Webcam Tester
Webcam Tester is a free online tool that checks if your webcam is working. Click the button below, allow the access when your browser asks for it, and your camera appears on the screen right away, together with the real resolution, the real frame rate and everything else your camera reports about itself. It works with the built in camera of a notebook, with a USB webcam, and with the front and back cameras of a phone or a tablet.
Use it before a video call to confirm that the right camera is selected and that the image is sharp, to test a webcam you have just bought, to find out which resolutions your camera really supports, or to check the microphone at the same time. Everything runs inside your own browser: the image is never recorded and never sent to any server.
How to use this online tool?
Press Start camera. Your browser will ask for permission to use the camera — this page cannot see anything until you allow it. If you have more than one camera, pick the one you want in the list. The image you see is mirrored by default, exactly like a mirror and like most video call apps, and you can turn that off with the switch.
Camera permission: Not reported by this browser — Microphone permission: Not reported by this browser
Camera preview
The camera is off
Press "Start camera" above and allow the access when your browser asks for it.
Supported resolutions
This test asks your camera for each of the most common resolutions, one at a time, and writes down which ones it accepts. The camera is closed and reopened on every step, so the preview stops for a few seconds and comes back at the end.
Why is my webcam not working?
Almost every webcam problem has one of a handful of causes, and the table below goes from the most common to the rarest.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The camera is in use | A webcam can normally only be opened by one program at a time. Close Zoom, Teams, Meet, Skype, OBS, the camera app of your system, and any other browser tab that is using the camera, and press "Start camera" again. |
| You blocked the access | Click the camera icon on the right side of the address bar of your browser, allow the access for this site, and reload the page. |
| The image is black | Check the physical privacy shutter of the webcam, the sliding cover many notebooks have, and the key that turns the camera off on some keyboards. |
| The wrong camera opens | Pick the right one in the camera list above. Notebooks with an external webcam connected show at least two cameras, and virtual cameras from OBS or from your driver appear as well. |
| The system blocks the camera | Windows has a global switch in Settings → Privacy & security → Camera, and macOS has one in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera. Your browser must be allowed there too. |
| The image is dark or grainy | Webcams need a lot of light. Put the light in front of you and not behind you: a window at your back makes almost any webcam show only a silhouette. |
| The image is blurry | Clean the lens, and if your webcam has a manual focus ring, turn it slowly until the image is sharp. |
| The frame rate is low | In a dark room the camera keeps the shutter open longer and drops from 30 to 15 or even 5 frames per second. More light usually fixes it. A long or cheap USB extension cable can also lower it. |
| Nothing is detected at all | Try another USB port, preferably one directly on the computer instead of on a hub, and check if your operating system sees the camera in its own camera app. |
What the numbers mean
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| Resolution | How many pixels wide and tall each frame is. 1280 x 720 is HD and is what most video calls use; 1920 x 1080 is Full HD. Asking for more than your camera has does not create detail, it only makes the browser upscale the image. |
| Frame rate | How many frames arrive per second. 30 FPS is the usual target and looks smooth; below 20 FPS the movement starts to look choppy. Many cameras only reach their highest resolution at a lower frame rate. |
| Aspect ratio | The shape of the image. 16:9 is the widescreen shape used by video calls, and 4:3 is the older, squarer shape. A camera forced into the wrong ratio either crops the image or adds black bars. |
| Facing mode | On a phone or a tablet it says whether the front ("user") or the back ("environment") camera is being used. Desktop webcams usually do not report it. |
Testing a webcam before a video call
- Start the camera here and confirm that the correct one is selected.
- Check the resolution: it should be at least 1280 x 720 for a good looking call.
- Look at the frame rate. If it is far below 30 FPS, add more light to the room.
- Say a few words and watch the microphone bar move, so you know you will be heard.
- Frame yourself: your eyes should be around the upper third of the image, with a little space above your head.
- Put your main light source in front of you, and avoid having a bright window behind you.
Is my data safe?
Yes. The video and the audio are opened by your own browser and connected straight to the page, which draws them on the screen. Nothing is recorded, nothing is stored and nothing is sent to any server. The photo button creates the image inside your browser and only writes a file if you press download, and closing the page or pressing "Stop camera" releases the camera immediately — the light next to the lens goes out.