Since Google Meet runs in your browser rather than as a standalone app, camera issues are usually a browser permission problem rather than a Meet-specific bug. Work through these in order.
1. Check the browser's camera permission
Click the lock or camera icon in your browser's address bar while on the Meet page. Confirm camera access is set to Allow, not blocked or set to ask every time. If it was previously blocked, you'll need to reload the page after changing it.
2. Confirm the right camera is selected in Meet
Before or during a call, click the three-dot menu and go to Settings > Video. Check the camera dropdown — if you have multiple cameras (built-in plus an external webcam, for example), Meet may have defaulted to the wrong one.
3. Check if another app is using your camera
Most webcams can only be used by one application at a time. If you have Zoom, Teams, or another video app open in the background — even minimized — it may be holding the camera and blocking Meet from accessing it. Fully close other video apps and reload Meet.
Tip: on Windows, check Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and confirm "Let apps access your camera" is on, and that your browser specifically is allowed. This is a separate setting from the browser's own permission.
4. Restart your browser fully
Not just the tab — fully quit and reopen the browser. Camera permissions and device connections can get into a stuck state that a simple page refresh doesn't clear.
5. Test the camera outside Meet
Open your operating system's built-in camera app (Camera on Windows, Photo Booth on Mac) to confirm the camera works at all, independent of the browser. If it doesn't show anything there either, this is a hardware or driver issue, not a Meet or browser problem.
6. Update your browser
Google Meet is built around Chrome but works in most modern browsers — an outdated browser version can cause camera detection issues that newer versions don't have. Check for updates in your browser's settings menu.
The bottom line
Camera issues in Google Meet are almost always permissions or device conflicts, not a problem with Meet itself. Checking browser permissions and closing other apps using the camera resolves the large majority of cases.