Adjusting Camera Settings on MacBook Pro (Complete Guide)

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MacBook Pro’s camera comes so chock-full of features and settings that there’s a good chance you may not even know about a few of them. We’re here to help you out. With just a few adjustments to your camera, you’ll have it working at full capacity! 

You can use the built-in set of tools to adjust the settings or third-party software or apps that make this even more interesting. 

Why adjust only the brightness and contrast of your cameras? There is so much more to explore.

Let’s learn how you can play with camera settings to enhance the overall experience.

How to Adjust Macbook Camera Settings? [Fix]

To adjust the camera settings on your MacBook, open the “Photo Booth” application and click on the “Video” menu. From there, you can adjust settings such as the camera’s brightness, contrast, and saturation. You can also choose to use the built-in camera or an external camera if you have one connected to your MacBook.

Can I Adjust my MacBook’s Camera Settings?

As of now, there are no configurable built-in camera settings on the MacBook. Unless you buy third-party applications that can configure your MacBook’s camera settings, you are left with the standalone quality of your built-in webcam.

You can manually adjust the brightness of your camera’s image quality by changing different lighting aspects of the room that you are in.

Filtering the light coming from your windows using curtains or using dimmer lights can help you control the brightness of your image while you are in a virtual meeting. In short, you might need to change the look of your webcam’s image quality by adjusting your location.

One way you can set your MacBook camera settings is by controlling its Security and Privacy options. You can control your MacBook’s built-in camera access by toggling your MacBook’s settings in two ways:

• Screen Time Restriction

Simply go to Apple Logo > System Preferences (System Settings on macOS Ventura and above) > Screen Time > Content & Privacy > Apps Tab > Enable the Camera checkbox

• MacOS camera privacy settings
• Go to Apple Logo > System Preferences (System Settings on macOS Ventura and above). 
• Open Security & Privacy option and click privacy.
• Scroll down and select Camera.

From this window, you can allow or block camera access for specific applications that would require administrator privileges before using your camera.

Using a third-party Camera app with Webcam Settings

Suppose you are willing to spend some money on third-party applications. In that case, you can change the image quality of your MacBook’s built-in camera. Some applications might be more helpful, but some of them can be expensive for a camera application. However, you might want to check out Webcam Settings.

Webcam Settings

The Webcam Settings application is available on the App Store for $7.99.

This application brings more customizable settings to your MacBook’s built-in camera. You can adjust your camera’s brightness, contrast, exposure, focus, aperture, and even zoom options if your camera supports it.

Webcam Settings can also work with third-party cameras. This extends functionality for dedicated computer cameras and can further enhance your video streaming experience.

Connect An External Video Camera To MacBook

Using a dedicated external camera on your MacBook can enhance your video experience. Especially during these times when work from home setups is becoming the norm for the corporate environment, it is essential to have a clear and crisp image of yourself during virtual meetings.

True enough, you would want to have a high-quality video stream for yourself, not only to look good. We also need to bridge that gap of communication that we are trying to emulate in real-life interactions. No one likes a poor video stream when we are in important meetings. So, here are some external cameras that you can set your MacBook with:

Logitech C920 Pro: Best Overall

The Logitech C920 Pro delivers that crisp HD quality video in 1080p resolution. It is considered the best Mac webcam for users who just want a plug-and-play external camera that does not compromise its video quality.

The Logitech C920 Pro also has an autofocus feature, which adds another layer in delivering good image quality during your virtual meetings. It is very convenient to use with its universal clip, allowing you to set it up wherever you like, especially if you have tiny space to work with.

It also comes with a decent built-in microphone. However, it is rare for webcams to be equipped with studio-quality audio recording. If you need a more precise audio quality, you will need a better external microphone setup.

Albeit having a mediocre built-in microphone, it does the work for an affordable price.

Wansview 1080p Webcam: Best Budget

The Wansview Webcam also delivers 1080p video resolution but with better audio quality. It provides more than decent video and audio quality for users on a budget. It does not have an autofocus feature, but it has an adjustable lens to control the image’s focus.

