Zoom Camera Not Working or Showing a Black Screen: How to Fix It

Your Zoom camera light is on (or your webcam works elsewhere) but the meeting shows a black square or your profile picture instead of you.

Why: Either video is stopped or the wrong camera is selected, the OS is blocking camera access, or security software is detecting Zoom and blocking the video feed — which Zoom shows as a black screen.

Fix 1: Start video and pick the right camera

1. In the meeting, look bottom-left. If the camera icon has a red line through it, click Start Video.
2. Click the ^ arrow next to Start/Stop Video and check the Select a Camera list — pick your real webcam (your external camera, not “Integrated Camera,” if you’re using a USB cam).
3. Open Settings > the Video tab. You should see a live preview at the top. If it’s there, video works and you’re done.

If the preview is black here too, keep going.

Fix 2: Close whatever else is using the camera

A camera can only feed one app at a time. A black screen often means Zoom found the camera but something else is holding the feed.

• Fully quit Teams, Skype, OBS, FaceTime, the Camera app, and any browser tab that asked for camera access.
• On laptops, check for a physical privacy shutter or a camera-off keyboard key (often F-row with a camera icon).
• Restart Zoom so it re-grabs the camera cleanly.

Fix 3: Give Zoom permission to use the camera (Windows / Mac)

Windows 11: Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. Turn on Camera access, Let apps access your camera, and the Let desktop apps access your camera toggle near the bottom, then confirm Zoom isn’t blocked in the list.

macOS: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera, toggle zoom.us on, then quit and reopen Zoom.

Fix 4: Stop antivirus or network-security software from blocking Zoom

If the camera is selected and permitted but the feed is still black, security software is the usual culprit — this is the cause Zoom calls out directly.

1. Open your antivirus or endpoint-security tool (Kaspersky, Bitdefender, and corporate security agents are common offenders).
2. Find its webcam-protection or application-blocklist section and remove Zoom from the blocklist (or temporarily disable webcam protection).
3. Rejoin the meeting and start video. Re-enable protection afterward, allowing Zoom through.

FAQ

It broke right after a Zoom update. Reinstall cleanly — uninstall Zoom, delete leftover Zoom folders, then download the current client from the official Download Center.

My preview works in Settings but the meeting is black. That points to the security-software block in Fix 4, or a second app grabbing the camera as soon as the meeting starts (Fix 2).

Why does my profile picture show instead of video? Video is stopped — click Start Video (Fix 1).

Sources: Zoom Support — Troubleshooting video display appearing as a black screen