Google Meet — Camera Not Working — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

When your camera does not work in Google Meet, it is almost always a permissions issue — either Chrome has not been given access to the camera, or another app is using the camera and blocking Meet from accessing it. This is one of the most common video call problems and is usually fixable in under two minutes. You do not need to reinstall anything.

Affected Models

Google Meet (Chrome browser)
Google Meet (Windows app)
Google Meet (Mac)
Google Meet (Android)
Google Meet (iPhone)

Common Causes

Chrome or the Meet web app does not have camera permission in the browser settings
Windows or macOS camera privacy settings are blocking Chrome or Meet from accessing the camera
Another app — such as Zoom, Teams, or Skype — is currently using the camera and has locked it
The wrong camera is selected in Google Meet's settings (common on laptops with an external webcam connected)
An outdated camera driver on Windows is preventing the camera from being accessed

How to Fix It

Check if another app is using the camera. Close Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and any other video apps. Then refresh the Google Meet tab and try your camera again. Only one app can use the camera at a time.

On Windows 11, the camera indicator light stays on while any app has access. If the light is on but Meet is the only open app, restart your computer to force all apps to release the camera.
Allow Chrome to access your camera. Click the padlock icon to the left of the web address bar in Chrome. Find Camera in the list and make sure it is set to Allow, not Block. Refresh the page after changing the setting.

If the camera was set to Block previously, Meet may not ask for permission again automatically. You must change it manually in the padlock menu.
Check Windows camera privacy settings. Go to Windows Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. Make sure camera access is turned on, and that the toggle for Let desktop apps access your camera is turned on. Chrome must be listed and allowed.

Windows 10 and 11 both have camera privacy controls that override app-level permissions. Even if Chrome says Allow, Windows can still block it at the OS level.
Select the correct camera in Google Meet. During a call, click the three-dot menu (bottom right) > Settings > Video. Under Camera, use the dropdown to select your camera. If you have a laptop webcam and an external USB webcam, both will appear here.

Meet sometimes defaults to a virtual camera (like from Snap Camera or OBS) instead of your real webcam. Switching to the correct one in Settings fixes it immediately.
Update your camera driver on Windows. Right-click the Start button > Device Manager. Expand Cameras or Imaging Devices, right-click your camera, and choose Update Driver > Search automatically for drivers. Restart your computer after the update.

An outdated or corrupted camera driver is a common cause of the camera working in older apps but failing in browsers.

When to Call a Professional

Camera issues in Meet are almost always software or permissions related, not hardware failure. If your camera does not work in any app — not just Meet — you may have a hardware problem or a missing driver. In that case, visit your computer manufacturer's support site to download the latest camera driver. If the camera physically does not appear in Device Manager in Windows, contact your computer manufacturer's support team.

Frequently Asked Questions

My camera works in Zoom but not in Google Meet. What is different?

This almost always means Chrome does not have camera permission — either in the browser or in Windows privacy settings. Zoom is a desktop app that handles permissions differently from a browser. Check the padlock icon in Chrome's address bar (Step 2) and the Windows Privacy settings (Step 3). One of those will be the difference.

Google Meet says 'Can't start camera' or shows a camera error icon. What does that mean?

That specific message means Meet found the camera but could not get access to it. The most common cause is another app holding the camera open. Close all other video or camera apps, restart Chrome, and rejoin the call. If the error persists, restart your computer to force all apps to release the camera.

My camera shows a black screen in Meet but no error message. Why?

A black camera image (as opposed to no image at all) is often a driver issue or a camera initialization problem. Try covering the camera with your hand — if the image changes at all, the camera is working and it is a software rendering issue. Update your camera driver (Step 5) and restart Chrome. On laptops, also check whether a physical privacy shutter over the camera lens is blocking the view.