Why test outside Zoom first
Zoom's video preview tells you whether Zoom can see your camera. It cannot tell you whether the camera itself works, because a failure looks identical whether the cause is a dead webcam or a Zoom setting. Testing in a browser first splits the problem cleanly:
- Works here, fails in Zoom — hardware and driver are fine. It is Zoom's device selection or its permission. Continue below.
- Fails here too — a system-level problem, nothing to do with Zoom. Start with Windows or Mac troubleshooting.
Zoom's own video settings
Open Zoom, click your profile picture, choose Settings, then Video. The preview at the top shows what Zoom is currently capturing.
The camera dropdown lists every device Zoom can see. Try each one. Watch out for entries named OBS Virtual Camera, Snap Camera or NVIDIA Broadcast: these are virtual cameras that produce a black frame when their parent app is not running, and Zoom sometimes selects one by default after you install it.
Settings worth knowing about
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mirror my video | Flips your self-view only. Other people always see you unmirrored regardless of this setting. |
| Touch up my appearance | Applies smoothing. Heavy settings look artificial on a good camera. |
| Adjust for low light | Brightens a dark image at the cost of frame rate and noise. Better lighting is always preferable. |
| Turn off my video when joining | Easy to enable by accident, then forget. A frequent cause of "my camera is not working" that is not a fault at all. |
| HD | Only available on some plans and only when bandwidth allows. Zoom drops resolution automatically on a weak connection. |
Zoom holds the camera even when minimised. If Zoom is running in the background, the camera may be unavailable to this page and to every other application. Quit Zoom fully, including from the system tray or menu bar, before testing elsewhere.
Permission is granted per application
Allowing your browser to use the camera says nothing about Zoom. Each application is listed and approved separately.
On macOS, open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera, and confirm zoom.us is ticked. macOS requires the app to be fully quit and reopened afterwards, so use Command-Q rather than closing the window.
On Windows, open Settings, Privacy & security, Camera, and make sure Let desktop apps access your camera is on. Zoom is a desktop app, so that switch governs it. It sits at the bottom of a long list and is easy to miss.
Joining without the desktop app
Zoom has a browser client that works without installing anything. If your camera works on this page, it will almost certainly work in the browser client, which makes it a reliable fallback when a meeting is starting and you have no time to debug the desktop app. On the join page, look for the small "Join from your browser" link below the main download prompt.
A two minute pre-meeting routine
- Run the camera test above and check your framing and lighting.
- Run the microphone test and confirm the meter moves when you speak.
- Plug in the headset you plan to use, then test again, because connecting a headset changes the default input device.
- Open Zoom and confirm the same devices are selected in Settings, Video and Settings, Audio.
Common questions
Zoom says my camera is being used by another application.
Another program is holding it. Close Teams, Discord, OBS, Skype and any browser tab with a call open, then restart Zoom. On Windows check the system tray, since Teams keeps running after its window closes.
My camera works in Zoom but everyone says I look dark.
That is lighting, not hardware. Put a light source in front of you rather than behind. Zoom's Adjust for low light option helps a little but adds noise and lowers frame rate.
Why do I appear mirrored to myself but not to others?
Zoom mirrors your self-view by default because that is what people expect when looking at themselves. Participants always see the unmirrored image. You can turn it off under Settings, Video.
Zoom video is choppy but this test is smooth.
That points at bandwidth or CPU rather than the camera. Close other applications, switch to a wired connection if possible, and turn off virtual backgrounds, which are demanding to render.