Fix: Camera Not Working in Google Meet on Mac

Experiencing camera problems on Google Meet with your Mac?

Google Meet, similar to Zoom, connects people worldwide for both professional and personal interactions, requiring a Gmail account for full feature access. If your camera fails during calls, common causes include unstable internet, disabled camera permissions, or app-related software issues.

In this guide, I will go over a few simple yet effective fixes to quickly resolve these camera troubles on Google Meet.

Let’s jump right in.

1. Restart Your Mac

The initial and simplest solution is to restart your Mac. This refreshes the system, clearing potential glitches that may be affecting your camera. It also resets camera settings and resolves any compatibility issues with 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

If your camera isn’t functioning in Google Meet on your Mac, assess your internet connection. Slow or unstable internet often leads to issues during Meet calls. Ensure you have a stable and sufficiently fast network to prevent disruptions or disconnections during your call.

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

3. Ensure the 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 Camera 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.

Follow the steps below to do ensure the browser has access to the webcam:

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 Search Browser’s Permissions

When starting a Google Meet call, you are prompted 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‘ Setting

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

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 the 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 meantime, you can use your iPhone as a webcam on a Mac.

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. 

If this guide helped you, please share it.