models.

Ernie Lo

Ernie Lo is a qualified web designer and web developer. He works as an IT support technician and website manager at Benleigh Vending, and he also fixes vending machines.

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