This removes unnecessary background noise or distractions if you do not have a solid color background. It also has a noise-canceling microphone built-in the camera allowing it to pick up your voice from far away while minimizing the surrounding noises in your environment.

It uses a wider field of view, allowing it to capture more image information in one shot. This might cause a little curve distortion around the edges of the image, but it is beneficial for wide-range shots if you need more than one person in the video stream.

For such a budget option, the Wansview 1080p Webcam is a bang for the buck.

Logitech Brio: Best Upscale

If you can see yourself spending extra money and looking for an extra kick in video quality, the Logitech Brio can capture up to 4K of video resolution. For most people, having a 4K webcam might be unnecessary. It can be too much since not every person in the world has the means to view and stream 4K videos, especially in workplace environments.

If you need to capture 4K or at least need to have that option in particular situations such as streaming on Twitch, or uploading YouTube videos, go with Logitech Brio. It not only makes your setup future-proof but can also proceed with digital content creation without the hassle of going into the technicalities of getting a dedicated DSLR camera.

It also comes with its own camera settings application, so you can adjust your image quality how you want it. Take note that you can only take advantage of its 4K video recording support if you have a USB 3.0 on your Mac.

Its built-in microphone has a dual omnidirectional audio capture support, allowing it to capture sounds even at the back of the webcam. This makes it ideal for users that would need flexibility for their webcams.

Logitech Brio’s price tag is built on its 4K video support and excellent built-in microphone. You really get what you pay for, but it is an excellent alternative if you consider getting a professional camera to work with your setup.

Installation

All you need to install an external camera for your MacBook is plugging in its USB port on your Mac. However, most of these external cameras are using USB Type-A, which means that if you are using a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air, your port availability might be limited.

It is best to get a port dongle with at least 3 USB Type-A to give additional port allowance for you other peripherals.

Connecting an external webcam on your MacBook is easy.

1. If you are using an older version of MacBook Air or the 2013 version of MacBook Pro, you can immediately plug in your camera because these are the last MacBook models with USB-A support. Otherwise, plug in your dongle on your MacBook and make sure that the macOS detects your port extension.
2. Plug your external camera to the USB-A port on your dongle and wait for a few minutes for macOS to detect and install your camera.
3. Some external webcams come with their own dedicated software to configure them on your system. Others might require you to download their software from their website.
4. Once the external camera software is installed, see if your external camera is listed in your Mac’s available cameras.

How to check if your external properly installed and connected:

1. Make sure that your external camera is connected to your device via USB.
2. Click the Apple icon at the top-left of your screen and select About this Mac.
3. Click on the System Report button and you will see the list of hardware connected to your device.
4. In this list, find your camera model. If it is listed there, your camera is installed and working correctly. Otherwise, try reconnecting your external camera or plug it into a different USB port.

If your Mac still cannot detect your external camera, try reinstalling its software and restart your Mac and recheck System Report to see if your computer recognizes your camera.

Test and Configure External Camera

To test out your camera to make sure it is ready to use:

1. Open Finder > Applications folder.
2. Select Photo Booth app.
3. You from the Photo Booth window, select the drop-down list of your camera. It will default to your built-in MacBook camera, so select your external camera on the list to activate it. If it does not appear on the list of cameras, reconnect your external camera.
4. Usually, external cameras don’t come with an on/off switch, but they have an LED indicator to notify you that the camera is currently in use.
5. You should see a window preview coming from your external webcam.

How to Turn on Camera on MacBook

There is no default Camera app on a MacBook, but it can easily be turned on by opening apps, such as Photo Booth, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and other video-related applications.

By default, you can turn on your MacBook’s built-in camera by going to the Photo Booth application. Simply go to Finder > Photo Booth, and a window will pop-up, which will have the preview of the built-in camera on your MacBook. You will see a glowing LED beside your camera to indicate that it is currently working.

