Zoom Not Working? Here’s What to Do.

Tyler Abbott
Apr 29, 2022
Icon Time To Read5 min read

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Zoom not working? Here's what to do.

Whether your audio keeps cutting out, your webcam can’t connect, or you can’t figure out how to turn off the cat filter, Zoom struggles can cause quite the headache. Video conferencing has become so common in the workplace that chances are these Zoom problems occur when you’re in the middle of something really important. Let’s fix that.

Consider this your go-to guide if your Zoom meeting is on the fritz, and you need to get it working stat.

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Is Zoom down right now?

There’s always a chance that your Zoom problems have nothing to do with you, and it could just be a Zoom outage. There’s not much you can do with a Zoom outage other than wait for it to be fixed. 

My Zoom feed keeps cutting out

The most common issue folks will experience while using Zoom is your stream glitching out and suddenly turning into a robot remix.

The vast majority of the time this happens is because of a poor internet connection. Every Zoom participant needs to have a decent internet connection for things to run smoothly, or else things can get frustrating quickly. Sadly this isn’t a quick-fix solution, but upgrading your internet connection will help remove this headache from your life. We’ve found that Xfinity internet to be the most reliable internet connection right now.

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If Xfinity internet isn’t an option where you live, you can enter your zip code below to see what internet options you have around you.

My camera isn’t working while using Zoom

If people can’t see you in a Zoom call, then it likely means that the camera isn’t working on your device. Here are some quick solutions to get your camera working again.

  • Make sure you don’t have any other apps open that use your camera. For example, if FaceTime is open and using your camera already, your Zoom app won’t have access to the camera. Close any apps that use your device’s camera before joining a Zoom meeting.
  • Don’t forget to hit the Start Video button once you enter a Zoom meeting. You should see the button on the bottom right corner of the Zoom app.
  • Ensure that Zoom has access to your camera. When you open the Zoom app, always allow the app access to your camera. Restarting the program and clicking Yes when prompted to give permission can fix your camera issue.
  • Restart your device. Yes, this is the cop-out answer for any troubleshooting issue, but sometimes it’s the only thing that will work. Try restarting your device and see if that fixes the issue.
  • Make sure you’ve selected the correct camera for Zoom. Sometimes your computer will default to the wrong camera (or potentially to a camera that doesn’t even exist), which you can easily fix in a Zoom meeting. Click the upward arrow next to the “Start Video” icon and select the correct camera. You’ll know it’s working when you see a live feed from your camera on your screen.
Zoom Start Video Button
Camera Settings Zoom

Look for this arrow to select the correct camera for Zoom.

Here’s an example of what the prompt will look like to grant camera access to your Zoom app.

Zoom Camera Access

My audio isn’t working during a Zoom call

If people can’t hear you, or you can’t hear them, what’s the point of having a Zoom meeting at all? Start with these solutions for fixing audio during a Zoom call.

  • Make sure you aren’t muted, or the person you’re talking to isn’t muted. The mute button is found at the bottom right corner of the Zoom app, right next to the Start Video button.
  • If your audio isn’t working on the Zoom desktop app specifically, navigate to Zoom settings and click on the Audio tab.
Zoom Mute Button featuring tyler
Zoom Setting Button

The settings button is a gear icon on the top right corner of the homescreen on the Zoom desktop app.

Zoom Audio Settings

The audio tab is on the left side of the options screen.

Once you’ve made it here, you can select what speaker and microphone you want to use and test to see if it’s working. You can also make sure that you automatically join the audio for Zoom meetings and won’t come into meetings with a muted microphone.

  • If your audio isn’t working on your mobile device, you’ll need to check if Zoom has access to your device’s speaker and microphone. Here’s the path you’ll take for Apple iPhone and Android devices to make sure your Zoom app has access.
    • iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and switch the toggle to green for Zoom.
    • Android: Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Microphone and switch the toggle to green for Zoom.
  • Make sure other apps aren’t using your device’s microphone. If you have FaceTime, Twitch, Instagram, or any other app open that might be using your microphone, then people won’t be able to hear you in a Zoom meeting.

How can I stop all the echo on my Zoom call?

The dreaded Zoom echo usually occurs because Zoom is active on two different devices in the same space. For example, if you start a Zoom call on your phone and then switch over to your desktop Zoom app without closing the app on your phone, you better believe you’ll get some nasty Zoom echo.

Anytime you have multiple devices on the same Zoom call in the same room, you’ll run into issues with echo.

I can’t talk or see my video feed during a webinar

During Zoom webinars, the host controls whether or not participants can be heard or seen during the session. Once you hop on a webinar, your feed will likely default to being muted and your camera turned off. Honestly, thank goodness for that because forgetting to mute your microphone and embarrassing yourself on a Zoom call with a few folks is one thing, but doing that with a massive webinar would be catastrophic.

I can’t share my screen

Screen sharing can turn a complicated conversation into a relatively simple one. Follow these steps if you have any problems with screen sharing on Zoom.

  • Make sure you have screen sharing privileges. If you have a basic Zoom account, you can only share your screen if you have the Host status for the meeting. The host of the meeting will need to grant you that status to share your screen.
  • Edit your Zoom screen sharing settings. Open your settings options on Zoom, and select the “Share Screen” section. Here, you can try out different settings, including forcing Zoom to show you all your sharing options when you click the share screen button.
Options for Sharing Screen on Zoom
  • Start a Share Screen meeting. When you start a new Zoom meeting, you can click the downward arrow next to “New Meeting” and unselect the “Start with video” option. Your Zoom meeting will start without your camera active, which frees up bandwidth for you to share your screen.
Start Zoom Meeting without Camera

No remote control access while screen sharing

Participants in your Zoom meeting can request control of your screen, which can really help with troubleshooting issues. For example, if you have an issue with your computer, you can have an IT person manually fix your computer remotely over Zoom. Here’s how you can make sure that Zoom remote control works:

  • Allow remote control. When a user requests to take control of your screen via Zoom, you’ll get a notification asking for your permission. Make sure to approve the remote control request to get things working.
  • Don’t touch your mouse or keyboard while allowing access to your screen. If you move your mouse or touch the keyboard while somebody remotes into your computer, you can remove their access.
  • Use the right device. Remote control via Zoom is intended for laptop and desktop computers, and won’t work with an iPad or Android device, for example.

Zoom keeps crashing

If Zoom randomly crashes on you during meetings, use these suggestions to help stabilize things.

  • Use an alternative version. If the desktop app version of Zoom keeps crashing, try using the web version of Zoom. Alternatively, if you use the web app version and experience crashes, try downloading the Zoom app.
  • Close other apps on your device that might use your camera or speakers. If you have apps like Discord, Spotify, YouTube, or Twitch open at the same time as your Zoom meeting, you might trigger a system overload that crashes your Zoom meeting.
  • Check your internet connection. If your internet connection goes in and out, Zoom might crash as a result.

What other Zoom issues are you experiencing?

Are you experiencing any Zoom problems that we didn’t cover in this article? Let us know what Zoom troubleshooting you need in the comments below and we’ll start researching.

If you're just starting out with Zoom you may be interested in our how-to guide for setting up a Zoom Meeting.

Tyler Abbott
Written by
Tyler Abbott
Tyler has been obsessed with watching sports as efficiently as possible since the creation of the DVR. He is always on the lookout for the best tech in TV and wireless so he can watch all the sports and still have enough time to hang out with his baby. He has written about streaming, wireless, and TV for over three years. He hopes the Lakers will eventually get better.

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