Over time Google Meet has proved to be a reliable video conferencing tool for people looking for a Zoom alternative. The ability to use features like noise filter, screen sharing, and more makes it a worthy choice for daily video conferencing needs. On top of it, since it’s a Google service, its integration with other Google apps makes it the default choice for people who depend on Google for their workflow.
But much like other applications, Google Meet also has a fair share of shortcomings. One of the most annoying ones is the “Camera failed” error. Windows 10 and macOS users have been the victim of it. When they are looking to use their device’s camera for a video conference, they are not able to stream through their camera feed. Google Meet won’t recognize the camera in the device. So here in this article, we will see all the solutions that you can try to fix this problem. Now, without any further ado, let’s get into it.
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How to fix the Google Meet Camera Not Working Issue?
Try all the solutions mentioned below, one after the other, until you find the one that solves your problem.
Test the Camera:
If the software and hardware of your camera are set up properly, you should be able to use the stock camera app without any problems. Check your camera app and see if it works well.
On Windows,
- Click on the Start Menu button or press the Windows Key to open it up.
- Go through the list of apps on your computer and open up the camera app from it.
On macOS,
- Press the Command Key + Space to open the Spotlight search.
- Enter Facetime here, and once it shows up, open it up.
- Check the camera in the Facetime app.
If it works perfectly in the stock app, then the problem is with the browser, and you can try the solutions for it. And if it is not working even in the stock app, you will have to try all the solutions related to solving the software issues of the camera source.
Allow Camera in Windows Settings:
Windows has a feature that lets the user turn the camera on their device on or off. If it is set to Off, nothing can access your camera feed on your device.
- Press Windows Key + I to open up Windows Settings.
- Click on Privacy on the Windows Settings page.
- Click on the camera tab in the left pane of the privacy settings window.
- If the Camera access for this device is set off, click on the Change button below and turn on the toggle for it.
- Also, turn on the toggle for the option “Allow Apps to access your camera.”
Now try using the camera on Google Meet again. If you still see the camera failed error, try the next solution.
Set Your Default Webcam:
If you have multiple camera sources connected to your computer, Google Meet might be puzzled on which one to choose. So, in that case, you should select the camera that you want as your default choice.
- Open Google Meet in your Web browser.
- Click on the gear icon to open up Settings.
- Inside the Settings menu, click on the Video tab on the left pane.
- In the right pane, you will see a drop-down menu below the camera. Click on it, and it will show the list of camera sources for your computer. Select the one that you want to use for your Google Meet meetings.
Now try using the camera on Google Meet again. If you still the camera failed error, go for the next solution.
Restart Web browser:
Sometimes your web browser might run into some inconsistency. In such a case, Google Meet might malfunction. But restarting your Web browser can get rid of that. So close your browser and relaunch it. Open up Google Meet on it once again and check whether the camera is working now or not.
If you still see the camera failed error, go for the next solution.
Update the Webcam driver:
An outdated or faulty webcam driver will also prevent it from functioning normally. So you need to update your webcam driver and see if that works.
There are three ways to update your webcam driver. You can let Windows do it for you automatically, you can install it manually, or you can use a third-party app to do it for you.
To update the driver automatically,
- Press Windows Key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
- Enter “devmgmt.msc” in the dialog box and click on Ok. The Device Manager window will open up.
- In the Device Manager window, look for your webcam. Once you see it, right-click on it and choose Update Driver from the list of options that show up.
- Then follow the on-screen instructions to allow Windows to automatically search for the latest drivers online and then install it if it finds one.
Now, to update the driver manually, go to your laptop manufacturer’s website and navigate to its support page. Here, look for your device model, and you will find all the drivers for it. From there, download the driver for the webcam. Once it is downloaded onto your computer, install it like any other program on your computer.
Finally, you can use a third-party utility tool to scan your computer for any missing or outdated drivers. If your webcam drivers are outdated, it will detect it. Then click on the option to download and install the latest webcam drivers onto your computer, and the program will do it for you. These third-party utility tools charge a bit for their service, but it is worth the money that you spent as you do not need to worry about any driver issues on your computer ever again.
If you still see the camera failed error, try the next solution.
Uninstall virtual camera apps:
There are apps like Snap Camera, OBS that add a filter or effect to your camera feed. People like to use it when they are streaming something online. But these apps can work against Google Meet working properly. So you need to uninstall these apps from your computer and try using Google Meet again.
If you still see the camera failed error, try the next solution.
Grant Google Meet Permission to Access Your Webcam:
When you use Google Meet on your Web browser, Google Meet will ask for camera access permission. If you accidentally blocked it, then the camera won’t work. To fix that, you need to grant Google Meet permission to access your webcam.
For Chrome users,
- Open up the Chrome browser and click on the three-dot icon in the top right corner.
- Choose Settings from the list of options that show up.
- Click on Privacy & Security and then select Site settings.
- In the list of available sites, click on the arrow button next to meet.google.com.
- Here, adjacent to the Camera, you will see a drop-down menu. Click on and set the value to Allow.
For Safari Users,
- Open up the Safari Web browser and click on the menu button.
- Then click on Preferences.
- Tap on Website, and it will show you the permission for the different websites.
- In the left pane, click on Camera and then tap on the drop-down menu next to apps.google.com.
- Set it to Allow.
If you still see the camera failed error, try the next solution.
Switch to Google Chrome:
Since Google Meet is Google’s entity and Google Chrome is also one of Google’s services, they work well together. So if you are using some other browser and facing the error, try switching over to Chrome. It might work without any camera error here.
But if you still see the camera failed error, try the next solution.
Check your network bandwidth:
If you are using a dial-up connection and your internet speed is slower, you will have trouble using the camera on Google Meet. Often users complain about inconsistent camera functionality on Google Meet when they are on a slow network. So try connecting your system to a high speed, and that should solve your camera failed error.
And this is all about the different solutions that you can try to fix the Google Meet camera not working issue. If you have any questions or queries about this article, then comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.