Using a virtual camera face swap in Google Meet

Google Meet runs entirely in the browser and picks up cameras the same way any other site does, so a virtual camera face swap works without an extension or any Meet-specific setup — you just need to select the right device.

Select Swapryn Cam in Meet

Start the swap in Swapryn first, before you open Meet — the feed will show up black or frozen if the pipeline isn’t running yet when the browser grabs the camera.

Before joining a call: on the pre-join screen, click the camera icon or Settings (gear icon), open the Video tab, and choose Swapryn Cam from the camera dropdown.

During a call: click the arrow next to the camera button in the call controls, or open the three-dot menu → Settings → Video, and switch the camera to Swapryn Cam the same way.

Turn off Meet’s built-in video effects

Meet’s own background blur and visual effects apply to whatever feed it receives — including a virtual camera. Since Swapryn already renders the final frame, leave Meet’s built-in effects off to avoid layering one processed image on top of another.

Common questions

Does Google Meet block virtual cameras? No. Meet enumerates cameras the way any browser-based video app does and treats Swapryn Cam like a standard webcam — there’s no special detection or blocking for virtual devices.

Why is my camera black or frozen in Meet? This almost always means the swap wasn’t running yet when Meet grabbed the camera. Start Swapryn first, then select Swapryn Cam in Meet’s video settings — if it was already selected, switch to another camera and back to force a refresh.

Can I use Swapryn Cam on a Chromebook or Mac? Not yet — Swapryn is Windows-only today, so the virtual camera it creates is only available to browsers running on Windows.