How to troubleshoot camera

Question

How to troubleshoot camera

Jenny Corbin 0

I have my camera on with all permissions, but the camera still shows a black screen. There is no obstruction in front of the camera. How do I get my camera to display for the web and for zoom?

John Jefferson Doyon 87,535 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-17T18:47:12.0733333+00:00
Hi, @Jenny Corbin

If you haven’t tried it yet, first restart the computer and then open the Windows Camera app to check whether the camera works there.

If the screen is still black, to help narrow down the issue:

Does the camera show a black screen in other apps too, such as the Windows Camera app, Teams, or another video app?

Does the same thing happen on other websites or in another browser, such as Edge or Chrome?

Is this the built-in camera on the computer, or an external USB webcam?

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Thanks!

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 87,535 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-17T18:47:12.0733333+00:00

Hi, @Jenny Corbin

If you haven’t tried it yet, first restart the computer and then open the Windows Camera app to check whether the camera works there.

If the screen is still black, to help narrow down the issue:

Does the camera show a black screen in other apps too, such as the Windows Camera app, Teams, or another video app?

Does the same thing happen on other websites or in another browser, such as Edge or Chrome?

Is this the built-in camera on the computer, or an external USB webcam?

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Try these checks in order:

Verify Windows camera permissions
- Go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
- Turn Camera access On.
- Turn Let apps access your camera On.
- Turn Let desktop apps access your camera On.
- This is required for desktop apps such as browsers, Microsoft Teams, and other video conferencing apps.
Check whether another app is already using the camera
- Close apps that might be using the webcam, including the Camera app, video editors, virtual camera software, instant messengers, browsers, Teams, or Zoom.
- A black screen can happen when another application has locked the camera.
Check for a privacy shutter or hardware camera switch
- If the preview is solid black, make sure the camera’s physical privacy shutter is open.
- Some devices also have a keyboard key or hardware switch that disables the camera.
Check browser camera permissions for web use
- In Microsoft Edge:
  - Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Camera.
  - Turn on Ask before accessing (recommended).
- In Google Chrome:
  - Open Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Permissions > Camera.
  - Make sure the correct camera is selected.
  - Under Default behavior, select Sites can ask to use your camera.
- In Safari:
  - Open Settings > Websites > Camera.
  - Set When visiting other websites: to Ask or Allow.
Run the Windows camera troubleshooter
- Open the Get Help app and run the automated camera troubleshooter.
- It can automatically diagnose and fix many camera issues.
Check Device Manager
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Cameras.
- If the camera is listed but disabled, enable it.
- If the camera is missing or shows a warning symbol, the driver may need attention.
If using a Surface, update or reinstall the camera driver
- In Device Manager > Cameras, open the camera device.
- On the Driver tab, select Uninstall Device.
- Select Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then select Uninstall.
- Restart the device.
- Warning: Do not do this on Surface Pro X. On that device, uninstalling drivers can require a full system reset to restore them.
Restart the device
- A restart can restore camera access after permissions or driver changes.

If the issue is only in the browser, focus on steps 1, 2, and 4. If the issue is in both web apps and Zoom, focus on steps 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 first.