Camera/Backgrounds

Hi Dany, 

Thanks for reaching out. 

If I got you correctly, your camera is on, but Zoom will NOT show your real surroundings at all.
Your options are virtual background or a solid light-blue screen, and there is no “real room” view. Is that correct?

If so, Zoom is not actually displaying your raw camera feed. Instead, it’s applying a background filter 100% of the time. This usually happens for one of these reasons:

1. A Zoom video filter is enabled (not virtual background)

This is different from virtual backgrounds.

Solution:

1. During the meeting, click ^ next to Start Video

2. Click Video Settings

3. Go to Background & Effects

4. Click the Filters tab

5. Select None

Note: If a filter is active, Zoom will never show your real background.

2. Your camera is being processed as a “virtual camera”

Zoom thinks your camera feed already has effects applied.

Check this:

1. Click ^ next to Start Video

2. Look at Select a Camera

3. If you see anything like:

   • OBS Virtual Camera

   • Snap Camera

   • ManyCam

   • DroidCam

Select your actual physical camera instead.

3. Your Zoom account or meeting has “Required Virtual Background”

This is not visible to participants and looks exactly like what you’re describing.

This happens often with:

• work accounts

• school accounts

• compliance-controlled meetings

How to confirm:

• Does this happen in every meeting, even personal ones?

• If yes → account-level restriction

• If only in certain meetings → host-level restriction

Only the Zoom admin or meeting host can change this.

4. Zoom is detecting a “green screen” that doesn’t exist

That light-blue screen is a dead giveaway.

Fix:

1. Go to Settings → Background & Effects

2. Turn OFF I have a green screen

3. Restart Zoom completely (quit, reopen)

5. Camera driver issue (Zoom can’t access raw feed)

Zoom gets something from the camera, but not the unprocessed image.

Quick test:

• Open your camera in:

  • Windows Camera app / macOS Photo Booth

• If your real background shows there → Zoom issue

• If it doesn’t → camera driver issue

I hope this helps.