How To Check Webcam On Windows 10

Windows 10 and 11 logos

You lot should always cheque and brand certain that your webcam works before an important video coming together. Here's how to do information technology in Windows 10 and 11—and in some popular video-chatting apps, including Zoom, Google Run across, and Discord.

How to Test Your Webcam With the Photographic camera App

The easiest way to test your webcam is with the congenital-in camera application. Click on the Showtime push button, type "camera", and then click the Camera app.

Click the "Camera" app.

If everything is working correctly, you should see video from the photographic camera immediately.

How to Test Your Webcam in Common Apps

Nigh applications and browser-based video conversation services include the ability to test your audio and video. Hither are some bones instructions for some of the virtually pop options.

Zoom

In Zoom, click the gear in the top-correct corner of the screen.

Then, click "Video" on the left. If your webcam is working correctly, you should see yourself.

Click "video"

Google Run across

There are two places you can check your camera with Google Meet. The first is on the Google Meet home page. Click on the gear in the summit right corner of the page.

Then, on the left-hand side, click "Video." There volition exist a small-scale video to the right side of the popup if your webcam is working correctly.

Google also put the option to check your video direct on the meeting page. Once you've joined a meeting, click "Check your audio and video."

Click "Check your audio and video."

If y'all don't meet yourself, try clicking the red camera icon.

Slack

In Slack, click on your profile icon in the peak-correct hand corner of slack, and and so click "Preferences."

Click "Sound & video" on the left-hand side bar.

Click "Audio & video."

You should see yourself — if you don't, make sure that the video device is prepare to the correct webcam.

Skype

To bank check your webcam in Skype, click on the 3 dots most the upper-left of Skype's main page, and so click "Settings."

Click the three dots near the top left, then click "Settings."

Click on "Audio & video" on the left-hand side, under Settings.

Click "Audio & video."

You should encounter a video stream from the webcam to the right side.

Discord

One time you've launched Discord, click on the modest gear icon in the bottom left-hand corner of Discord.

Click "Phonation and Video" on the left-hand side, then, in the heart, click "Exam Video."

Click "voice and video" and then click "test video."

Your epitome should announced once you lot hit "Test Video."

How to Troubleshoot Your Webcam

There are a few things that tin can result in your webcam not working. Fortunately, nigh of them are pretty easy to fix.

Check the Connection

Webcams that plug into a USB port tin come loose, or the USB port itself can be bad. Double-check that your webcam is deeply plugged into a USB port. You should also try irresolute which port the webcam is plugged into — sometimes the USB port itself tin be the problem. If you have a desktop PC with USB ports on the front or top of the case, try connecting to a USB port on the back of the computer.

Download Webcam Drivers

Your webcam might require special software from the manufacturer to work correctly. The easiest mode to discover these is to become directly to the manufacturer's website — driver downloads are usually institute on the support page.

Check Windows Privacy Settings

Windows limits programs' access to your webcam and microphone to help protect your privacy and security. Normally this is excellent, but information technology can occasionally issue in your webcam working in some programs and not others.

To check your settings, click the Start button, type "Photographic camera privacy settings" into the search bar, and hit Enter.

Click the switches for "Camera access" and "Permit desktop apps access your camera" if they're set up to off. So look through the list of applications and brand sure that the program you're trying to use has been prepare to "On."

Note: Some video calling services, like Google Run into, work through your browser. If you're trying to use a browser-based service, make sure yous enable camera access for your browser.

Click the switches for "Camera access" and "Let desktop apps access your camera."

While you're hither, you should double check your microphone settings. Click the back arrow in the very top left-mitt corner of the window. Then, scroll downward until you see "Microphone" and click it.

Click "Microphone."

The controls for the microphone are exactly similar the camera. Make sure enable access for the program y'all're trying to use.

Bank check Your Browser Privacy Settings

Your browser besides has security measures in place to forbid websites from accessing your microphone and photographic camera without permission. Normally a website will prompt you when it is trying to admission your webcam or microphone. Each browser is a piddling different, only they all look like to the i below.

Camera and microphone permission popup

If you don't see something like that, yous'll need to check your browser's privacy settings.

Click the three dots or three bars in the top right of your browser and go to Settings. And then look for a "Privacy" menu. The controls for webcam and microphone access are there in most browsers.

RELATED: How to Change a Site'south Camera and Microphone Permissions in Chrome

If none of those steps help, you should try the webcam on another computer. If it isn't working there either, it is about likely the webcam itself is broken, and you lot'll need to replace your webcam .