Laptop camera not working: how to find the cause

Start with a quick test

Open the webcam test and press Start camera. Nothing is uploaded; the picture stays in your browser.

• You see yourself: the camera works. If a video call still shows no picture, the problem is the camera chosen inside that app.
• Access denied: a permission is missing in the browser or in the system.
• Camera in use: another app or tab is holding it.
• No camera found: the camera is switched off, disconnected or disabled.
• Black image: often a closed shutter or something covering the lens.

Shutters, camera keys and switches

Many laptops can turn the camera off in hardware. Microsoft lists three places to look:

• a key with a camera icon on the keyboard, sometimes used together with Fn;
• a sliding switch on the side of the laptop;
• a small shutter slider next to the lens.

Also check for a sticker or cover over the lens. On an external webcam, check the USB cable and try another port, ideally one directly on the computer rather than a hub.

Windows 11 and 10: privacy settings

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and turn on Camera access. If it is greyed out, an administrator has turned it off.
2. Turn on Let apps access your camera, and choose which Microsoft Store apps may use it.
3. Turn on Let desktop apps access your camera. Web browsers and most video call programs are desktop apps, so without this switch they cannot use the camera.
4. Try the built-in Camera app. If the picture works there but not in another program, that program's settings are the problem.

Windows: other apps, security software and Device Manager

• Another app: only one program can usually use the camera at a time. Close call apps and other browser tabs, or end them in Task Manager.
• Security software: some antivirus programs have their own camera protection. Check its settings, and look for help on the vendor's website.
• Device Manager: look under Cameras, Imaging devices or Sound, video and game controllers. If the camera is disabled, enable it; if it is missing, use Action > Scan for hardware changes. If the problem began after a driver update, Microsoft describes rolling the driver back from the device's properties.
• Updates and restart: check Windows Update, including optional driver updates, and restart the PC. Sleep is not a restart.
• Troubleshooter: Windows 11 has a Camera troubleshooter under Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.

Install drivers only from Windows Update or the manufacturer of your laptop or webcam.

MacBook and Mac camera not working

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera and turn on access for the app or browser. An app appears in the list only after it has asked for the camera once; quit and reopen it after changing the setting.
2. If you use Screen Time, check that App Limits do not block the app you need.
3. Keep macOS up to date and restart the Mac. Apple also describes an SMC reset for Intel-based Macs.
4. If the camera works in no app at all, Apple recommends contacting Apple Support.

Works in the test but not in a call app

• In the app's video settings, choose the same camera that works in the test. Laptops with an external webcam or a virtual camera often have the wrong one selected.
• Check that your video is turned on in the call itself.
• Close the webcam test before joining a call, because the camera can usually be used by only one app at a time.

Blurry or dark picture

• Wipe the lens with a soft, dry cloth; fingerprints are the most common cause of a soft image on laptops.
• Put the light in front of you, not behind you. A screen light helps in a dark room.
• Check the delivered resolution in the webcam test: a camera stuck at a low resolution looks blurry on a large screen.