Fixing “There is no connected camera” Error with a Mac FaceTime Camera
Just about every Mac comes with a front-facing camera these days, referred to usually as the FaceTime camera, and on older machines was called iSight. Nearly all of the time, this camera works flawlessly and you’ll never have any problems with it, but a frustrating error can appear from time to time that makes many users think their is a hardware problem with the camera. Manifesting as a black screen with a camera logo that is crossed out with the text “There is no connected camera”, the error message can appear across just about any Mac, be it an iMac or a MacBook Air / Pro, and any version of OS X from Lion to Mavericks and OS X Yosemite, and with almost any app that wants to use the front camera. When the Ma camera is not working, the screen may look like this:
Most users who see the problem will be attempting to use the FaceTime camera with a default bundled app like FaceTime video, Messages / iChat, or Photo Booth, but other apps may report the error as well. If you get that error screen and message, don’t assume there is a hardware issue that requires warranty service, because you can usually resolve the problem quickly with a little trick.
Rebooting the Mac will Fix the “No Connected Camera” Error
It’s worth mentioning that you can often fix the error by simply rebooting the Mac. If you have the time for that, just reboot, it will almost certainly resolve the issue.
Rebooting is obviously inconvenient though since it halts whatever you’re doing, and that really isn’t an option if you’re attempting to keep an appointment with a time critical video call. So if you can’t reboot the computer for one reason or another, we’ll show you another way to quickly fix the error message and get the camera working again on the Mac.
A Quick Fix for Mac Camera Not Working
Fortunately, there is another trick that seems to fix the problem immediately using a command line force quit, and does not require a reboot:
- Quit all open apps that may try to use the FaceTime camera
- Open Terminal, found in the /Applications/Utilities directory in OS X
- Enter the following command strings exactly, then hit return:
- Still at the terminal, issue the following command as well:
- Enter the administrator password when requested, this is required to execute a command with superuser privileges as prefixed by sudo
- Relaunch the app that was attempting to use the camera
sudo killall VDCAssistant
sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant
At this point the front camera should work again as if nothing was ever wrong with it.
For some background as to what’s going on: the VDCAssistant process opens any time an app attempts to use the process. It appears the “camera not found” error message shows up when the VDCAssistant does not properly close when an earlier app used the camera, resulting in the camera staying in use and being blocked by other apps. Accordingly, the above trick found on the Apple Forums kills that stale process so that it can start fresh again with the new app. For those who are not inclined to use the Terminal, you can also forcibly quit the errant VDCAssistant task with Activity Monitor.
If you want to string the two commands together into a single line to fix an unresponsive Mac camera you can do that like so:
sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant;sudo killall VDCAssistant
Again, hit return and enter the admin password when requested.
This is just one of a variety of problems I ran into while fixing up Macs and gifting tech support to relatives, and though it’s pretty easy to solve once you learn how, it’s important to remember that the average person just has no idea where to turn for issues like this.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that you can also trigger this intentionally if you want to actually disable the built-in hardware camera on Macs, which can be done by moving a system component file that is required by the Camera to another location. That trick basically breaks the camera making it not found and unable to be used, and while that may sound undesirable for most users, some system administrators and those concerned about privacy can find that to be worthwhile.
I’ve had the same issue with an older MacBook, currently running Snow Leopard. Any way to fix that? I’ll be upgrading to an Air in a few months but it would be nice to get my camera back…
This trick didn’t work for me. The VDCAssistant restart itself even if you do a force quit. The iSight camera is still not detectable. MacBook Pro Mac OS 10.9.2
It didn’t worked for me as well…
It worked for me, literally type: sudo killall VDCAssistant
Then press enter, it will ask for password.
Type password even though nothing appears.
Press Enter and your camera should work.
but i don’t know any password how its work?
It would be the password that you use to log into your macbook with, or the admin password.
Thank You!!!1
‘No matching processes were found’
and I went onto activity monitor aswel and it couldn’t find VDCAssistant. Webcam still not working :(
Laurie, did you ever solve the camera not connected problem you had back in 2014? Thanks.
Yes, reboot the Mac and it will fix your camera problem if you can’t kill the process directly. Many users are not prepared for command line, that’s ok. reboot instead.
same here, ( No matching processes were found )
It didn’t work for me, also get the same error msg “no matching processes were found”. Webcam still not working :(
me neither
me neither
me neither :( “no matching processes were found” how to solve this problem then?
Finally it works!!!
How did you get it to work?
please let me now im same as you in “no matching processes were found”
hi janny how did you solve the problem plz can you share plz,,..
How did you get it to work ? mine still says process not found ? please share some help :)
how? can you share with us how to solve this please, cuz we all had the same problem and conditions :(
It’s not letting me insert my password. It has the part open and ready to type, but when I do type nothing is inputed. What do I do then?
just type your password. It doesn’t show anything, that’s how it works.
to hola!!
that’s not how it works because I try that and it says:
sorry,try again.
camera still not working :)
Did not work. Camera still not working, getting the same message in all apps.
Hi,
I am facing this issue intermittently too.
