Today, getting your webcam to work with your browser is more important than ever. From business meetings to entertainment, there are many things you can do with a webcam through your browser.
As such, if your Windows camera isn’t working in your browser, here’s how to fix the problem for good.
Sometimes apps that depend on the camera, such as Skype and Google Meet, can be the main reason why the camera is not working in your browser. These applications may interfere with the necessary permissions required for your browser to use the player.
As a workaround, you will need to close all camera-dependent apps from the background. To do this, open Task Manager, and in the processes tab, right-click on all camera-dependent programs and choose Final task.
Once you are done closing all the apps that may be using the camera, check if the camera works in the browser or not.
2. Try the camera troubleshooter
Windows comes with a number of built-in troubleshooters that can instantly detect and resolve problems without any significant user intervention. Fortunately, there is a dedicated camera troubleshooter that you can run to resolve issues like the one at hand.
To run the camera troubleshooter, open the Start Menuwrite Troubleshoot configuration and press Enter. To choose Other troubleshootersand click Run beside Camera.
In the Troubleshoot window, click Yes to enable automated troubleshooting. The troubleshooter will search for available problems; if it finds any, it will suggest solutions that might solve the problem.
3. Give the camera the necessary permissions
There is a possibility that your browser does not have the proper permissions to access the camera. As such, all you need to do is provide both the camera and the browser with the proper permissions.
This is how you can do that:
- Open Settings and choose Privacy & Security from the left panel.
- To choose Camera under App permissions.
- Enable the switch next to camera access Y Allow apps to access your camera.
- Enable the switch next to the browser in which you want to use the camera.
Now close the settings menu and check if you are still facing the issue.
4. Download the latest camera driver update
Your computer may have camera problems if you are using an outdated or corrupted camera driver. Not only will it throw error messages, but it can also slow down the performance of your camera.
If you haven’t downloaded the latest driver update for your camera, follow the steps below to do so.
- press the Win + X hotkeys to open the power menuand choose Device administrator of the list.
- In the Device Manager window, double-click the Camera option to expand it.
- Right-click on the camera driver and choose update driver from the context menu.
- Select Automatically search for drivers.
- Windows will now search for the available update; if any are found, it will install them without much user intervention.
After you have finished updating the camera driver, reboot the system.
If Windows cannot find the drivers, search your camera manufacturer’s website online and check for driver updates there.
5. Repair camera app
If you are still facing the problem then there is probably something wrong with the camera app. The solution, in this case, is to repair the camera app.
To repair the camera app, open the Settings menu and navigate Applications > installed applications. Click the three dots next to the Camera app and choose Advanced Options from the context menu. Scroll down to the Restart section and click Repair.
6 Temporarily disable your antivirus program
An overzealous antivirus program can prevent your camera from working in your browser. In this situation, the solution is to temporarily disable the antivirus program.
Usually, you can right-click the antivirus icon in the system tray and choose to disable it from the context menu. If you use Microsoft Defender as your security program, consider checking out our guide on how to disable Defender in Windows.
7. Clear browser cookies and cache data
Browsers save your browsing data in the form of files known as cookies. Rather, caching helps a website load faster by remembering parts of it.
Over time, cookies and cache can get corrupted and cause various problems. To fix this, you can clear your browser’s cookies and cache.
The procedure to clear the cache is different for different browsers. As such, check out our guide on how to clear cookies and cache in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. If you are using any other browser, please visit their help center for more information.
8. Refresh the browser
The camera may not work due to corruption or issues within the browser files. In this situation, downloading the latest browser update can be an effective solution. Updating the browser will not only remove the troublesome bug but also introduce new features to the browser.
To download the latest update for Google Chrome, click the three points in the upper right corner and Settings from the context menu. Click on about chrome from the left panel. Google Chrome will automatically check for and install any available updates.
If you want to update Firefox or Edge, you can refer to our guide on how to update Chrome and Firefox on Windows.
9. Try a different browser
The probability is low, but if none of the above solutions helped, there is something wrong with the browser you are using. You will have to switch to a different browser to continue using websites that require cameras.
If you don’t know which browser to go for, consider checking out our guide to the best internet browsers for Windows 11.
Use your camera in a browser without any problem
People who frequently use cameras to access websites that require cameras can find it frustrating when the camera suddenly stops working. Fortunately, it is a piece of cake to solve this problem. Just follow the above fixes to fix the problem for good.
