How do I fix External Camera Not Detected in macOS Sequoia 15.x?

Three approaches in order of safety: (1) Reset the Video Assistant Daemon; (2) Reset Camera Permissions. Full Terminal commands and System Settings paths are inside each section.

Is this fix confirmed for macOS Sequoia 15.x?

Yes — verified on macOS Sequoia 15.x. Article is updated when Apple ships a point release that changes the symptom or fix.

How to Fix External Camera Not Detected in macOS Sequoia 15.x

Symptom: Your USB or Thunderbolt webcam is plugged into your Mac running macOS Sequoia, but it doesn't appear in FaceTime, Zoom, or Photo Booth.

TL;DR fix

Start with Fix 1: Reset the Video Assistant Daemon. If the issue persists after that, try Fix 2: Reset Camera Permissions. Full Terminal commands and step-by-step instructions are in each section below.

Why this happens

Sequoia's "Camera Continuity" engine can sometimes "hijack" the video input priority, ignoring external USB devices in favor of a nearby iPhone.

Recommended Troubleshooting Tool

Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using CleanMyMac X. Quickly identify high CPU apps and optimize system memory with one click.

Fix 1: Reset the Video Assistant Daemon

Open Terminal.
Run:

sudo killall VDCAssistant

Fix 2: Reset Camera Permissions

In Terminal, reset the TCC database for camera access:

tccutil reset Camera

Recommended Tool: iStat Menus

To monitor which processes are currently using your camera:

- Get iStat Menus to see real-time sensor and peripheral data, including which daemon is currently holding the camera lock.

Tested and documented by the MacDebug team — about MacDebug. See also Photoshop & Adobe Apps Crashing on macOS Tahoe, Fix macOS "No AirPlay Found", or browse all guides on macdebug.