It’s arguably not a pleasant experience to find out that your ZOOM video stops working. Webcam malfunctioning isn’t a new thing for Zoom users. However, most of the time, you can get it fixed by merely restarting the app. But what if you aren’t the lucky ones?
Well, you don’t have to worry about it. We have got your back. In the following article, we have rounded up some of the best solutions to get rid of ‘Zoom video/camera is not working’ issues. All you have to do is apply the fixes in the same order as they are listed, and you’ll hopefully get your Zoom camera functioning again. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
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How to Fix ZOOM Video Not Working?
Zoom has a dedicated feature that allows you to select from the camera devices connected with your PC. However, if you don’t have an external webcam, Zoom will automatically make the integrated camera the default webcam for the videos. But whatever the case might be with you, it’s crucial that you check the Zoom camera settings once to ensure everything is optimized correctly.
- Launch the Zoom app, and click on the little gear icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
- Select “Video,” click on “Camera,” and choose the right webcam option you want to use. As previously stated, if you don’t have any external webcam connected to your device, Zoom will make use of the PC’s integrated camera for video purposes.
Now, there could be two cases: you might not see your camera option within the settings, or, despite having the camera selected, the video isn’t showing up on the screen.
To fix this, first, you should update the Zoom application. Upon launching the app, you will automatically get a notification on the home screen if your app requires any update. Next, if you are using an external webcam, make sure it’s correctly plugged in and, most importantly, turned on. Additionally, to ensure USB ports are working fine, switch the camera cable on different ports.
Also Read: USB Device Not Recognized? Here is the Fix.
Now, if you have done the preliminary checks as instructed and the issue persists, it’s time you go for the fixes mentioned below.
Fix 1: Check Windows Camera Access for Zoom
Windows 10 has a privacy feature that prevents apps from accessing the camera, so make sure it’s not blocking the Zoom.
- Go to Settings or press “Windows+I.”
- Click on “Privacy,” and on the left pane under App permissions, select the “Camera” option.
- Under Allow access to the camera on this device, you’ll see a “Change” button, click on it and make sure it’s turned ON.
- Now, do the same thing for Allow apps to access your camera: toggle it ON.
Also Read: Fix msvcp140.dll is Missing Error in Windows 10
Fix 2: Close all Applications Having Access to the Webcam
You have to make sure that your camera isn’t being used by another application because this may cause interference and block Zoom from utilizing the camera. You have to close all other apps and programs that use the camera and are running either in the background or among startup programs. This may include pre-installed camera applications, other video conferencing software, or websites.
- Press “Windows+X” and from the panel that appeared on the left, tap on “Task Manager”
- Click on the “Process” tab and locate the apps or background processes that might be using the device’s camera.
- To close, right-click on it and select “End task.”
Fix 3: Restart your Computer
Restarting your PC helps freeing-up your computer’s processor, clears RAM, and eliminates temporary software glitches. So if you haven’t restarted your PC yet, now it’s time you do that.
Fix 4: Reinstall the Zoom Client
Before you invest more time performing the following methods, we advise you to reinstall your Zoom app. This will help you rule out the possibility of Zoom having application-level internal errors causing the camera to not function.
How-to-do is self-explanatory, but in case you need steps:
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing “Windows+R.”
- To launch the Control Panel, type “control” and press “OK.”
- Click on “Programs” and select “Uninstall a program.”
- Locate Zoom, right-click on it and tap “Uninstall.”
- Next, head over to the Zoom official website, download the application and install it fresh.
Now, launch the app and test your video.
Fix 5: Modify Zoom Video Settings
If you have made any changes in Zoom’s video settings, out of curiosity or done accidentally, resetting it to the default might solve the video issues. Although these settings are used for enhancing video playback and may not directly affect the cause, we believe it’s still worth it to run a test.
- Open the Zoom application, and click on “Settings” – it’s the gear icon at the top-right.
- Click on the “Advanced” button at the bottom.
- Now, check the box for “Optimize video quality with de-noise” including “Video processing” “Receiving Video” and “Sending video”
- Next, for “Video Rendering Method,” “Video Rendering Post Processing,” and “Video Capturing Method,” select Auto from the drop-down menu.
Exit the app, and test the video.
Fix 6: Update Windows
It’s advisable always to keep your Windows up-to-date, not only when you stumble across some error.
- To update your Windows OS, first, open Settings by using the shortcut keys “Windows+I.”
- Click on “Update & Security” and select “Windows Update.”
- Tap on “Check for updates” and wait while your Windows revert with the search.
- If you find any updates available for your PC, click on “Download & Install” and sit back while it gets done.
Fix 7: Update Camera Drivers
Since we are dealing with Camera/video issues on Zoom meetings, it makes sense to update your camera drivers. A driver is nothing but a group of definite files that enables hardware components to communicate with the operating system. Device drivers are susceptible to corruption and getting outdated; therefore, updating it could work out as a remedy for the problem relating to the particular area.
Related: Best Driver Updater for Windows
- First, open the Run Command Window by using the combination of “Windows+R” shortcut keys.
- Type “devmgmt.msc” in the textbox and hit Enter.
- Now, under Device Manager, expand “Cameras,” and right-click on your webcam name, and select “Update driver.”
- You will be asked how you want to update your camera driver. You can do it via Windows automatic search or download and install it manually from the camera manufacturer’s website.
Letting Windows do the job of finding and automatically updating the drivers is more of a hassle-free way. But in case it doesn’t work, you can do it yourself by downloading the Camera driver installer from the official website.
Fix 8: Reset Camera App
Resetting the camera app terminates the system glitches and resolves the problems caused by it. Sometimes clearing the app data and giving it a fresh start can be a useful trick to remove errors.
- Type “camera” in the search bar given at the bottom-left of the screen.
- Click on “App settings” and scroll down to the Reset option.
- Hit “Reset” and wait until you get a checkmark next to the button.
Go back to Zoom and check if your video is showing up.
Fix 9: Reinstall Webcam
If you have tried everything so far, and Zoom’s video issue seems to linger right there, try reinstalling your webcam. First, you have to uninstall it, which will potentially delete all the previous entries and drivers. And then, when you reinstall the webcam by plugging it back in, Windows will load everything new and fresh.
- Launch Device Manager (for steps refer to fix #7)
- Expand the “Cameras” section and right-click on the webcam name – the one you are trying to use on Zoom.
- Select “Uninstall device” and confirm the uninstallation if you get asked to do so.
- Exit the window and reboot your PC.
Now, when you plug in your webcam again, Windows will automatically install the required drivers for the device. Or you can also go back to the Device Manager, select your camera, and choose “Update driver.”
How to Fix Zoom Video Not Working in Lenovo Computers?
If you find your Zoom video not working on a Lenovo PC, that is probably due to a default feature preventing Zoom from accessing the webcam.
For Windows 7:
- Using the Windows search bar, look for “Lenovo – Web Conferencing.”
- Open it and Enable the webcam.
For Windows 8 and 10:
- Type “lenovo” in the Windows search and click “Lenovo Vantage.” If you don’t have this program on your PC, you can download it from the Microsoft Store.
- Click on “Hardware Settings” and select “Audio/Visual.”
- Scroll down to the Camera Privacy Mode and toggle it off.
Final Words
We hope the various solutions we have brought for you helped in fixing the Zoom camera/video issue. Let us know which method, in particular, made your zoom video working again, as it might help others know what could work more efficiently.
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