First, although it is annoying, you should shutdown your Mac, let it powered off 15 seconds and restart it. Your camera should work out of a cold boot. If not, you likely have other issues.
I found that closing my opened apps one by one and checking in System Information / System Report if you have a camera listed would do the trick. Every time you close an app, you refresh System Information. When you close the app that was blocking the camera, it will be listed again in System Information.
So far, it avoids a reboot but this trial and error is really annoying. I found usually a browser keeps my camera locked, I use a lot Google Hangout in Chrome, and Skype (with two logged in accounts).
Finding this Tip page, I gave it a try and it fixed my issue. I’ll keep monitoring what happens next (as my camera usually disappear at least once a week) and if this tip works every time or not. At least it provides an explanation that is coherent with the symptoms I faced.
Thanks!
Don’t forget that if you’re running a hypervisor like VMware Fusion you should check if the hypervisor has ownership of the i-Sight camera.
How to do that
It worked for me on a macbook pro 2013 retina.
Thanks
worked on my macbook air …
Hello sap aah was asking how did it work because am using also mac air
Thanks for the help! It worked! :)
It worked great. Thanks for the help!
it won’t let me enter my password what do i do?
worked for me too
Jay: enter your password and hit Return – it captures the password, it just doesn’t display it on the terminal.
Worked for me too on the first go.
This didn’t work. I opened terminal and typed in code exactly. I even copied and pasted it in and I pressed enter and it asked for my admin passwords. I’m the admin. I typed it in right and it didn’t do anything. I tried again and then nothing happened. It says no such file or directory. Then I opened face time and photo booth and they said same thing. I need help. Tell me what to do
So you did it wrong. Here’s what you should do to fix the error message of when there is no connected camera on a Mac:
http://osxdaily.com/2013/12/27/fix-there-is-no-connected-camera-error-mac/
Of course, step #1 should be HAVE A CAMERA and connect it to your Mac. You know.
Usually, logging out – command shift Q – and logging back in fixes it with the newer systems.
it doesn’t work, processeces were not found :(
Thanks, working now!
This did not work for me! When I tried to enter my password on Terminal, it wouldn’t type any words!!! Please help!
Yes correct, the terminal does not show the password, that’s how sudo works. It’s a security thing.
It didn’t work for me, also get the same error msg “no matching processes were found”. Webcam still not working
Entered all the steps above but this is the message displayed:-
No matching processes were found
Camera is still not working.
Help, this is really annoying
It worked!
Worked for me, thanks very much.
Updated to yosemite and green light next to camera lens came on and blinks sometimes. I have no camera in system which means no VDC assistant. SMC nor Pram reset nor reload of Yosemite solved anything. I will continue to tell everyone that Apple has a big bite missing and it is called no quality control and no management. Any new Apple product has a bigger bite missing and more worms. Why should a $1500 laptop with a $10 camera work? You have to use your iPhone, your iMac,your macbook, and your iPad in tandem since none of them work as sold by Apple.
Worked like a charm, thanks !!
Worked on my Macbook Pro 2011 :) Thanks!
Have had this problem since upgrading to Yosemite. Tried to kill VDC assistant but system says it can’t fid; and cannot find any reference to VDC Assistant in Activity Monitor. Any further help would be appreciated
Thanks! it works great.
Works for me. Thanks
Thank you. And to all the good people like you who share your knowledge in this way.
Thanks. Killing the VDCAssistant process worked
thanks a bunch, this worked perfectly for me!!
some details.
i’m on a macbook late 2010 running yosemite.
i did have to switch to my admin account (i usually work in a separate user account).
THANK YOU! This worked for my Macbook Air! :)
Hello,
This is the best solution :
Open terminal
Enter this: sudo killall VDCAssistant
This is your solution. Restart your skype or any app with video
when i enter the sudo command i get this error:
No matching processes were found
What should i do ?
I was so excited to find this solution, but it didn’t work on my Macbook Unibody (2008). OS X 10.9.5
You’re a lifesaver! Thank you!!!
Huge thanks for this, it resolved this issue straight away for me and was very much appreciated!! :)
It worked! Thankyou!
what is the administrative password
you would know your password, not anyone else.
Cool, this worked! Thanks!!!
This trick worked perfectly for me a few months ago. Now I get the same problem reported above: Terminal says, “No matching processes found” after I enter in the password – and the problem remains. How frustrating! It DID work before – so I understand all of you that are thrilled with this fix. But it DOESN’T work TODAY!!! Help!
Perhaps you are typing it wrong, check your syntax. If it worked before, as it does work, it will work again. Computers are much more logical than average things, it’s a simple decision in that sense, not much ambiguity.
me neither. I create another user admin, wrote the correct password and says the same “No matching processes found”. :(
Excellent. Fixed my Facetime in seconds. Thanks a ton.
