If your virtual camera does not show up in Google Meet, the cause is almost always one of three things: the browser read the camera list before the camera was running, the camera is blocked in the browser or in Windows privacy settings, or Meet is still set to your old camera. Meet runs in the browser, which does see classic virtual cameras like FakeCam, so this is usually fixed in a minute. Work through the checks in order.

1. Start the camera first, then reload Meet

The browser reads the list of cameras when the Meet page loads. Start FakeCam, press Play, then reload the Meet tab (F5). If you had already joined, leave the call and join again. This alone fixes most cases.

2. Check that the camera is registered

The FakeCam virtual camera has to be registered once on the PC (the Register button in FakeCam, which asks for administrator approval). If FakeCam says the camera is not registered, register it, then reload Meet.

3. Allow the camera in Windows

Open Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and make sure Camera access is on, and that Let desktop apps access your camera is on too. Chrome, Edge and Firefox are desktop apps, so that second toggle also governs Meet.

4. Allow the camera in the browser

On meet.google.com, click the camera icon (or the lock icon) at the right end of the address bar. The camera must be Allowed, and the camera selected there must be FakeCam: that icon sets the default camera for the site and can override what you picked inside Meet. Reload the page after changing it.

5. Pick FakeCam in Meet's settings

On the preview screen before joining, click the Settings gear, open Video, and choose FakeCam under Camera. In a call, it is under More options > Settings > Video. Meet remembers your last camera, so it may simply still be on your built-in webcam.

6. Black picture, or the camera fails to start

  • A black picture usually means FakeCam is not playing: press Play in FakeCam.
  • An error saying the camera could not start usually means another program is holding it. Close Zoom, Teams, OBS or any other app that may be using FakeCam, then reload Meet.
  • Make sure your camera is not simply turned off inside Meet (the camera button at the bottom of the call).

Still stuck?

Check that the camera works in another app, for example Discord or Zoom. If it does, the camera is fine and the issue is one of the permission or selection steps above. If it works nowhere, see virtual camera for Windows for the registration steps.