So, you’ve opened Photo Booth on your Mac, struck a silly pose, hit the record button… and nothing happens. Uh-oh. No video? That’s not supposed to happen! Don’t worry—it’s probably something simple. Let’s figure it out together.
First, What Is Photo Booth?
Photo Booth is a fun little app on your Mac. It lets you take photos and record short videos using your built-in or external camera. Great for selfies, goofy faces, or even quick video messages.
But sometimes, it forgets how to video. We’ll walk through why and how to fix it. Let’s dive in!
1. Is Your Camera Working?
The first thing you should check is whether the camera is working at all. Follow these steps:
- Open Photo Booth
- Look for a green light next to your Mac’s camera
- If the screen stays black or says “No camera connected,” then we’ve found our problem
No green light? Then the camera isn’t on. Try restarting your Mac. Still no luck? You might need to check your camera’s connection (for external cams) or reset your system settings.
2. Photo Booth Is Just Being Shy
Sometimes, Photo Booth just acts weird. Maybe it’s shy. Maybe it just needs a little nudge. Try this:
- Quit Photo Booth
- Reopen it
- Click the film strip icon at the bottom-left to switch to video mode
- Try hitting record again
If it still won’t record, don’t panic. We’ve got more tricks up our sleeve.
3. “Where’d the Record Button Go?”
If you can’t even see the video button, it might mean:
- You’re in photo mode
- Or, your Mac doesn’t support video recording in this version of Photo Booth
That second reason is rare. But it happens. If your Mac is super old or running a very new version of macOS, sometimes features get removed or broken. Try switching apps to see if another program works.
4. Check If Another App Is Hogging the Camera
Only one app can use your camera at a time. So if Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype is running in the background, they might be stealing the spotlight.
To fix this:
- Quit all other apps using your webcam
- Then reopen Photo Booth
- Try recording again
5. Permissions, Permissions, Permissions
macOS is serious about privacy. Your apps need permission to use your camera. If Photo Booth doesn’t have it, it won’t record video.
Check permissions like this:
- Go to System Settings or System Preferences
- Click on Privacy & Security
- Select Camera
- Make sure the switch next to Photo Booth is on
If it’s off, flip it on. Then relaunch the app.
6. Update Party! 🥳
Old software can be buggy. Maybe Photo Booth just needs an update.
Here’s how to check for updates:
- Open the Apple menu ()
- Click System Settings
- Go to General → Software Update
If there’s an update, install it. Then reboot and test Photo Booth again. Fingers crossed!
7. Restart Core Camera Services
Your Mac uses a few background helpers to run the camera. If something’s wrong there, Photo Booth won’t work.
Let’s restart these:
- Open the Activity Monitor app
- Search for VDCAssistant and AppleCameraAssistant
- Click each one and hit the Stop (X) button
macOS will restart them automatically when needed. This can often fix random camera issues.
8. Try Another User Account
Sometimes it’s not the computer—it’s your user settings. You can test that easily.
- Create a new user account (in System Settings → Users & Groups)
- Log in to that account
- Open Photo Booth and try to record video
Does it work there? If so, your original user account might have corrupted settings. Don’t worry—you can fix that too by resetting Photo Booth preferences.
9. Reset Photo Booth Settings
This is like giving Photo Booth a fresh start, without losing anything.
- Close Photo Booth
- Open the Finder
- Click Go → Go to Folder and type:
~/Library/Preferences - Find the file called
com.apple.PhotoBooth.plistand move it to the Trash
When you reopen Photo Booth, it’ll make a brand-new settings file. Try recording again!
10. Still No Luck? Try an Alternative App
Okay, if Photo Booth still refuses to play nice, you can try alternatives. There are many apps that support basic video recording.
Some good options:
- QuickTime Player – Yes, it can record video. Open it, go to File → New Movie Recording.
- iMovie – For more advanced recordings and editing.
- OBS Studio – Great for livestreaming or professional video use.
You’ve Got This!
Tech glitches are no fun. But now you’ve got ten tips to fix your Mac’s missing video powers in Photo Booth. Try them one by one. Keep it simple. Most of the time, the fix is just a setting or restart away.
And hey, while you’re at it, maybe try some of those silly filters in Photo Booth. Just sayin’.
Bonus Tip: Clean Your Camera!
Last but not least… is your camera lens clean? If your camera is working but video looks blurry or black, it might just be dust or a fingerprint. Give it a gentle wipe with a soft cloth. Voilà—crisp, clear video!
Now go out there and make goofy videos. The world needs more of them!