CAMEO function in powerpoint not working

Hi, rachael danasamy

Cameo can fail even when the camera itself is fine, especially if PowerPoint is stuck, another app is holding the camera, the file is corrupted, or Office needs repairing. It is also recommended to test with a new blank presentation, since the issue can sometimes be file-specific.

Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

First, fully close PowerPoint, Teams, Zoom, browsers, or any app that may be using the camera, then restart the PC and open only PowerPoint. If that does not help, create a new blank PowerPoint file, insert Cameo there, and check whether the camera turns on. If it works in a new file, copy your slides into a new presentation.

Also try repairing Office: go to Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365 > Modify, then run Quick Repair first. If it still fails, run Online Repair. Another thing worth trying is turning off hardware graphics acceleration in PowerPoint under File > Options > Advanced > Display. After changing it, restart PowerPoint and test Cameo again.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

Try the following steps to get Cameo working in PowerPoint 365 when the camera does not turn on.

1. Confirm Cameo is inserted correctly
   • In PowerPoint, go to Normal view.
   • Select the Insert tab on the ribbon.
   • Select Cameo.
   • Click the cameo placeholder on the slide.
   • Use the Camera Format tab to confirm a camera is selected and to adjust style/shape if needed.
2. Grant camera permission in Windows
   • Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
   • Make sure Camera access and Let apps access your camera are both On.
   • Under app lists, ensure desktop apps (like Office/PowerPoint) are allowed to use the camera. If needed, turn on Allow desktop apps to access your camera.
3. Check for physical camera controls
   • If using a laptop or Surface, check for:
     • A function key (for example, a key with a camera icon that may need Fn + key to toggle).
     • A hardware camera button.
     • A slider or shutter over the camera lens. Make sure it is open.
4. Test the camera in Windows
   • Open the built-in Camera app in Windows and verify that the camera shows video.
   • If the Camera app shows only a black image or errors, fix the camera at the Windows level first:
     • Run the camera troubleshooter in the Get Help app using Run the troubleshooter in Get Help.
     • If the camera stopped working after an update, in Device Manager roll back or reinstall the camera driver as described in the camera troubleshooting article.
5. Ensure apps can use the camera (Windows 10 specific behavior)
   • On Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Camera.
   • Under Allow access to the camera on this device, select Change and turn on Camera access for this device.
   • Turn on Allow apps to access your camera.
   • Under Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your camera, enable access for relevant apps.
   • Under Allow desktop apps to access your camera, turn this on so Office/PowerPoint can use the camera.
6. Try Cameo again
   • Return to PowerPoint.
   • Start the slide show (Slide Show > From Current Slide).
   • The first time Cameo runs, the browser-based version or desktop may prompt for camera permission—allow it.

If the camera still does not turn on in Cameo but works in the Windows Camera app, update Windows and device drivers (especially camera drivers) and restart, then test Cameo again.

References:

• Presenting with cameo
• Surface camera not working
• Camera doesn't work in Windows
• my camera does not function in windows - Microsoft Q&A
• my camera is not listed under device manager camera is not listed and it's not under imaging devices - Microsoft Q&A