My camera is on but no video shows

A black screen with the camera light on usually means the camera is being opened, but the video stream is blocked or another app is holding the camera.

Try these steps in order:

1. Close other apps that might be using the camera.
   • Close Microsoft Teams, Zoom instances already running, browsers, the Windows Camera app, video editors, and any virtual camera software.
   • If another app is using the webcam, video preview can stay black even though the camera light is on.
2. Check for a privacy shutter or camera privacy setting.
   • If the preview is a solid black frame, the camera might have a physical privacy shutter. Open it.
   • Some cameras also have a privacy setting in Camera Settings that can block video.
3. Confirm Windows camera permissions are still enabled.
   • Go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
   • Make sure Camera access and Let apps access your camera are both On.
   • Since this worked before and stopped recently, rechecking this is important because updates can affect camera access.
4. Test the camera outside Zoom.
   • Open the built-in Camera app or check the camera preview in Windows settings.
   • If video works there, the issue is more likely app contention or an app-specific problem.
   • If it is still black there too, continue with the next steps.
5. Check whether the camera is enabled in Device Manager.
   • Open Device Manager.
   • Expand Cameras.
   • If the camera is listed, make sure it is enabled. If Disable appears, it is already enabled. If not, right-click it and choose Enable.
6. If the camera is missing or shows a warning icon, reinstall or update the driver.
   • In Device Manager, if the camera is not listed correctly or shows a question mark or exclamation mark, reinstall the camera.
   • On Surface devices, Microsoft also recommends checking the Surface app for updates and health status.
7. Run the automated camera troubleshooter.
   • Use the Get Help app camera troubleshooter. It can run diagnostics and apply fixes for common camera issues.

If the issue started only recently, the most likely causes from the supported guidance are:

• another app is using the webcam
• a privacy shutter or privacy setting is blocking video
• Windows camera privacy settings changed
• the camera driver needs to be re-enabled or reinstalled

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