Google's article on video chat using your Chromebook covers the settings that decide whether calls work well, and on a Chromebook Plus it explains the built-in controls: when an app is using the camera or microphone, the shelf shows extra quick settings, you can turn the camera and microphone off and on with their icons, and you can open the video call panel for privacy controls and indicators that show what apps are using the microphone, camera or screen.
Features include background blur, appearance effects, a studio-style microphone that combines noise cancellation with AI-based audio enhancement, camera framing on a wide-angle camera, a mute nudge and a mic test that plays back what the microphone hears. A silent microphone usually means the wrong input or a muted control, and a black picture usually means the camera is turned off in that panel or another app has it. Google's tips for calls: update ChromeOS, close tabs and apps you are not using, use one monitor, and use a well-lit room.
Differential
Likely causes of “Acer Chromebook Plus 514 camera or microphone is not working in calls”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The camera or microphone is off in the call panel
What separates it The picture is black or the microphone shows muted
How to confirm Select the icons on the shelf or open the video call panel and turn them on
- 2
The wrong input is selected
What separates it Others cannot hear you because the wrong input is selected
How to confirm Choose the built-in microphone in the app's settings and run the mic test
- 3
Another app is holding the camera
What separates it One app shows a black picture because another app is holding the camera
How to confirm Check the privacy indicators for which app is using the camera and close it
- 4
An app permission is blocked
What separates it The app cannot see the camera or microphone because an app permission is blocked
How to confirm Allow the site or app its camera and microphone permission
- 5
A hardware fault
What separates it No picture in any app after a restart and Safety Reset
How to confirm Contact Acer Support, since a hardware fault needs a technician
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which app and site fail and which work
- Whether the video call panel shows the camera and microphone as on
- Whether the fault began after an update
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the shelf icons
ReversibleWhen an app uses the camera, select the icons to turn the camera and microphone on.
Open the video call panel
ReversibleOpen the video call panel, and use the expansion control to see privacy indicators and settings.
Run the mic test
ReversibleRun the mic test, by using the panel's mic test to hear what the microphone captures.
Check app permissions
ReversibleCheck app permissions, by allowing the camera and microphone for the site or app, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Close other apps
ReversibleClose other apps, since only one app can normally use the camera, and the indicators show which.
Restart and update
ReversibleRestart and update, by restarting and checking for a ChromeOS update on the Chromebook, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Try Safety Reset
ReversibleTry Safety Reset, in Settings, System preferences, Reset, Safety reset, then test the camera again.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The Plus category
- Google's Chromebook Plus update article lists a 1080p camera with temporal noise reduction among the hardware requirements for the category. Check the camera specification of your own model number.
- Tools and supplies
- A spare USB webcam to test, a soft cloth to clean the lens, a flashlight to look at the bezel and a dry towel for the desk. The Chromebook should not be opened at home.
- Repair cost
- A camera or microphone that fails only in one app costs nothing to fix. A hardware fault falls in the usual range: most laptop repairs run $99 to $299 at an independent shop and a diagnostic is free, per BadgerLayer's 2026 repair guide.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If no app sees the camera after a restart and a Safety Reset, contact Acer Support
- !If it is a school or work Chromebook, contact your administrator, who may control the camera
- !If the fault began after a drop or spill, stop using it and have it inspected
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Improving calls, the Chromebook Plus video call panel, privacy indicators, mic test and camera framing.
Hardware checks available on the Chromebook.
Safety Reset for a corrupt setting.
The Chromebook and ChromeOS platform.
Shop price ranges for screen, battery, keyboard and charging-port repairs.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my voice cut in and out?+
A noisy network or the mute nudge can cause it. Check your connection, and if the mute nudge fires, turn your microphone on before speaking.
Does a Chromebook Plus use AI for audio?+
Google lists a studio-style microphone on Chromebook Plus that combines noise cancellation with AI-based enhancement, with the audio staying on the device per its notes.
Where do I turn the camera off quickly?+
On a Chromebook Plus the shelf shows camera and microphone icons while an app uses them, and selecting an icon turns that device on or off with one click.
What do Chromebook Plus video calls add?+
Google lists privacy controls and indicators, background blur, appearance effects, a studio-style microphone, camera framing, a mute nudge and a mic test.
How do I see which app is using my camera?+
The privacy indicators in the video call panel show which apps are accessing the microphone, camera or screen.
What is the mute nudge?+
A notification if you talk while your microphone is muted in certain apps. You opt in, and Google says audio never leaves the device.
What does Google recommend for better calls?+
Update ChromeOS, close tabs and apps you are not using, use only one monitor and use a well-lit room.
Why is my picture dark?+
Poor room light. Google says too little light causes shadows and too much washes out faces.
Can a school policy block the camera?+
Yes. A managed Chromebook may control camera access. Ask your administrator.