Activity:

How to make your Center Cam your default camera for your Mac

Operating System:

MacOS

Steps:

In an ideal world, your video conferencing & messaging apps will recognize Center Cam as the preferred or default camera as soon as you plug it in. This will allow you start communicating through Center Cam instead of your onboard camera. In some cases, this does not happen automatically. This article will show you how to fix that on your Mac:

1. Connect the camera USB cable or USB-C adapter to an active port on your computer. Allow 10-15 seconds for the computer to recognize the external webcam. 
2. Your Center Cam may have a different name, depending on how your computer recognizes it. Here are some ways your camera might be identified:
   1. 1080 Webcam
   2. CC HD Webcam
   3. CCHD Camera
   4. FHD Camera
   5. etc.
3. Select your camera from different Mac programs:

   1. Photo Booth - 

      1. Go to Launchpad and Select the Photo Booth program.
      2. Click on the Camera in menu bar and select the Camera from the list.

   2. FaceTime - 

      1. Go to Launchpad or your Dock and Select the FaceTime program.
      2.  Click on the Video in the menu bar and select the Camera from the list.

   3. QuickTime Player -

      1. Go to Launchpad, your Dock or the Menu bar and select the QuickTime Player program.
      2. Choose File > New Movie Recording. Hold the pointer over the window and click the down arrow , then choose the Camera from the list.
4. Select your camera from common 3rd party apps:
   1. First, make sure your apps have permission to access the webcam (macOS Mojave and later). If you had earlier denied an app the permission to access the webcam, here is how to check that and allow it.
      1. Click the Apple logo from the top left and choose System Preferences.
      2. Click Security & Privacy → Click Camera at the left sidebar.
      3. Ensure the app you are trying to use has permission to access the camera. This is identified by the presence of a blue tic/checkmark.
      4. If not, click the padlock icon, enter your Mac’s password, and permit the app to use the camera.
   2. Click the links below to select your Center Cam for these common video conferencing tools:

      1. Zoom - Click here

      2. GoToMeeting - Click here

      3. Skype - Click here

      4. MS Teams - Click here