It's safe to say that video calling apps have taken over physical business meetings and conferences. Market leaders like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are growing rapidly for group video calling. Among them, Zoom is probably the most used video calling app around for various reasons. The software is easy to use and available on different platforms.
With so many options, nothing pisses you more than the webcam or microphone not working during the Zoom video call. We will talk about resolving most video issues while using Zoom in this post.
- Zoom not working: how to fix problems
If you don't pay attention to Zoom pop-ups properly, you'll see a black screen at the start of meetings. Microphone not working during Zoom meetings is also one of the many problems users face. However, the strangest is when others cannot see you during a video call.
Zoom offers more options to enhance the video calling experience. You can also use apps like EpocCam to turn your phone into a webcam on Zoom. In this post, we will solve the Zoom webcam not working issue in eight steps. Let's first look at some basic solutions that often lead to video visibility issues in Zoom.
1. Give the correct permissions to the Zoom camera
Zoom mainly asks for relevant permissions during software installation. You can double check if the app has camera permission to use the webcam each time you launch it. However, we have observed that many Mac users have had problems with these permissions, especially those running the latest macOS updates.
Follow the steps below to check the authorization on Mac.
Step 1: open the System Preferences menu.
Step 2: go to Security and Privacy> Privacy> Camera.
Step 3: make sure Zoom has camera permission.
On Windows, you can search for “webcam” in the start menu and select the option “which apps can use the camera”. Scroll down and you will see the list of applications that use the camera. Make sure the Zoom app is using the webcam permission.
2. Enable the option start meeting with video
Zoom allows you to start the meeting with video enabled. I mostly keep it off because I don't feel comfortable joining a meeting directly with video enabled. But you can enable the option if you want to bypass the blank screen at the start of the meeting and always select the option to start the video on your side.
- 4 solutions for when the Zoom profile picture is not showing in the meeting
Open the Zoom app and go to the “New Meeting” tab. Tap the down arrow next to the menu and enable the “Start with video” option to join / create the meeting with video enabled.
Suggestion: when you join the meeting with video, Zoom will ask you to enable audio every time you join the meeting. You can enable the option “Automatically join audio from computer when joining a meeting”. He will activate the device's microphone for you.
3. Disable the mute video option from the settings
You need to disable the “Turn off my video when joining a meeting” option from the zoom settings menu. If enabled, you will not be able to see yourself in the Zoom meeting. To disable the option, follow the steps below.
Step 1: open the Zoom app and tap the Settings icon in the top right corner.
Step 2: go to the Video option.
Step 3: scroll down to the meeting option and disable the "mute my video when joining a meeting" option.
4. Make sure no other apps are using the webcam in the background
If other apps like FaceTime, Teamviewer, or Skype are already using the camera in the background, you won't be able to use the video in the Zoom app.
On most laptops, it's easy to see if another app is using the camera or not. You can take a look at the laptop camera and if the LED is on (in white or green color) then it indicates that an app is using a camera in the background. Close those apps and go back to the Zoom app to see if the video is working or not.
5. Change default camera to Zoom
If you are using apps like Droidcam, EpocCam and iVCam to turn your phone into a webcam, you need to choose the relevant camera option for the video feed in Zoom.
Open the Zoom app and go to the app settings. Go to the video menu and select the camera you are using.
You can also switch between cameras from the Meeting Zoom menu. Tap the arrow at the top of the Stop Camera option and select the relevant camera.
6. If you are using your phone as a webcam
In such cases, make sure you have installed the relevant app drivers on your PC / Mac. These drivers allow you to use the Zoom app with those apps and services.
If you're using apps like EpocCam to use your phone's camera as a webcam, make sure both your phone and laptop are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and don't forget to change the default video settings in the Zoom app.
7. Update the video drivers
If the video doesn't work for you, you should consider updating your webcam drivers to the latest version. Follow the steps below to update the webcam drivers on your Windows laptop.
Step 1: Tap the Windows button and type Device Manager.
Step 2: hit enter and it will open Device Manager.
Step 3: scroll down and go to Sound, Video and Game Controllers and update your video drivers.
8. Update the Zoom app
Video feed not working on Zoom could be due to old build on your mobile or computer. You need to update the Zoom app to the latest version as they bring several bug fixes and performance improvements. More importantly, these updates also address potential security holes. Open the Zoom app and you will see the update banner at the top. Install the latest build and start using Zoom for digital meetings.
Further Reading:
- How to mute and unmute the Zoom app on your phone
- How to find and edit zoom recordings on Mac and PC
- I can't install Discord, how to fix
- How to choose a webcam
- How to record a Zoom meeting
