How to Fix Camera Not Working in Google Meet on Mac

Is your Camera not working in Google Meet on Mac?

Google Meet is a platform that allows individuals to connect with professionals for work or personal purposes.

Similar to Zoom, it enables you to conduct meetings from all over the world. To use all the various Google Meet features, you’ll need a Gmail account.

The Google Meet process is quite simple. However, if you’re facing an issue with your camera not working after connecting to a call, this calls for troubleshooting. 

This problem has various reasons, such as an unstable network connection, disabled camera permissions, or software issues within the app.

To get rid of this issue, we have gathered some of the most effective fixes in this guide.

So, let’s get started!

1. Restart Your Mac.

The first fix before diving into other advanced solutions is simply restarting your device. By restarting your Mac, the system will refresh and remove any glitches causing the issue. Moreover, this method will also restore camera settings and address compatibility issues between the camera and the app.

Here’s how to restart your Mac:

1. To get started, click on the Apple menu at the top-left corner of the screen.
2. From the options, choose Restart.

3. Again, click on Restart in the confirmation prompt.

Wait for the system to boot up again before checking the camera’s functionality.

2. Check Your Internet Connection.

Another simple solution, if your camera is not working in Google Meet on Mac, is to check your internet connection. Sometimes, slow internet speed or an unstable internet connection causes many issues during a Meet call.

So, check your internet speed and ensure a stable network connection to avoid any pauses or disconnecting issues during your Google Meet call.

3. Ensure Camera Is Enabled and Connected.

Now, another reason for the camera to not work in Google Meet is if it’s not turned on or properly connected. This is a common issue for those using external camera devices, not built-in ones. If you’ve also connected a webcam to your Mac, then ensure the device is enabled and plugged in. 

Also, check to see if the camera is working on other apps to identify whether the problem is within the camera or the app.

Related: How to Fix Camera Blinking on iPhone

4. Check the Webcam Access for Browser.

For your camera to work in Google Meet calls, your browser must have access to it. If the browser does not have access to the webcam, then it cannot detect and utilize the camera for Meet calls, hence leading to this issue. So, ensure the browser has access to the webcam.

Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Firstly, click on the Apple menu and go to System Settings.
2. Go to the Privacy & Security tab from the left pane.

3. Scroll down and go to Camera.
4. Lastly, turn on the toggle next to the browser experiencing issues with the camera.

Now close the Settings app and check if the issue is resolved.

5. Check the Camera Source In Google Meet.

If enabling webcam access to your browser does not solve this issue, then the next method to opt for is to check the camera source in Google Meet. It may be possible that Google Meet has selected a different camera source than your webcam, which is why it’s not working.

So, check to see that your Mac’s camera is selected as the camera source in Google Meet in the following way:

1. Begin by launching Google Meet in your browser.
2. Login to your account by providing your credentials.
3. Now, click on the gear icon to launch Settings.

4. Then, select Video.

5. Open the drop-down menu for Camera and choose FaceTime HD Camera to be your main source.
   
   

6. Check Browser Permissions.

When starting a Google Meet call, you are requested for access to the webcam and microphone. If you accidentally deny access or miss this step, then your camera will not work during the call. Therefore, you need to check browser permissions and enable access to the camera.

Perform the following steps to do it:

1. Launch Google Chrome on your Mac and go to the official Google Meet page.
2. Then, click on Safari in the menu bar and choose Settings.
3. Next, go to the Websites tab.
4. From the left pane, go to Camera. 
5. Finally, click on the drop-down menu for meet.google.com and choose Allow.

Close the window and check if the website has access to the camera now.

7. Enable Hardware Acceleration.

If Google Meet cannot detect your Mac’s camera, then we suggest enabling Hardware Acceleration. Doing so will enable the browser to utilize GPU rather than CPU to carry out graphic-intensive tasks. So, for you to access video calls on Google Meet, enable Hardware Acceleration.

Follow the steps mentioned below to do it:

1. To start, launch the Safari app.
2. Click on Safari in the menu bar and go to Settings.
3. Once it opens, go to the Advanced tab.

4. Finally, toggle on Hardware Acceleration.

8. Restart Camera Via Terminal.

Generally, the built-in camera of your Mac starts working the moment you enable the video option during your Meet call. However, if that’s not the case, then try restarting the camera through the Terminal app.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Firstly, access the Spotlight Search by pressing the Command key + Spacebar on your keyboard.
2. Type ‘terminal’ and hit the Return key.

3. In the Terminal prompt, type the following command and hit Return to run it:

sudo killall VDCAassitant

4. Provide your passcode and hit Return one more time.

Close Terminal and relaunch Google Meet to check if the problem has been eliminated.

9. Use System Report to Check Camera ID and Model.

If none of the methods mentioned above fix the camera not working in Google Meet, then there is a possibility that the problem resides in the webcam. So, to check for any damages in the hardware component, use System Report to check the camera ID and model.

Follow the steps given below to do it:

1. To begin, launch System Information via Spotlight Search.

2. From the left side, select Camera.
3. You can view the built-in camera’s Model ID and Unique ID on the right side.

If it doesn’t, that indicates your Mac’s camera is unavailable or damaged. We recommend heading over to your nearest Apple store to get it repaired. In the meanwhile, you can use your iPhone as a webcam on Mac.

10. Update Your Browser.

Having glitches or bugs in your current browser version can also lead to various issues such as this one. So, it’s important to update your browser to the latest available version to enjoy maximum features and eliminate previous errors.

For a third-party browser, you’ll need to visit their official webpage to download the latest version. On the other hand, if you need to update Safari, you’ll need to update the macOS version, which will automatically install the latest versions of each stock app.

This ends our guide on how to fix the Camera not working in Google Meet on Mac. If you have further questions, let us know using the comments section below. We’ll get back to you in no time. 

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