Webcam not displaying video - Mac OS 14.1.1 Sonoma

[AndrewNZ]

Hi,

I have an M1 MacStudio with an Apple Thunderbolt Display which has a built in webcam (known as FaceTimeHD Camera).

When running MacOS Monterey, the video feed from this camera worked. Since 'upgrading' to MacOS Sonoma 14.1.1 the Zoom preferences recognises the camera it is connected to, the computer displays the icon in the menu bar that the camera is in use, but no video preview appears in the Zoom preferences - the window is black.

I checked to see if this was just a bug with the preview in preferences, by starting a meeting. No video displayed, although I did get a message from the Zoom app that said 'Virtual Background is still loading. Start video anyway?' (The buttons offered the option of 'Don't use video' and 'Use video'. No video displayed after clicking 'Use video' and waiting several minutes. I then disabled virtual background in the preferences and tried again, but still had no video displayed in system preferences or in a meeting that I started.

Is this a known bug with Zoom version 5.16.10? If not, please can Zoom investigate and can other users let me know in the replies if this affects them too.

Thanks,

Andrew

[Jennife]

Hi Andrew,

we haven't received the relevant issue report yet, would you please submit a ticket to us? 

https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/contact?id=contact_us

[AndrewNZ]

Thanks for getting back to me. I have now submitted a ticket.

[RN]

Hi @AndrewNZ for any escalation, I would recommend continuing your conversation with your Zoom Technical Support agent, as they have the internal resources to resolve this. Please let me know if you need any additional help from the community.

Please share any troubleshooting steps that Zoom Technical Support suggested to resolve your issue for other community members who may be experiencing the same issue.

[jnowlen]

I am experiencing this as well- video image is just 'black' even when I elect to 'Start video anyway?' - no display. Sonoma 14.1.1 (23B81)

[Jennife]

Hi,

May I have your machine model info? do you also use an Mac mini?

[AndrewNZ]

Hi,

Some searching online suggested this was an operating system problem, rather than a problem with the Zoom app. When I followed the instructions on this Apple Support page, the video feed for Zoom was restored (along with fixing various other display issues I had encountered after installing Sonoma).

https://support.apple.com/en-nz/HT213969

Andrew

[AndrewNZ]

And now the video signal has again gone from Zoom, so this would seem to be broader than just a MacOS video system problem, as the steps in the Apple Support document have worked to restore video in FaceTime, but it's not provided a lasting solution for Zoom.

[EclecticSaint]

I am as well on macOS Ventura 13.6.4

[panchovanilla]

Exactly the same issue -- after every IOS update, I have at least one terrible meeting where none of my cameras work (built cam nor external cam) and I have to join the zoom from my phone to be seen. It's super frustrating, and honestly why I may abandon zoom. I should not have to tweak settings every single time I do a basic IOS update. Several meetings have been seriously disrupted by this bug.

[ecdemarchi]

same issue, Sonoma 14.2 (23C64), iMac20,2

[emzeman]

I am experiencing a variation on this problem since upgrading to Sonoma. Both my camera and microphone are recognized by Zoom (I can make changes in Zoom's audio and video preferences), and I have granted the appropriate permissions,. However, once I start up a Zoom meeting, the "Mute-Unmute Mic" and "Start-Stop Video" buttons do not work. (They stay as "muted" and "video off".)

I have another Mac that's still running Ventura, and everything works fine there.

[chichiJ]

I have the same issue.

[chichiJ]

Is there any resolution? I have exactly the same issues as described, my video is just black, even though it's technically recognized by Zoom. Last call I had to use my phone for camera. 

[rebeccafae]

I have the same problem. The workaround I found is starting FaceTime every time I turn my zoom video on. That makes the video appear and I can close FaceTime. But this is extremely annoying. I hope they find the problem and fix it soon!

[AndrewNZ]

Further experimentation on my part indicated that the problem occurred only when I was using Firefox as my browser. It also seemed to affect the ability of other apps to display correctly. When I switched to using a different browser (Brave), Zoom video worked OK.

[darkavich]

I have the same exact problem with 14.4. From what I can determine this is a problem with the virtual background. When I turn it off it's fine. If I turn it on I disappear. If I select Blur, then the background and myself are blurred. This happens with both built-in and USB camera.

So for some reason zoom things the image is part of the background.

[quantumlondon]

Same issue here. The Zoom app recognises that my webcam exists but does not capture the video from the webcam. As suggested above, this was solved if I switch on FaceTime. Then both Zoom and FaceTime see the video output from the webcam.

I tried to troubleshoot with the setup tool for the webcam (EMEET). I can see the video from the webcam using the EMEET software up to the moment I start a meeting in Zoom. Then the image freezes on the EMEET software. 

So, clearly something in the Zoom app is responsible.

Zoom Workspace 6.1.10 (38818)

Sonoma 14.6.1.

EMeet HD webcam C960

[MGSR]

Hello @quantumlondon,

Welcome to the Zoom Community! We're glad to have you here.

Can you kindly update your Zoom to the latest version (6.1.11) and let me know if it helps?

[rebeccafae]

Obviously I am not quantumlondon, but updating to 6.1.11 did not fix it for me. I still have to open FaceTime to get the video on Zoom to display.

[sylk]

I have the same black screen issue after the Sonoma upgrade and I did upgrade to the latest 6.1.11 Zoom version. Need to get this resolved asap please.

[MGSR]

Hello @rebeccafae and @sylk,

Just to confirm, are you using the built in camera of your Mac or trying to use an external camera?

If you are using an external camera, is it directly plugged to the Mac or are you using a hub?

[rebeccafae]

I am using an external camera through a displaylink hub

[sylk]

I'm using the built in camera on my Mac. For some reason, when I join or start a zoom call on my laptop, it pops up on PHONE to answer and start my FaceTime! I have never connected my Zoom to FaceTime and don't even have messages from my phone connected to my laptop. When I disconnect the FaceTime call attempt on my phone, only then can I turn on the camera on the connected zoom call on my laptop. How do I completely disconnect Zoom from communicating with my phone??

[barbara_andrez]

Same problem here. I have never had problems with Zoom before, but now it doesn't run on Sonoma. The fans go crazy and the camera doesn't connect. I tried to disconnect it from my phone several times, tried to adjust the preferences but nothing seems to work. 

[Lorenzo5]

Hello I am having the same problem. I can't put my camera on and the audio also is intermittent. The autorisations in the settings for utilizing the camera and micro are on. All this since I installed Sonoma 14.7.1  Before it was functioning perfectly. Can the Zoom staff do something about it. 

[MGSR]

Hello there,

Welcome to the Zoom Community! We're glad to have you here.

Kindly do a clean uninstall and grant Mac OS permission once reinstalled.

Please let us know if it works for you or if you need further assistance. 

[rebeccafae]

This did not work for me 😞. Same issue as before, I have to open FaceTime before my video will display. I'm on an M1.

[barbara_andrez]

Hello! 

I did a SMC reset on my Mac and disabled the continuity camera on my Iphone and, for me, it did the trick for now.

Thank you

[MGSR]

Thank you for sharing your workaround, @barbara_andrez. We greatly appreciate your contribution. @rebeccafae, please let us know if this worked for you.

[rebeccafae]

It did not work for me. I tried the reset, but I do not have a community camera or an iphone. I have an external camera connected through a DisplayLink hub and that seems to be related to the issue, as I stated in this previous comment When I use the laptop camera everything works, but I use my laptop in clamshell mode so that's not really an option.