How to Use a Profile to Disable iSign on Apple Devices

Select Language:

If you’re planning to upgrade your Mac to macOS 26 Tahoe and want to keep your camera disabled across all apps, here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you do it correctly. Keep in mind, starting with Tahoe, the Camera app no longer works as a standalone application, so having this profile installed beforehand is key.

First, it’s essential to create a backup of your current system before you upgrade. This helps ensure you can restore everything if needed. Use your Mac’s built-in Time Machine feature to back up your system to an external drive. Just connect your drive, then go to System Preferences > Time Machine, and select “Back Up Now.”

Next, if you’re already using macOS Sonoma or Sequoia, you need to create a profile that disables the camera feature. You can do this from your current system before upgrading. Follow the instructions from Apple’s support pages for creating a configuration profile. This profile will contain the settings necessary to turn off the camera.

Here’s what you do step-by-step:

Create the profile using the tools available in your current macOS. It’s best to follow official guides to ensure the profile is set up correctly.
Back up your Mac using Time Machine, making a full copy of your system to an external drive.
Proceed with the macOS Tahoe upgrade by following Apple’s upgrade instructions.

After upgrading to Tahoe, your Mac’s camera will no longer work in any app. To verify, open FaceTime and see if it prompts you with “To use FaceTime, connect a camera,” which indicates the camera is disabled.

Important tips:

Always back up your Mac before big software updates or system changes. This way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your system quickly.
Creating the profile beforehand is necessary if you want to keep the camera disabled after the upgrade. Install the profile on your previous macOS system (like Monterey or Sequoia), then upgrade.
If you didn’t create a backup with the profile beforehand and your camera is now accessible, you will need to restore from a prior Time Machine backup that was made before the upgrade, and then re-install the profile to disable the camera.

Following these steps ensures that you keep your Mac’s camera turned off in a safe and reliable way, even after moving to the latest macOS 26 Tahoe. Remember, always safeguard your data first, and handle the profile setup before updating the system.