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If the webcam on your laptop does not work, it is usually due to driver problems. Sometimes an antivirus software in the background also blocks the camera.
Laptop webcam not working: causes & solutions
If your webcam on your laptop does not work, it may be for the following reasons:
- Locked: In many cases, the webcam is simply locked. On most computers, you can reactivate it using a key combination. To do this, press and hold the “Fn” key at the bottom left and the corresponding “F” key in the top row at the same time.
- Remove the cover: If you see a black image, check whether your camera is covered. Many laptops have an integrated shutter to protect against observation.
- Activate: In many programs, you have to activate the webcam before using it. In Google Chrome, for example, a bar with the “Allow” button appears at the top.
- Driver: The webcam requires the correct drivers to be installed to work. Perhaps your drivers are not up to date.
- Switch: If the webcam does not work in one application, switch to another program and try the camera there.
- Software: It is possible that the webcam is also being used by other programs at the moment.
Camera on laptop: To update the drivers
To activate the camera and update the drivers, do the following:
- Click the Start menu button and type “Device Manager”. Click to open it.
- Look for your webcam under “Imaging devices.”
- Right-click on the webcam and select the “Activate” option if available.
- Use the “Update Driver” option to update the webcam driver to the latest version.
- If that doesn’t work either, you can right-click the webcam to “Uninstall” it and then “Install” it again.
- If you don’t see your camera in the overview, try connecting it to a different USB port or test a different webcam if yours is broken.
