Webcam Test

Test your webcam before a call or recording

Use the live preview to check your framing, lighting, and selected camera. This test requests camera video only, without microphone audio. It can download a still PNG, but it does not record a video. The tool does not upload your camera media.

A repeatable camera-check workflow

1. Click Start camera and allow this site to use your camera.
2. Check that the preview shows the intended camera. If several cameras are available, choose one in the Camera menu.
3. Check the reported resolution and frame-rate setting. Move within the preview to assess framing and lighting; the number is not a measured sustained-FPS result.
4. Optionally click Take snapshot and open the downloaded PNG to inspect the still image.
5. Click Stop. The preview and readout should disappear and Start camera should return.
6. Run the microphone test separately, then open your recording app. Check that app’s own source selection and permissions too.

Browser check: October 19, 2026

We tested the camera preview, snapshot, and Stop steps above in Chrome with a synthetic camera. The preview and downloaded PNG were 1920×1080, and the track reported a 20 FPS setting with no audio track. Clicking Stop ended the video track, cleared the preview and readout, and restored Start camera. This checks the browser workflow with a simulated source; it does not certify a physical webcam, sustained frame rate, or desktop recording and export.

How do I fix a webcam that will not turn on?

Allow camera access in your browser’s site settings. Check the camera connection, selected device, and privacy shutter. Closing other camera apps is a useful diagnostic step, but camera sharing depends on your setup.

• Windows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Camera.
• Windows 10: Settings → Privacy → Camera.
• Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera, plus your browser’s site permissions. In Safari, check Settings → Websites → Camera.

On Windows, browsers are desktop apps: check the setting that lets desktop apps access the camera. Your browser may not appear as a separate app in the list. See Microsoft’s camera permission instructions and Apple’s camera access guide.

If another browser works, compare the first browser’s permissions and settings. That result helps narrow the investigation; it does not establish whether the cause is a permission, browser behavior, or a device interaction. A missing camera and a denied permission are different errors, as described in the browser camera API documentation.

What does the resolution and FPS readout mean?

The page reads the active track’s settings after starting or switching cameras. The frame-rate value is rounded to a whole number. It is a configured value, not an ongoing measurement of delivered frames. The initial camera request prefers 1920×1080; the browser and device negotiate the actual result. A lower readout does not by itself show that the camera cannot support a higher resolution.

What happens when I click Stop?

Stop ends this page’s active camera tracks and clears its preview. It does not stop tracks held by other tabs or apps, so a camera indicator may remain on if another application is using it. See how stopping a media track works.

Continue to your screen recording

After checking the camera, choose whether your face helps explain the walkthrough. Review ScreenBuddy’s vertical recording guide for screen-and-webcam layout choices. Test the desktop app with your own setup before an important take. For a camera-free browser capture, use the online screen recorder. A successful browser preview does not verify desktop recording or export.