What to do if your MacBook Camera is not Turning on

A glowing LED light beside your camera is an indicator that it is on. If you see the light glowing in any case, but there is no preview on your computer, or it says that the camera is not connected to your MacBook, here are the things you can do to solve these issues.

• Check if it is a software problem

Some hardware problems can be caused by improper software installation. In other words, the application that you are using for your camera might not have been properly installed. Test your camera using different apps like FaceTime, Photo Booth, or Skype. Try reinstalling the malfunctioning application if your camera works on other apps.

• Check your system permissions under Privacy and Settings

Your Mac’s privacy settings might not be allowing your computer to use your camera. The MacBook has this option to stop applications from using your camera without your permission. You might have left your camera off for some of the applications.

To check your camera’s permission, go to

1. Apple Logo > System Preferences (System Settings on macOS Ventura and above). 
2. Open Security & Privacy option and click privacy.
3. Scroll down and select Camera.

From this window, you can select which applications can use your camera. If you see that Safari, Google Chrome, Skype, FaceTime, and other video-related applications are blocked from accessing your camera, you can check the box beside the application to allow them to use your MacBook’s camera.

• Check your Screen Time settings

Your MacBook’s Screen Times sets system-wide limits in terms of overall usage of your device. Your camera might be blocked under Content & Privacy settings.

To check your MacBook’s Content & Privacy settings:

1. Go to Apple Logo > System Preferences (System Settings on macOS Ventura and above) > Screen Time.
2. Select Content & Privacy in the sidebar, then click Apps.
3. Look for Camera and make sure that it is selected.

• Reset the MacBook’s system management controller (SMC)

If you are using a MacBook with an Intel Processor, resetting your MacBook’s SMC might help resolve some hardware-related issues, such as power and battery issues, as well as malfunctioning status light indicators.

To reset your MacBook’s SMC:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release it.
3. Wait for at least 10 seconds, then turn on your Mac.

Check if your camera is now working. If not, try the following steps:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the following keys on your keyboard: control (left side of your keyboard) + option (left side of your keyboard) + Shift (right side of your keyboard).
3. Press and hold the power button while holding down the 3 keys mentioned above.
4. Keep holding down these four keys for 7 seconds, and then release them.
5. Wait for a least 10 seconds, then turn on your Mac.

FAQs

1. How do I improve the camera quality on my Mac?

You can start by cleaning the camera lens and providing good lighting around you for the best results. However, these are only the basics. You can adjust your camera settings using apps like Zoom, Skype, or other photo editing apps.

2. How do I turn my camera on my Mac?

The camera on your Mac activates automatically as soon as you turn on certain apps such as FaceTime or Photo Booth. Even if you use other apps, such as Zoom for meetings, the camera will turn on by itself.

3. How do I change my camera and microphone Preferences on Mac?

Start by opening System Settings or System Preferences on your Mac. Then go to Privacy & Security. After scrolling, click on Camera or Microphone. From here, you can select the apps you want to provide access to and toggle off the ones which need to be restricted.

4. Does green light on Mac means recording?

No, the green light on your Mac camera means that your camera is active and in use. If you are not using any app that uses the camera, it is important to check your activity monitor and investigate, as it can be a security concern.

5. Which function key turns on the camera?

There is no dedicated function key that turns on the camera on your Mac. However, it does turn on automatically when you use apps such as FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and others that require a camera function.

Conclusion

If you’re just starting out with your MacBook Pro and are playing around with your camera, we hope we’ve provided some useful information about how to make the most of it. Before deep diving, you can start with your Mac’s in-built apps like FaceTime and PhotoBooth. Finding the perfect setting for your photos can be challenging but rewarding in the end. 

However, third-party apps are equally brilliant and only enhance the quality of your camera while taking images or videocalls via Zoom or Skype. Go through all these steps and apps before trying them on your system.

If you want to learn more about these tips & tricks on your MacBook, bookmark our blog on your browser, and never miss any updates.