A camera can work in one application yet fail in Google Meet while another program is using it. Google recommends closing other camera applications and reloading Meet. Make this a controlled check: identify the competing use and preserve your work before closing an application.
Identify other camera users
Look for another meeting window, a camera preview, recording software, or an application you recently opened to test the webcam. Stop any active recording or call through its normal controls. Save material before closing that program. Do not assume that a camera indicator light identifies which application owns the device, and do not terminate unrelated system processes.
Test without leaving a competing preview open
If you need a hardware comparison, open the computer’s built-in Camera application or Photo Booth and check for a live image. Then close that camera application before testing Meet again. Otherwise, the diagnostic tool can become another camera user. In Meet’s pre-join screen, choose the intended webcam explicitly; a virtual camera or other video device may appear in the same list.
Reload and verify the original meeting
Reload the Meet page after other camera applications are closed, using the original invitation or link. Check the preview for a moving image before joining. If another application shows video but Meet still does not, inspect site and operating-system camera permissions for the current browser. If neither application shows an image, check the camera connection and physical privacy cover next. Report which application succeeded and whether it was closed before the Meet test. That sequence is more useful to support than a general statement that the webcam sometimes works. Keep video off while further troubleshooting if you can continue participating by audio.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 4, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.