Camera continually freezes using Zoom (and Teams) on brand new Macbook Air M2 2022

[Gangotri]

I have a brand new (four-day old) Macbook Air M2 2022. It has only had Google Chrome, Zoom and Teams Apps installed on it and no documents or data have been transferred. All the recommended updates have been installed and the device is running the latest version of Ventura.

Every 15-30 minutes, the camera freezes for anything between 20-40 seconds and then unfreezes and there is a message saying that 'Your Internet Is Unstable'. However, the Internet speed and stability have been checked via a dedicated website online and also manually by a registered service professional and it has been deemed Fast and Suitable for Intense/Heavy Usage - so that is not the issue.

Following specialist and community guidance online, I also Disabled Hardware Acceleration in Zoom, but that hasn't helped. I also tried closing all Apps other than the specific Zoom App, but that hasn't solved the problem.

An Apple specialist said that it seems to be a case of some plugins interfering with the user behaviour and that something in the background makes the App think it is not getting Internet access. They recommend asking Zoom for guidance. 

I tried Zoom in Safe Mode and the camera seemed fine and did not freeze in 4 x 30-minute Zoom meetings. I have done a Factory Reset on the Apple Macbook Air and downloaded only Zoom without Chrome but the Zoom camera still froze for a few seconds near the beginning of the call.

If you have any suggestions of what to try next, that would be extremely helpful and very much appreciated!

I have had Macbooks before and have never had an issue (including while using the very same Internet connection combined with Zoom). I rely 100% on Zoom/Teams for my work and unfortunately shall have to return the device if this issue cannot be sorted out - which will be both disappointing and disruptive, as well as highly perplexing, as this issue (which many other users are experiencing) surely has to have a solution?!  

[YaBoiB]

Hello @Gangotri. 

 I just want to make sure that when you go to https://zoom.us/download the download page that you are downloading the Apple Silicon chip link and not the regular MacOS Zoom client correct? 

Brandon

[Gangotri]

Hello @Brandon,

Thank you very much for your swift and useful response. I had actually deleted the Zoom App and reinstalled it via the link earlier today, but I did this in haste prior to an online meeting without being explcitly aware of the two specific options. The short Zoom call I did this afternoon passed without a hitch, so it may be that this is the solution. I shall be able to do a proper test during an afternoon-long meeting tomorrow. I'll follow-up with the results. 

Many thanks again for your helpful response, which is very much appreciated. Fingers crossed! 

[Gangotri]

Hi @Brandon,

To recap, I deleted and reinstalled Zoom using the dedicated Silicon Chip link. I also unchecked the 'Use hardware acceleration for receiving video' box as advised. The issue now seems worse than ever with the screen freezing for between approximately 15 and 40 seconds every few minutes. In my 2.5 hr Zoom meeting today, the screen froze at:

15.11, 15.15, 16.01, 16.16, 16.18, 16.30, 16,37, 16.59, 17.19 (x 2!) & 17.24. 

This is an extremely difficult situation as I depend on Zoom and Teams for my work so if anyone has any solutions, I would be most grateful to hear from you! 

With thanks in advance for your consideration of this request. 

[mschwabphd]

I am about to cancel my Zoom subscription for just this problem.  I cannot get through a 1-hour meeting without multiple freezes that are disruptive.  The irony is that Zoom tells me "your internet is unstable" and yet my internet is blazing fast and very stable.  My business depends on rock solid internet and I pay for it.  Today I used a different telehealth platform to double check my conclusions and I had no problems whatsoever.  I use a macbook pro (M1 chip) with a 2nd monitor, a Brio camera, and a USB condenser microphone.  Having poked around the internet a bit about this problem there seems to be an ever louder conversation about a Zoom app glitch that cannot be fixed by anyone but Zoom.  Is that true?

[Gangotri]

Hello, I have just seen your comment and really sympathise with your experience. I had a completely fruitless conversation with a Zoom customer service assistant this week. My camera freezes with Teams (less so but the call drops out completely 2-3 times in an hour). The problem persists even in Safe Mode, though is less severe.

I have a call booked to speak with a senior technician at Apple tomorrow and shall feed back your experience to see if I can get any further insights for you. It's a completely unworkable situation and as users we seem completely left high and dry as all parties (Apple, Zoom, the seller) pass the buck by blaming the problem on the other party.