Webcam test

How to test your webcam

1. Close other apps that may be using the camera, such as Zoom, Teams, Discord or the system Camera app. Most cameras can only be used by one app at a time.
2. Press Start camera and choose Allow when the browser asks for camera access.
3. If you have more than one camera (a laptop camera and a USB webcam, for example), pick it from the Camera list. Names appear after you allow access.
4. Choose a Resolution to request. The browser asks the camera for that size and falls back to the closest one it supports.
5. Read the results: Delivered is the frame size really received, Frames per second is measured from the frames that arrive, followed by the rate the camera reports.
6. Press Stop when you are done. The camera light should turn off.

Reading the results

• Delivered resolution is what the browser hands to web pages. A camera sold as 1080p may deliver 720p in the browser if it is connected through a slow USB port, if the driver limits it, or if another setting caps it. Request 1080p and see what you get.
• Frames per second: around 30 is normal for most webcams. Many cameras drop to 15 fps or lower in dim light because they expose each frame for longer, so test in the room and light you actually use.
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 is standard for modern webcams; 4:3 usually means a lower, older mode.
• Mirror flips only the preview, like a mirror. Video-call apps often show you mirrored but send the normal image to others; the snapshot follows the mirror setting.

These numbers describe what the browser receives, not the sensor's maximum or the quality a specific app will send after compression.

If the camera does not start

• Access denied: you or the browser blocked the camera for this site. Click the camera or lock icon next to the address bar, allow the camera, and reload the page.
• Camera in use: another app or browser tab is holding the camera. Close it and press Start camera again.
• No camera found: the camera is unplugged, switched off with a key or privacy shutter, or disabled in system settings.
• Black image with the light on: check for a physical shutter or sticker over the lens, then try another resolution.

Laptop or MacBook camera not working

Windows 11 and 10. In Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, turn on Camera access and Let desktop apps access your camera: browsers are desktop apps. Some laptops also have a camera key, slider or shutter that turns the camera off.

Mac. Allow your browser in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera, then quit and reopen it.

If the camera works in the system Camera app but not here, the browser's site permission is the problem. For shutters, Device Manager, other apps and every other step, see laptop camera not working: how to find the cause.

Blurry or dark webcam image

• Wipe the lens with a soft, dry cloth: fingerprints are the most common cause of a soft image on laptops.
• Add light in front of you, not behind you. A bright window behind you makes the camera darken your face. Our screen light can help in a dark room.
• Check that you get the resolution you expect. A camera stuck at 480p looks blurry on a large screen.
• Fixed-focus webcams are sharp only from about arm's length; moving very close makes them blurry.

Privacy

The video is shown only on this page and stays on your device. TestDock does not record, store or upload it. The snapshot is created in your browser and saved straight to your downloads. The browser shows a camera indicator while the test runs; pressing Stop, closing the tab or switching to another tab turns the camera off.