Webcam test

How to use the webcam test

1. Press Start webcam test and allow camera access.
2. If you have several cameras (built-in, external, phone or virtual cameras), choose one from the list.
3. Read the boxes under the preview: Resolution and Frame rate are what the camera is actually sending, not what the box says.
4. Use Ask for to request a higher or lower resolution and see what your camera can really do.
5. Check the Lighting box and adjust your lamps or blinds until it reads Good.
6. Press Take snapshot to see a still frame, and Download PNG to keep it.

What resolution and frame rate mean

Resolution is the size of each frame in pixels. 1280 × 720 (720p) is plenty for most video calls; 1920 × 1080 (1080p) looks sharper in recordings and on large screens. Call apps often send a smaller picture than your camera can produce, depending on your connection and the window size at the other end, so a 1080p camera will not always look 1080p on a call.

Frame rate is how many pictures per second the camera sends. 30 frames per second looks smooth; 15 looks noticeably choppy. This page shows the rate the camera reports and, in browsers that support it, the rate actually measured from the video. If the measured rate is much lower, the camera is usually lengthening its exposure because the room is too dark.

Lighting tips for video calls

• Face the light. Put a window or lamp in front of you, behind the screen. A bright window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
• Soften it. A lamp bounced off a wall or through a shade is kinder than a bare bulb pointing at your face.
• Raise the camera to eye level. Stack a laptop on books so you are not looking down at the lens.
• Match color temperatures. Mixing cool daylight with warm bulbs can give you two-tone skin; switch one off if it looks odd.
• Clean the lens. A fingerprint smudge makes everything look hazy and glowing. A soft cloth fixes it.

The lighting reading is a simple average brightness of the picture, so a white wall behind you can push it up even when your face is dark. Trust your eyes on the preview too.

Webcam not working? Check these

Windows 11 and 10

• Settings > Privacy & security > Camera: turn on camera access, app access and "Let desktop apps access your camera".
• Many laptops have a camera key (often on a function key) or a sliding shutter over the lens; a black picture with no error usually means it is closed.
• Only one app can usually use a webcam at a time. Close Zoom, Teams, the Camera app and anything else that might hold it.

macOS

• System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera: switch on your browser, then quit and reopen it.
• The green light next to the built-in camera shows when it is in use, so you can tell whether the browser actually opened it.

Linux

• Check the camera appears (for example with v4l2-ctl --list-devices) and that your user can access it.
• Flatpak or Snap browsers need camera permission in their sandbox as well.

Browsers

• Chrome and Edge: click the icon left of the address and allow Camera, then reload.
• Firefox: clear the blocked camera permission from the address bar's permissions icon.
• Safari: Safari > Settings > Websites > Camera.

Camera settings in Zoom, Teams and Meet

Each call app remembers its own camera choice. In Zoom, go to Settings > Video; in Microsoft Teams, Settings > Devices; in Google Meet, the pre-join screen or More options > Settings > Video. Select the same camera you picked here. Zoom and Teams also have "HD" and low-light options that change what the others see. Before a big call, check your sound with our microphone test, and if the meeting spans time zones, the meeting planner finds a slot that works for everyone.

Hark, our meeting recorder, keeps the audio of your calls rather than the video: it records and transcribes meetings on your own computer without a bot joining. Our guides to recording Google Meet and Zoom vs Teams cover the rest of a good call setup.