Fix Zoom Video Is Not Working & Shows a Black Screen

If you attempt to join a Zoom meeting but the video won’t work and shows a black screen, there are some quick solutions. Usually, you can still hear and see other members of the call, but your webcam will simply refuse to appear.

Most black screen issues on Zoom point to a problem with the hardware. Incorrect settings, outdated drivers, compatibility issues, and loose cables are all reasons you could face a black screen. Ensure the drivers on your webcam are up-to-date and check that everything is connected correctly.

Let’s take a detailed look at why the issue occurs and some additional ways to fix it.

Why Is Zoom Video Not Working and Shows a Black Screen?

Zoom video may not be working and showing a black screen for various reasons. It’s a good idea to switch Zoom and your device off and on to see if this resolves the issue. Zoom also relies on input from external hardware, such as your speakers and device camera, to function.

If your camera isn’t attached properly or is broken, it can’t transmit video, resulting in a black screen. However, software problems can also be the cause of Zoom videos not working and showing a black screen. Perhaps you just need to update Zoom, your operating system, or your webcam hardware?

How Can I Fix Zoom Video Not Working and Showing a Black Screen?

My Zoom video is not working and shows a black screen.

Is your Zoom video still not working and showing a black screen? If so, you can try out some of the steps listed below. Perhaps one of these can fix the issue for you?

Fix Zoom Video Not Working and Showing a Black Screen on Your Mobile

Is your mobile showing a black screen when you try to make a Zoom video call on it? Try these steps:

Check your call, video, and camera settings for your mobile and the Zoom app.
Give the Zoom app permission to access your camera and microphone in your mobile settings.
Ensure that your mobile phone proximity settings aren’t set to turn off your screen when it’s touched to your ear.
Make sure that your phone memory isn’t full, as this may be causing the Zoom app and video to crash.
Test that your phone camera works by opening your camera app and taking a photo or video.
Read our tips on how to fix Zoom virtual backgrounds not working if you’re having issues setting your backgrounds.
Uninstall and reinstall Zoom on your mobile.

Check Your Video Settings if Zoom Is Not Working and Shows a Black Screen

Zoom video is not working and shows a black screen on a pc.

Is your camera working, or your webcam plugged in, and its drivers up-to-date? But, Zoom video is still not working and shows a black screen?

Double-check that Zoom is picking up your webcam and using it as the primary video device:

Open Zoom on your device.
Then, log into Zoom.
Next, navigate to the Zoom settings.
Here, find “Video” in the menu and click on it to open your video settings.
Then, click on the “Camera” drop-down menu.
Finally, select your camera from the menu.
If you are already in a Zoom meeting, click on the up arrow next to the video symbol.
Now, a menu should appear.
Next, select your camera from the menu.
If there is no other camera, try unplugging your webcam and plugin it back in.
You can also open the video settings menu from here by clicking “Video Settings….”

Does your computer have a separate, dedicated Nvidia (or another brand) graphics card installed for gaming or design? If so, Zoom may be using it instead of your dedicated card, causing problems with screen sharing:

To fix this issue, open the Nvidia Control Panel by searching for it on your PC search bar.
Select “Manage 3D settings” from the left-hand menu.
Choose the “Program Settings” tab.
Click on the “Add” button next to the “1. Select a program to customize:” drop-down.
Select the Zoom Meetings app from the list in the pop-up menu that appears.
Once selected, check which graphics card is set as the default for the Zoom meetings app.
You can find this information in the “2. Select the preferred graphics processor for this program:” drop-down menu.
You can select “Use global setting (Auto-select: Integrated).
Alternatively, the correct GPU selection should have the word “Integrated” in brackets next to it.
Next, click on the “Add” button next to the “1. Select a program to customize:” drop-down menu again.
Navigate to your Zoom directory by clicking on the “Browse..” button this time.
Go to Windows > User > your user account > AppData > Roaming > Zoom > bin.
Note that your navigation path may be different based on where you installed your Zoom files on your computer.
Select CptHost.exe and click “Open.”
Now, check if your integrated GPU is also selected here.
Finally, click “Apply” to make any changes to your default GPU for Zoom.
Then, restart your PC to effect the changes.

Try These Other Zoom Black Screen Fixes

I fixed Zoom video not working and shows a black screen.

Is your Zoom video still not working and showing a black screen?

If so, try these popular solutions to fix the issue:

Run Zoom as an administrator by right-clicking the app and selecting “Run as administrator.”
Change your screen resolution.
Turn off automatic graphics switching.
Check our tips on how to solve Zoom issues for macOS devices if you are using an Apple device.
Turn off your antivirus, VPN, or firewall temporarily to see if it is blocking Zoom video.

Conclusion:

If Zoom video is not working and showing a black screen, there are a few ways to fix the problem. If you didn’t find any solutions in this post, don’t despair. Be sure to check the Zoom support page and hop onto Zoom forums to see what other solutions you can find!