Face swaps in video interviews: how to check on Google Meet
Updated October 27, 2026
A swapped face or AI avatar usually reaches a video call through camera software that replaces the webcam feed before the call app sees it. To check, look on the person's own computer at which camera the video really comes from, and compare the face in the call with the face on their own camera.
How face swaps and AI avatars get into a call
A call app such as Google Meet shows whatever the computer offers as a camera. That does not have to be a real webcam. Camera software can create a virtual camera: something that looks like a webcam to the call, but plays video made by another program. OBS is a well-known example of camera software. It has many ordinary uses, such as streaming, slides and backgrounds.
Face swap and avatar tools usually send their output the same way. The person's real camera goes into the tool, the tool changes the face, and the call receives the changed video as if it came from a webcam.
Video can also come from a phone used as a webcam, or from a capture device that takes video from another machine. To the call, these look like cameras too. Most people who use any of these have normal reasons. That is why a finding is a reason to ask a question, not a conclusion about a person.
Deepfake candidate detection: why watching the video alone is hard
Current face swaps follow head turns, blinks and changes in light quite well. A call also compresses the video and drops frames. That hides small errors in a swap, and it adds odd moments to honest video. So a glitch proves little, and a clean picture proves little too.
Old tricks, such as asking someone to pass a hand over their face or turn to the side, catch some older tools. Newer tools handle many of these moves. And a host who is running an interview cannot study the video closely for the whole call.
The call video is also the end of the chain. The fact that would settle the question, which device made the video, is no longer in it.
Two checks that hold up
1. Which camera the video comes from
On the person's own computer, a check can see which device is sending video to the call. It can tell a direct camera from camera software, a phone or a capture device. This does not depend on how good the swap looks. A perfect swap still has to come from somewhere.
2. The face in the call against the face on their own camera
The second check reads the face on the person's own camera and compares it with the face that shows up in the call. If something changes the face on the way, the two stop matching.
The two checks cover each other. A swap sent through camera software shows up in the first. A different face in the call shows up in the second.
How Verified Call does both on Google Meet
Verified Call works with Google Meet in Chrome today. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are coming soon. The host adds the Verified extension and turns on the check for a guest. The candidate gets a link and runs the Verified app on their Mac (Apple silicon) or Windows PC. A consent screen explains what happens before anything starts.
The app checks which camera sends the call video, and compares the face on the candidate's own camera with the face in the call. It keeps checking while the call runs. It never joins the call.
Here is how the checks did in our own tests:
- 29 of 29 tries on every way of sending video we tested: 9 kinds of camera software recognised and 7 direct cameras not flagged (September 30, 2026). See the research.
- 20 of 20 live Google Meet calls read right: 10 direct cameras read Camera verified and 10 face swaps sent through camera software were flagged as camera software (October 2, 2026). See the research.
- On recordings of 70 people, 0 of 3,990 sessions with someone else's face got through (2,855 flagged, 1,135 ended Can't confirm), and 962 of 970 sessions with the real person were cleared, 99.2% (October 1, 2026). See the research.
Results are advice for the host, not a verdict. The host decides what a finding means.
What the host sees
In Meet, the host sees a badge next to the candidate's name. It reads Verified when the checks pass. It reads Can't confirm, in grey, when something could not be checked yet, with the reason in plain words. When a check finds something, the badge turns amber with a short line such as "Video coming through software, not the camera" or "Faces don't match".
When a finding is on, the host can open the details and see two stills side by side: one from the candidate's own camera, and one of their video in the call.
Privacy
Verified Call does not record calls. Face measurements are held in server memory only. The ones from the check are deleted when the call ends, or after 4 hours at the latest. Comparison results are kept for 7 days. The full details are in the privacy policy.
Questions people ask
How can I tell if a candidate is using a face swap on Google Meet?
Watching the video is not a reliable test. The checks that hold up run on the candidate's own computer: see which camera sends the call video, and compare the face in the call with the face on their own camera. Verified Call does both.
Can Google Meet detect a virtual camera?
Google Meet shows the host the video, not the device it came from. A camera's name is set by the software that creates it, so a camera list is not proof either. A check on the guest's own computer can see which device really sends the video.
Is using a virtual camera in an interview a problem?
Not by itself. Many people use camera software for backgrounds, lighting or slides. Verified Call shows it to the host as something to ask about, not as an accusation.
Does Verified Call record the interview?
No. Verified Call does not record calls and never joins the call. Face measurements are held in server memory only. Those from the check are deleted when the call ends, or after 4 hours at the latest. Comparison results are kept for 7 days.
What does the candidate need to install?
The Verified app on a Mac with Apple silicon or a Windows PC. A consent screen explains the check before anything starts. The candidate then joins Google Meet in Chrome as usual.
Does it work with Zoom or Microsoft Teams?
Verified Call works with Google Meet in Chrome today. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are coming soon.
See the check on a real call
Book a short demo and we will show you both checks on Google Meet, with a direct camera and with camera software.