✅Common causes and fixes
| What might be wrong | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| Another application is using the camera | Close all applications that might be accessing your camera: Zoom, Teams, Skype, FaceTime, Slack, Discord, or any camera/video apps. Windows: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) > Processes tab > find and end video conferencing apps. Mac: Open Activity Monitor > search for these apps > click X to quit. Restart your browser after closing conflicting apps. |
| Browser doesn’t have camera permissions | Grant camera access to your browser. Chrome/Edge: Click lock icon in address bar > Site settings > Camera > Allow. Firefox: Click lock icon > More Information > Permissions > Camera > Allow. Safari: Safari > Settings for This Website > Camera > Allow. Refresh the page completely after granting permissions. |
| Browser page cached old permission settings | Perform a hard reload to refresh permission settings. Windows: Press Ctrl+Shift+R or Shift+F5. Mac: Press Cmd+Shift+R. This forces the browser to reload without using cached data and re-check camera permissions. If still not detected, close all browser tabs and restart the browser completely. |
| Camera drivers are outdated or corrupted | Windows: Open Device Manager (search in Start menu) > Expand “Cameras” or “Imaging devices” > Right-click your camera > Update driver > Search automatically for drivers. If that doesn’t work, try Uninstall device, then restart your computer to reinstall. Mac: Camera drivers update through system updates—go to System Settings > Software Update and install any available updates. |
| Operating system hasn’t granted camera access to browser | Windows: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera > Ensure “Camera access” is ON and “Let desktop apps access your camera” is enabled > Verify your browser is in the allowed list. Mac: Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera > Check the box next to your browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) to allow camera access. |
| Camera is disabled in Device Manager (Windows) | Windows: Open Device Manager > Expand “Cameras” or “Imaging devices” > If your camera shows a down arrow or is grayed out, right-click it > Enable device. If it shows a yellow triangle with exclamation mark, right-click > Update driver or Uninstall device, then restart to reinstall. |
| Privacy shutter or cover blocking camera | Check if your laptop has a physical privacy shutter slider near the webcam, slide it to the open position. Remove any tape, stickers, or stick-on privacy covers from your camera lens. Even if the camera is working, a physical block prevents it from capturing anything. |
| USB port not providing enough power | Some external webcams need more power than certain USB ports provide. Try connecting to a different USB port, avoiding USB hubs, plug directly into your computer. For laptops, ensure you’re plugged into AC power (not running on battery only), which sometimes limits USB power output. |
| Multiple cameras causing system confusion | If you have both built-in and external cameras, your system may be confused about which to use. In your browser’s site settings or system camera settings, explicitly select which camera should be the default. Disconnect any cameras you’re not using, leaving only the one you want to use for your assessment. |
| Antivirus or security software blocking camera | Check if your antivirus is blocking camera access. Add your browser to the antivirus exceptions/allowed list. Windows Defender: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings > Add exclusions > add your browser. For third-party antivirus, check documentation for allowing camera access. |