A new major release of macOS and, after Apple seemed to resolve the issue, towards the end, in Big Sur, we're back to square one... 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.
