How to fix Zoom video not working [Windows & Mac]

Publish date: 2024-07-17

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    • The annoying issue when Zoom video is not working is usually not a serious one, thankfully. When Zoom is unable to detect a camera, you don’t see it in Zoom settings.

    Other times, Zoom detects your camera, but then the video box only displays a grey area, and there’s no output. These troubleshooting steps will help you fix this problem quickly.

    Why do I get a black screen in Zoom video?

    It’s not uncommon to experience black screen issues with your webcam, and if this happens, this issue will affect all apps on your computer, including Zoom.

    This occurs due to driver problems or certain bugs, which will make Zoom unable to detect a camera thus resulting in a black screen.

    There are many similar issues and users reported that Zoom failed to detect a microphone due to USB problems, so be sure to try using different ports.

    What can I do if Zoom meeting is not showing videos?

    1. Restart your computer

    As with many software issues, when troubleshooting Zoom that is unable to detect a camera or video not working, an excellent first step is to reboot your computer.

    What rebooting does is that it refreshes the system and fixes minor software conflicts that may be causing the problems.

    Therefore, when you experience Zoom video not working, restart your computer or do it manually.

    Close the client and power off your machine. Wait for a couple of seconds for the computer to shut down completely, and then turn it back on.

    Test your Zoom video again if the video is now showing. If the issue persists, then continue with our troubleshooting guide.

    2. Reinstall the Windows Zoom client

  • Press the Windows key to open the Start menu.
  • Scroll down the applications list on the Start menu and locate the Zoom folder, and then click it to reveal the Start Zoom icon.
  • Next, right-click on the Start Zoom icon and hit Uninstall.
  • A popup will appear asking you if you want to allow the app to make changes to your PC. Click OK to authorize the uninstallation.
  • The uninstallation progress will show on your screen. Wait for it to complete.
  • Finally, restart your computer to finish uninstalling Zoom and delete all components.

    • If restarting your computer does not fix the problem, and the Zoom meeting is not showing video still, then uninstall the Zoom Windows client and reinstall it on your system.

    When your PC restarts, download and install Zoom again. Test it now to see if the reinstallation has solved your issue of Zoom video not working.

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    If reinstalling Zoom the classic way doesn’t work, it could also be because after you uninstall the program, it still has some leftovers that can interfere with the new install.

    3. Use a Zoom alternative

    If Zoom continues to misbehave even after you troubleshoot it, you’ll probably have to think of using an alternative service to hold your video conferences, and we recommend you give Pexip a try.

    Not only does it deliver high-quality imagery, but the video conferences will also be encrypted, so you don’t have to worry about the security or privacy of your video conferences.

    More so, the service is accessible via web browser, so you can securely join with your PC, smartphone, or conference room from any location, just as long as you have Internet connectivity.

    Pexip

    Zoom isn’t the only video conferencing tool out there, with Pexip being a perfect example of a solid alternative.

    4. Close other applications that have access to your camera

    Zoom may be unable to detect a camera if the webcam is currently engaged with a different program.

    Other programs such as Skype may be using the computer’s camera, and if this is the case, Zoom won’t be able to use the camera at the same time.

    To see the apps that have access to your camera or are using it, press the Windows key and navigate to Settings, select Privacy and click on Camera.

    After reinstalling and restarting your computer, make sure that you close other applications that have access to the camera you wish to use with Zoom.

    Read more about this topic

    5. Update your camera driver to the latest version

  • Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R.
  • In the Run dialog box, type devmgmt.msc and hit enter to open Device Manager.
  • In the Device Manager window, locate Imaging devices and click on it.
  • Under Imaging devices, you should see your camera listed in the submenu. Right-click on it and select Update Driver.
  • Next, click on Search automatically for updated driver software, and the system begins to scan your computer and the internet for an update of your camera driver.
  • Following the scan, it updates the driver if it finds one.

    • Doing this procedure manually is not very hard but it can still go wrong and if you install the wrong driver you will be right back where you started. You can do this procedure the easy way, by using specialized software.

    Some of the most common Windows errors and bugs are a result of old or incompatible drivers. The lack of an up-to-date system can lead to lag, system errors or even BSoDs.To avoid these types of problems, you can use an automatic tool that will find, download, and install the right driver version on your Windows PC in just a couple of clicks, and we strongly recommend DriverFix. Here’s how to do it:

  • Download and install DriverFix.
  • Launch the application.
  • Wait for DriverFix to detect all your faulty drivers.
  • The software will now show you all the drivers that have issues, and you just need to select the ones you’d liked fixed.
  • Wait for DriverFix to download and install the newest drivers.
  • Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
    • DriverFix

    DriverFix

    Drivers will no longer create any problems if you download and use this powerful software today.

    Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.

    Do you want to learn how to update all of Windows 10 drivers? Follow this guide for more info.

    5. Unblock Zoom from the Windows 10 camera privacy settings

  • Press the Windows key and click the Settings icon on the left-hand panel.
  • Click on Privacy and select Camera.
  • Next, click on the Privacy settings.
  • In the Privacy settings page, find and select Camera from the left panel to open the Camera privacy settings.
  • Here, click Change under Camera access for this device.
  • Finally, on this page, you will see a section titled  Choose which apps can access your camera.
  • On the list, locate Zoom and toggle it on to enable it.

    • As per the previous troubleshooting step, you may also want to disable the other applications and block their camera access, in case they are somehow making use of the camera in the background.

    Zoom is a superb videoconferencing application, and if Zoom video is not working, it defeats the aim of using this platform unless, of course, you only want to use audio.

    The troubleshooting steps outlined on this page, if done correctly, will get you right back on track and repair this issue.

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