✅ 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 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| Camera drivers are outdated or corrupted | Windows: Open Device Manager (search in Start menu) 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, r ight-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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
Additional tips:
- Restart your device before your assessment after making any driver or permission changes to ensure all settings take effect
- Test your camera using your system’s built-in camera app (Windows Camera or Mac Photo Booth) before starting your assessment to confirm it’s being detected
- If using an external USB webcam, ensure it’s a modern model (2018 or newer) with up-to-date drivers, very old webcams may have compatibility issues with modern systems
- Keep your USB webcam cable as short as possible and avoid extension cables which can cause connection instability