Sony Remote Fix for macOS

Fixes the issue where Sony Imaging Edge Remote can't detect your camera on macOS.

The Problem

When you connect a Sony camera (like the A7C) via USB on macOS, apps like Dropbox trigger macOS's built-in camera daemons (ptpcamerad, mscamerad, icdd) which grab exclusive access to the camera. This prevents Sony's Imaging Edge Remote from connecting, even after you quit Dropbox.

You'll see errors like:

• "The camera is not connected"
• "Failed to connect to the camera due to conflict with another application"

The Solution

This script kills the camera daemons that are hogging your camera, giving you a window to connect in Remote.

Usage

Option 1: Shell Script

./launch-sony-remote.sh

Then immediately open Sony Imaging Edge Remote and click Connect.

Option 2: Double-click App

Double-click Launch Sony Remote.app and then open Remote and connect.

Both options will:

1. Quit Dropbox
2. Kill ptpcamerad, mscamerad, and icdd for 20 seconds
3. Relaunch Dropbox after 30 seconds

Installation

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/punkhop/sony-remote-fix.git

# Make script executable
chmod +x sony-remote-fix/launch-sony-remote.sh

# Optionally move the app to Applications
cp -R "sony-remote-fix/Launch Sony Remote.app" /Applications/

Tested On

• macOS Sequoia 15.6
• Sony A7C II (ILCE-7CM2)
• Dropbox

Why This Happens

macOS's ptpcamerad daemon automatically claims PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) cameras when connected. Dropbox and other cloud backup apps trigger this daemon to check for photos to upload. Once claimed, the daemon won't release the camera even after Dropbox quits - you'd normally need to log out and back in.

This script continuously kills the daemons for 20 seconds, giving you time to connect in Remote before they can reclaim the camera.

License

MIT