How can I use FaceTime Audio with MacBook in clamshell / lid closed?

Question

At my desk I use my intel CPU 11" MacBook Air with the lid closed, an external monitor with no camera, and a headset with microphone. After updating to Mojave from Sierra, I can no longer use FaceTime Audio in that configuration. I'm looking for a way to stop FaceTime from waiting for video from the inactive FaceTime camera.

Under Sierra, I could open the FaceTime app, and place or receive FaceTime Audio calls normally.

Now, under Mojave, when I open FaceTime, the window is black, and after a minute or so, I get an alert saying "No Video - FaceTime has not received any video from the connected camera. Restarting the computer may fix this issue." I'm not able to place calls, and restarting doesn't help. I'm still able to receive calls.

I can plug in an old USB webcam, but I'd rather not, because I don't want video, it seems to use a significant amount of CPU, uses a USB port, etc.

I might be willing to change my OS to Catalina if that would solve it, but my computer doesn't support any OS newer than that.

Are there solutions I can use to make this work without having to keep the lid open or plug in a camera?

Answer 1

Here's a solution which works for macOS >= 10.14. One can initiate a call in Messages by clicking on details in a chat history and then on the phone symbol.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/messages/icht1091/mac

Answer 2

This is something that has both dogged and annoyed me for several major releases of macOS. I have had Macbook Pros and Mac Minis for a number of years, running in clamshell mode (Mac Minis, simply without a camera). I use FaceTime Continuity iPhone Cellular Calling, daily, in my business. Apple states it supports FaceTime for making and receiving either audio or video calls, in its own documentation. It also gives the availability of a camera as a prerequisite only if you want to make/receive video calls.

Further details on system requirements, here: https://support.apple.com/e... and here: https://support.apple.com/e...

However, over at least the last five years, following each update to the newest major release of macOS, I have lost the ability to use FaceTime because it tells me "No Camera Available. To use FaceTime, turn on the camera." Then, normally after months of living with this (undocking the laptop and opening it, or grabbing a webcam and plugging it in, so FaceTime can detect the camera and start working, each time I launch it), Apple seems to fix the issue and FaceTime works happily, without needing to detect the camera. But only until the next major update.

When I moved to Big Sur, I was having to do the workaround, opening the laptop lid, until Apple released an update (couldn't tell you which one), after which FaceTime worked without complaint. I recently moved to Monterey, 12.1 and I'm back with FaceTime complaining about no camera.

With all the major software producers slashing budgets, normally starting with QA, we are all doomed to a Groundhog Day existence of needless software bugs reappearing, as this is clearly an example of.

Current System info: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) 2.9 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 macOS Monterey 12.1 (21C52)

Answer 3

You could try using a virtual camera, i.e. an application that passes on a video image as if it came from a webcam (e.g. OBS). Out of the box this will not work, as FaceTime does not support virtual cameras.

However, you could try a workaround where you disable SIP. This Github issue comment mentions that this made it work for them.

In the same thread, this comment indicates that:

...cloning PhotoBooth allows me to use the Virtual Cam but on Facetime it just shows a blank screen. This is on Monterey 12.0.1.

This would indicate that you could at least use FaceTime, albeit with a blank image instead of the actual video.