Fix · Google Meet on a Mac
Google Meet camera not working? Fix it on your Mac.
Meet runs in your browser, so the camera has to get past two gates: the browser's permission for meet.google.com, and macOS's permission for the browser.
Quick check first: Open the free webcam test in the same browser. If you see yourself there, the browser and Mac are fine and the fix is in Meet's settings (step 4). If not, work down from step 1.
Fix it in Meet
- Allow the camera for Meet.In a meeting, click the camera icon in Chrome's address bar, turn on Camera, and choose Allow on every visit.
- Check Chrome's camera settings.Go to chrome://settings/content/camera. Under Default behavior, choose Sites can ask to use your camera. If meet.google.com is listed under blocked sites, remove it and allow it again.
- Using Safari?Choose Safari › Settings, click Websites, then Camera, and set meet.google.com to Allow.
- Pick the camera in Meet.On the preview screen, click the arrow on the camera button and choose a camera. In a meeting, click the arrow next to the camera button, or open More options › Settings › Video.
Restart the browser the right way
Google's help says closing Chrome after an update may not reset what's holding the camera. Type chrome://restart in the address bar, then rejoin.
Works in Photo Booth, not in Meet
Google says that if the camera shows you in Photo Booth but not in Meet, the browser or Mac permission is the problem, not the camera. Close other apps that use the camera, then reload Meet.
Then check your Mac
If Meet looks right and the camera still doesn't work, go through these in order.
- Allow your browser on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera, and turn on the browser you use for Meet, like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Quit and reopen the browser after.
- Check Screen Time.If you use Screen Time, open System Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy, then App Restrictions, and make sure Camera is allowed.
- Watch for Continuity Camera.Your Mac can switch to your iPhone's camera when the phone is nearby. If Meet shows your phone's view, or a camera you didn't expect, pick your Mac's camera in Meet.
- Close other video apps.Google Meet's own help says to close other apps that might be using the camera, like Photo Booth or another call app, then try again.
- Reconnect an external camera.Unplug a USB webcam or capture card and plug it back in. Try another port, and skip the hub or dock if you can. To see whether your Mac detects it, hold Option, choose Apple menu › System Information, and look under Camera.
Test it outside Meet
The free webcam test runs in your browser, with nothing to install. If your camera works there, your Mac and the hardware are fine, and the fix is in Meet's settings above.
On a Mac? Green Room checks your camera before Meet does.
Click the icon next to the clock for a live preview of the camera your Mac suggests to apps. When a camera you usually use goes missing, it tells you whether your Mac sees it on USB at all, or sees it but can't use it. A green dot shows when another app already has a camera open. Free, with no account.
Questions
Why does Google Meet say my camera is blocked?
Meet doesn't have the browser's permission. Click the camera icon in the address bar, turn on Camera, and choose Allow on every visit.
How do I allow the camera for Meet in Safari?
Choose Safari › Settings › Websites › Camera and set meet.google.com to Allow.
Meet works in Chrome but not in another browser. Why?
Each browser has its own permission, both for the site and in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera. Allow both in the browser you're using.
Do I need to restart Chrome?
Often, yes. Google suggests typing chrome://restart in the address bar so Chrome fully restarts, then rejoining the meeting.