Last updated: 22 September, 2026 | Read time: 8 minutes
A camera that will not turn on right before a meeting is one of the most stressful Teams camera problems mainly because the cause could be anywhere between three different layers: your hardware, your operating system’s permissions or Teams itself. We have broken the fix down by layer so you can find the one fast instead of guessing.
Quick Answer
Most Teams camera failures come down to camera permissions being blocked at the operating system level another app (Zoom, Skype, browser tabs) already holding the camera or an outdated camera driver. Closing camera apps re‑granting Teams camera permission in your OS privacy settings and restarting Teams resolves this for the large majority of users.
Why Your Camera Isn’t Working in Teams
1. Operating System Privacy Permissions
Both Windows and macOS require explicit per‑app permission to access the camera. If Teams was installed or updated after you last granted this permission or if a system update reset privacy settings Teams can silently lose camera access without any error message.
2. Another Application Is Using the Camera
Most webcams can only be accessed by one application at a time. If you have Zoom, Skype, a browser tab with a video call even a camera/streaming app running in the background Teams will not be able to grab the feed even though it looks like it “should” work.
3. Outdated or Corrupted Camera Drivers
Windows in particular relies on drivers to bridge the camera and any app trying to use it. A driver that is out of date or was corrupted by a Windows update is one of the more common hidden causes of a “black screen” Teams camera in Teams specifically (even while the same camera works fine in other apps).
4. Wrong Camera Selected in Teams Settings
If you have than one camera connected (a built‑in laptop camera plus an external USB webcam for example) Teams may default to the wrong one making it look like your camera “isn’t working” when it is simply pointed at the wrong device.
Step‑by‑Step Fix
Step 1: Other Apps Using the Camera
Close Zoom, Skype any open browser tabs with video calls and any camera‑related software running in the background. Then reopen Teams. Try your camera again.
Step 2: Check Camera Permissions (Windows)
Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
Make sure “Camera access” is turned on.
Scroll down. Confirm Microsoft Teams is allowed under “Let apps access your camera.”
Step 3: Check Camera Permissions (macOS)
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
Confirm the toggle next to Microsoft Teams is switched on.
If Teams is not listed all quit and reopen Teams once – macOS usually adds it to the list the next time it requests camera access.
Step 4: Select the Correct Camera in Teams
In a Teams meeting or call click the three‑dot menu → Settings → Devices. Confirm the correct camera is selected from the dropdown. If you have cameras try switching between them to identify which one is functional.
Step 5: Update Your Camera Driver
Right‑click the Start button and open Device Manager.
Expand “Cameras” (or “Imaging devices”).
Right‑click your camera. Select “Update driver ” then “Search automatically for drivers.”
Step 6: Restart Your Device
A full restart clears any background process that might still be holding onto the camera even after you have closed the app that opened it – this alone resolves a number of “camera stuck” cases.
Step 7: Test the Camera Outside Teams
Open your operating system’s built‑in Camera app (Camera on Windows Photo Booth on Mac). If the camera does not work there either the issue is hardware. Driver‑related rather than specific to Teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
My camera works in Zoom but not Teams – why?
This usually points to an app‑specific permission issue, than a hardware problem. Recheck Step 2 or Step 3 specifically for Teams since each app requests camera permission separately.
Why is my Teams camera showing a screen instead of an error?
If a black screen appears and no error message shows, that usually means Teams has permission to use the camera. The camera feed is not coming through. This often happens because the driver is out of date or because another application is quietly holding the camera.
Does using Teams in a browser help with camera problems?
Sometimes it does. The browser version of Teams uses the browser’s camera permissions of the desktop app’s permissions. This makes it a good test to see whether the issue lies with the Teams desktop app.
About This Guide
It is based on tests performed on Windows 11 and macOS, with both built‑in and USB external webcams.
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