Hey guys! For those of you who get to experience the annoying “process not found”, I have advice from another website: try putting your computer to sleep, restarting, and then shutting down for 15 seconds. It worked for my little old leopard > w <
This worked! My camera hasn’t worked for over a year (!!) but entering this command and your trick seems to have fixed it! Thank you! (late 2008 13″ aluminum MacBook, OS 10.8.5)
Thank you so much! I tried everything, I even restored my laptop to factory settings. Nothing worked and I wanted to go to a store tomorrow but then I saw your comment :)
Merci!…It works for me.
It worked for me. Tried to type the password,which dint appear,then tapped “enter key” and re-opened the camera and vola!
what program was giving u this error message was it a mac built in camera?
Should this work if I have a webcam that works on mac but I think Is made for PC I get this message but I feel its because the Camera isnt mac compatible to photo booth effects.. Im trying to use my green screen background and I get this message.
Thanks!! This fixed my problem immediately.
Hey guys. I am still getting the msg that camera is not working. When i open the terminal and type in the command of sudo Killall VDCAssistant. It brings up no matching process were found. I tried restating and did the same thing again. It tells me to type in the password, but when i do it does not do anything. No matching process were found. I cannot be typing up the wrong password for sure. Can anyone please help?
Too bad. Tried everything, Terminal and cold shut down. Still not working. Hoping for a solution, but probably not
sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant;sudo killall VDCAssistant – See more at: http://osxdaily.com/2013/12/27/fix-there-is-no-connected-camera-error-mac/#sthash.HwSTwK3k.dpuf
This is the message I received when I copied and pasted your text in terminal:
“WARNING: Improper use of the sudo command could lead to data loss
or the deletion of important system files. Please double-check your
typing when using sudo. Type “man sudo” for more information.
To proceed, enter your password, or type Ctrl-C to abort.” Should I proceed?
The command to use is:
sudo killall AppleCameraAssistant;sudo killall VDCAssistantUse exact syntax at the command line.
If you don’t know how to use the command line you should skip this and reboot your Mac instead.
i cant get my camera working i forget my password off my mac book
It worked!! Thank you. I was freaking out!
Genius! It worked, thanks.
Thanks. Worked for me.
Thx
sudo killall VDCAssistant
fixed my MacBook White late 2009 edition.
cool :-)
Thanks much dude. This worked like a charm.
It worked! Thanks so much.
Thank you this work. iMac (27-inch, late 2013) has recurring problems with the iSight failing to start and needing a reboot to get it back. The first line of your terminal script pair is all I need (the second one gives me an error). After that, FaceTime or Skype will load my video normally. Wonderful!
If only Apple monitored forums like this.
same error msg “no matching processes were found”. :c
i have mac book pro retina 2015 in my FaceTime i have error message as no camera available to use face time connect camera. how to fix it. i tried with sued killall VDCAssistant.
it needs password .i used admin password , noting happened.
its really sad to know that this happened to latest macbook too
hmm its really sad to know that this happened to latest macbook too
this tricks is working but not permanent. it works fine at first, but then it will stop working when you quit the Photo Booth or FaceTime. sometimes it stops working then i have to reboot and its working and now its not working again. do i have to reboot again. this is so annoying!!
Thanks heaps this worked perfectly!
Tried sudo killall VDCAssistant and I get no processes found.
Running El Capitan.
HELP!!
after doing all this and if it doesn’t work try while laptop is open remove the battery and press power button for 15 to 20 secs. then put the battery back and open laptop check. it works for me. thanks any problem just message me in fb.
Solved the problem on my late-2012 MacBook Air running Yosemite. I did the Activity Monitor, force quit VDCAssistant and the camera reappeared immediately. I have reset the SMC and that works too, but you have to shut down the computer, not always very convenient.
Thanks!
I have tried everything stated above without success. Any other possibilities? Thanks.
I did it all but still have the same problem “There is no connected camera” I tried that ‘sudo killall VDCAssistant’ and it says “no matching processes were found” I did cold restart my macbook white and it’s still have the same camera’s problem, please anyone help me with this problem :(
OS X El Capitan 10.11.3 (15D21)| MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) | 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo | 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB
Open FaceTime
Under video tab on menu bar
Ensure “Display iSight” is selected
You’re welcome
Worked for me. Thanks :)
thank you so much worked for me :)
Thank you, it worked very well!
Amazing! Worked Instantly! Thanks!
A DIFFERENT SOLUTION!
I tried EVERYTHING to no avail -and I mean EVERYTHING recommended on this thread. I finally concluded I had a damaged logic board and I would have to eventually get a new computer. (systems info was showing no camera no matter what I did)
Then last night out of the blue the camera became functional again. I had changed NOTHING.Couldn’t figure it out.
And then… I noticed that my old Finalcut pro was open (I had downloaded an xml file and it auto-opened final cut) and I remembered that I had recently clicked “continue” on the message that said something to the effect of “can’t find connected camera click to continue without camera” so that i could then quit FinalCut.
I think what happened is that I had Force Quit Final Cut a few weeks ago before I had clicked that “continue without camera” button – thereby setting in motion something wonky on my computer making my logic board (??) think no camera was connected.
I hope that’s clear.
Short answer, if nothing works, open Final Cut or similar program that automatically searches for a camera and instruct it to continue without the camera.
worked, thanks.