Everything you need to know about webcam not working, 8 fixes for zoom, teams, and windows 11, explained plainly.
Work through these in order, the most common causes come first.
Our picks
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Razer
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Logitech
The most widely recommended budget webcam for video calls. Its case rests on most compatible webcam across all platforms and operating systems and consistent, reliable 1080p performance.
EMEET
A budget 1080p webcam with two microphones and a sliding privacy cover.
FAQ
The most common cause is exclusive access, another app is holding the camera. Close all other apps that may be using the camera. If the camera works in Windows Camera app but not Zoom, Zoom does not have camera permission or is not set to use the correct camera in Settings. If it works in Zoom but not in Chrome, Chrome's camera permission for specific websites needs to be enabled: in Chrome's address bar, click the lock icon, Site settings, and allow camera access for the site.
Windows: open Windows Camera (search for Camera in Start). Mac: open FaceTime or Photo Booth. Both show the live camera feed without requiring a video call. If the webcam shows live video in these apps, the camera hardware is working and any issue with Zoom or Teams is a software configuration problem. If Windows Camera shows a black screen or error, the issue is hardware, driver, or permission.
An upside-down webcam image is a driver or app rotation setting issue. In Zoom: Settings, Video, t here is no rotation option, so the fix must be at the driver level. Open the webcam's companion software (Logitech Options, Razer Synapse) and look for a rotation or flip setting. On Windows without companion software: Device Manager, camera Properties, Advanced, some drivers have rotation options here. As a workaround in OBS or Zoom: use the virtual camera feature in OBS with a rotation transform applied.
4K webcam resolution must be selected in the application settings, not just plugged in. In Zoom: Settings, Video, camera settings, and change resolution if the option is available (Zoom limits to 1080p in calls). In OBS: Video Capture Device source, Properties, Resolution, set to 3840x2160. Some 4K webcams require a USB 3.0 port for 4K output, on USB 2.0 ports, they automatically downgrade to 1080p. Verify the USB port being used is USB 3.0 (blue port on most PCs).
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