Plug and Check

Camera

Webcam Test: Check Your Camera Online

Press Start camera to see your webcam live. The test shows the resolution and frame rate your browser really gets, checks which sizes the camera can send, and lists what else it can do, such as zoom or autofocus.

Press Start camera and allow access when your browser asks. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.

Resolution–
Aspect ratio–
Frame rate–fpsMeasured over 2 seconds

Supported resolutions

Asks your camera for each size in turn. The picture may flicker for a few seconds.

What your camera can do

Start the camera to see what it can do.

Your report

Run the test above. Your results will appear here as plain text you can paste into a support chat, a return request or a forum post.

How to test your webcam

  1. Close apps that might be using the camera, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or OBS.
  2. Press Start camera and allow access when your browser asks. If you have more than one camera, pick yours from the Camera list.
  3. Check the picture: it should be sharp, well lit and steady. The preview is mirrored like a mirror; turn off Mirror the preview to see yourself the way others do.
  4. Read the resolution and the measured frame rate under the picture. Give the frame rate a few seconds to settle.
  5. Press Check supported resolutions to see which sizes your camera can send, and Take a photo to save a still picture.
  6. Copy the report if you need to show the results to your IT team, a seller or the camera's maker.

What the results mean

Resolution and aspect ratio

The resolution is the size of the picture your browser receives, in pixels. The test asks for 1920 × 1080 (Full HD), the largest size most video calls use. If your camera can't send that, the browser picks the closest size it can, so a 720p webcam shows 1280 × 720. The aspect ratio is the picture's shape: 16:9 is widescreen, and 4:3 is the older, squarer shape.

Frame rate

The frame rate is measured, not copied from the camera's settings: the test counts the frames your browser actually shows over 2 seconds. The rate the camera is set to is listed under it. Most webcams aim for 30 fps. In dim light, many slow down to 15 fps or less so that each frame gets more light, so a low reading in a dark room usually means you need more light, not a new camera. The count can vary by a frame or two with what else your computer is doing.

Supported resolutions

The resolution check asks your camera for five common sizes, from 4K (3840 × 2160) down to 640 × 480, one at a time, and notes what it sends back. Browsers can scale a picture down, so smaller sizes usually show as supported even when the camera captures a larger one. A large size that isn't supported means the camera, its connection or its driver can't deliver it to the browser. A webcam on a slow USB port or hub may offer less than it does when plugged straight into the computer.

Camera capabilities

Some cameras report extras such as zoom, focus and exposure modes, white balance or a light. The list shows what your browser can see; the camera maker's own app may offer more settings. On a phone, you can try the zoom and the light right on this page.

A black or frozen picture

If the picture stays black while the camera's light is on, look for a privacy shutter over the lens. If the frame rate drops to 0, the camera has stopped sending frames: unplug it, plug it back in and start it again.

Webcam not working? Try these fixes

When the camera doesn't start, the message above the test says why. Find it below, or read the full guide, Webcam not working? How to fix it on Windows 11 and Mac.

Access to the camera is blocked

Your browser or your computer refused the camera. Allow it in both places, then reload this page.

Browser

  1. In Chrome or Edge, click the icon at the left end of the address bar, set Camera to Allow and reload the page.
  2. In Firefox, click the crossed-out camera icon in the address bar and remove the block.
  3. In Safari, choose Safari → Settings for This Website and set Camera to Allow.

Windows 11

  1. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Camera.
  2. Turn on Camera access, Let apps access your camera and Let desktop apps access your camera. Browsers count as desktop apps.

macOS

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
  2. Turn on your browser, then quit it and open it again.

No camera was found

  1. Plug a USB webcam straight into the computer, not into a hub or dock, and try another port.
  2. On a laptop, look for a key with a camera icon, or a switch on the side, that turns the camera off.

Windows 11

  1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Cameras and check that your camera is listed and not disabled.
  2. Right-click Start, open Device Manager and look under Cameras. If the camera is missing, choose Action → Scan for hardware changes.

macOS

  1. Hold Option, choose Apple menu → System Information, and look under Camera and USB. If the camera isn't listed, the Mac can't see it: try another cable or port.

The camera is in use by another app

Another app or browser tab is holding the camera, so your browser can't start it.

  1. Close Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Discord, OBS and the Windows Camera app, and other tabs that use the camera.
  2. Look for apps still running in the background: on Windows, in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar; on a Mac, in the Dock.
  3. Press Start camera again. If it still fails, restart the computer.

The picture is black

  1. Open the privacy shutter over the lens, if your camera has one.
  2. Turn the camera on with its key or switch, if your laptop has one.
  3. Turn on a light. In a dark room the picture can look black even when the camera works.

The picture is choppy or the frame rate is low

  1. Add light in front of you. Webcams slow down in dim light.
  2. Close apps that keep the computer busy, such as games or video editors.
  3. Plug the webcam straight into a USB 3 port on the computer. These are often blue or marked SS.

The wrong camera opens

  1. Pick your camera from the Camera list above the test.
  2. To change the camera websites get by default, go to chrome://settings/content/camera in Chrome or edge://settings/content/camera in Edge and pick it from the list at the top.
  3. In a meeting app, choose the camera in its video settings. A virtual camera from OBS, or an iPhone near your Mac (Continuity Camera), can be picked instead of your webcam.

Common questions

How do I test my webcam online?

Open this page, press Start camera and allow access when your browser asks. You see yourself live, with the real resolution and frame rate under the picture. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.

Why is my webcam not working in the browser?

Usually the camera is blocked in the browser's site settings or in your computer's privacy settings, or another app is using it. The message above the test says which, and how to fix it. On Windows 11, also check Settings → Privacy & security → Camera.

Why does my 1080p webcam show 1280 × 720 or less?

The test asks for 1920 × 1080, so a smaller size means the camera can't send Full HD to this browser right now. Common causes are a slow USB port or hub, or a camera that is really 720p. Press Check supported resolutions to see every size it can send.

What is a good frame rate for a webcam?

Around 30 fps looks smooth on a video call, and most webcams aim for it. From 15 to 24 fps is usable, but movement looks less smooth. Below that, add light: many webcams slow down in dim rooms to collect more light.

Why is my webcam picture mirrored?

The preview is mirrored, like a mirror, because that feels natural when you look at yourself. Other people on a call see you the right way round, and photos you take here are not mirrored. Turn off Mirror the preview to see the picture as others do.

Is this webcam test private?

Yes. The picture goes from your camera to this page and is handled only on your device; nothing is recorded or uploaded. The camera turns off when you press Stop camera, switch to another tab or leave the page.

Can I test my phone's camera here?

Yes. Open this page in Safari, Chrome or Firefox on your phone and press Start camera. After you allow access, pick the front or back camera from the Camera list. On an iPhone, Full screen fills the browser window instead, because iPhones don't let web pages go full screen.

Runs in your browser. Your video and your photos never leave this device. No upload, no sign-up.

Something not right?

Tell us if your device wasn't found or a result looks wrong. Your browser, system and device model help us check.

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