How to fix Google meet camera not working on Android

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2021-06-09
Abraham Miller

“I have an important meeting, and my camera is not working on Google Meet. What should I do?” That was how someone reported the Google Meet camera not working recently.

While Google Meet is an exceptional video conferencing app, that doesn’t mean it’s flawless. Of course, any app can flop up, but it can be a bit disappointing when you're on the verge of attending an important meeting, but your camera just won't show up.

However, that doesn’t mean you'll have to go faceless or give up the meeting. There are various ways to get your camera working again, and we've covered them in this article.

 google meet camera not working

Check if your camera works normally

First things first, we need to diagnose if your phone's camera is really working or it's just Google Meet's fault. Chances are your phone's camera itself is malfunctioning, hence causing the Google Meet camera not to work.

In that case, you need to run a simple test first: open your phone’s camera app to see if it works normally. You can take a video or photo with it. If it’s working, then you can continue troubleshooting your camera not working in Google Meet with the fixes below.

Restart your device

Whether or not your phone's camera is working, you should restart your phone to ensure the problem wasn't a temporary system glitch. Sometimes, a feature may stop working for an app if the system is overloaded. Nevertheless, a quick fix to try out is to reboot your device.

Simply long-press the Power key on your Android device for about 10 seconds to perform a force restart. If that didn’t work, you can reboot your Android device manually: just long-press the Power key to bring up the power menu, then select Restart/Reboot from there.

Try to test-run Google Meet again to see if the camera is now working.  

Check camera permissions

One cogent fix you shouldn't abandon after your Google Meet failed is checking and ensuring you've enabled camera permissions for Google Meet. Android apps normally ask for permissions to use different functions on the phone at the first launch. However, if you missed it or you've denied the camera permissions, you can always re-enable it.

And, if you’re running Android 11 or later and you’ve not used Google Meet for a while, the Android system might have revoked some permissions for it for security reasons. In one word, follow these steps to check and re-enable camera permissions for Google Meet.

  • Go to your device
  • Tap Apps & notifications(or whatever your OEM named it).
  • Tap See all apps
  • Now, find and select Google Meet on the app list.
  • Next, tap
  • Finally, ensure the Meet has access to your camera or enable the Camera permission

On the same note, if you experience the microphone not working on Google Meet, ensure the Microphone permission is turned on as well.

If the camera misbehaves still, try another solution below.

Install the latest version of Google Meet

Continually, if the Google Meet camera is starting but not working, it might be an issue with the app version you're using itself and not your device.

Google said they support the Meet app for 6 months after a new version is released to ensure it doesn’t flop your meeting. However, that doesn’t the app won’t be buggy, especially if you’ve installed an older version on your device.

If you're uncertain you've updated the Meet app recently, simply head over to the Play Store to do so now. Doing so ensures your Meet app is, at least, free from bugs and have the latest security features.

  • Launch the Play Store and search for Google Meet.
  • Select the official Meet app from the search result.
  • And underneath the app name, if you see an Update button, it hints your app is due for an update.
  • Tap the button to update Google Meet, then follow the next solution below.

Force restart Google Meet.

After installing the latest version of Meet from the Play Store, we recommend you restart the app to ensure the new update is implemented. That'll require you to visit your device setting.

  • Launch your device Settings
  • Tap Apps & notifications
  • Tap See all apps
  • Next, find and select Google Meet on the app list.
  • Finally, hit Force stop to shut down the app.

Hence, launch Google Meet normally and try to use the camera to see if it works.

Erase the Google Meet app’s cache

Is the camera not working in Google Meet still? You might need to erase the app's cached data. Apps cached data are effective most of the times. But sometimes, they can be problematic.

The cache is useful in the sense that it helps the app load faster by not needing to re-download contents every time. However, it could be a channel of the problem when it's too much or corrupted. To fix that, you need to erase it:

  • Launch the Settings app and select Apps & notifications.
  • Tap See all apps and select Meet from the list.
  • Now, tap Storage
  • Hit Clear cache.
  • Go back once and Force stop the app.

After erasing the cached data for Meet, launch it and test if the camera is now working. If not, try another solution below.

Update your device and other Google apps

Next fix! If you're still unable to get to the root of the problem, try updating your device and other core Google apps like Chrome and Android System WebView. Updating these apps and your device can also help fix the Google Meet camera not working sometimes.

To update your device;

  • Open the Settings app and scroll to the bottom.
  • Tap System
  • Select System Update (or Software Update)
  • Next, tap Check for update. And if there's an available update, download and install it ASAP.

To update Google Chrome and Android System WebView;

  • Launch the Play Store
  • Tap the circular Profile picture at the upper-right corner.
  • Select My apps & games to fetch available update.
  • Scroll through the list. If you find Chrome and Android System WebView on the list, simply update them
  • And restart your device afterward.

Uninstall and Reinstall Google Meet

If nothing else works, you can delete Meet on your Android device and reinstall it from Google Play. Doing that will often erase the app's data and possibly fix the issue you're currently experiencing.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Find the Meet app icon on your launcher and long-press it.
  • Tap
  • Simply reboot your device.
  • Visit the Play Store to find and reinstall Google Meet.

Launch the app after reinstalling it and endeavor to grant all requested permissions. After doing that, you should try hosting a meeting to test if the camera now works.

Otherwise, you might need to try another way to use Google Meet on your device. A more simplified way to do that on Android is to use Meet via the Gmail app. Since Google has integrated Meet into Gmail, it's indeed easier to host or join a meeting.

To do that, ensure Gmail is up-to-date or update it from the Play Store. And when you launch it, you’ll see a Meet tab below the screen. Tap on it to host or join a meeting. Additionally, Google Meet invitation links will redirect you to Gmail henceforth.