Camera Test: Online Webcam Test

How to test your webcam

1. Step 1Tap Start cameraYour browser asks for the camera. Choose Allow. The test asks only when you tap.
2. Step 2Check the pictureThe strip under the picture shows the real resolution, the frame rate, the camera name and which way it faces. Pick another camera or lens in the list.
3. Step 3Open Camera controlsPick a resolution, an aspect ratio and a frame rate, and the test shows what the camera really gives. Zoom, torch, focus and exposure show up when your browser allows them. Camera details lists all it reports.

Camera not working on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android

When the camera stays black or the test says it is blocked, a privacy setting or another app is the usual cause. Check these on your device:

• Windows: Settings › Privacy & security › Camera: turn on camera access and access for desktop apps, which covers your browser. Microsoft help
• Mac: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera: turn on your browser, then quit and reopen it. Apple help
• iPhone and iPad: Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera, then turn on Safari or your browser app. Apple help
• Android: in Chrome, tap the icon left of the address › Permissions › Camera. Also check Settings › Apps › Chrome › Permissions. Google help

If the test says another app is using the camera, close Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, OBS or any other app that shows your picture, then tap Try again. On Windows, a webcam often works in only one app at a time. Some laptops also have a privacy shutter or a camera key that turns the camera off: open it before you test.

Change the camera resolution

Open Camera controls and pick a resolution, an aspect ratio and a frame rate: the test asks the camera for them and shows the size it really gives. Keys above the largest size your camera reports are off, with the reason. The list comes from what the browser says the camera can do (getCapabilities on MDN).

The browser treats your pick as a wish, not an order, and gives the nearest size it can (applyConstraints on MDN). So the test prints what you asked for next to what arrived. When the two differ, the strip and the result line show the real size. Tap Test the sizes to ask for each size in turn and see which ones your camera reaches. Some webcams give a high size only at a lower frame rate, so check both numbers.

Ultra-wide and zoom on phones

On most phones each lens shows up as its own camera, so pick the ultra-wide in the Camera or lens list, or zoom below 1x where the browser allows it. The test puts the lens first in the list when the name tells it.

• iPhone and iPad: Safari names each lens, such as Back Ultra Wide Camera and Back Telephoto Camera. Back Dual Wide Camera and Back Triple Camera combine lenses and switch between them as you zoom. Every browser on iPhone uses Safari's engine, so Chrome there works the same.
• Android: Chrome names lenses camera2 0, camera2 1 and so on, with only the side they face. Try each back camera to find the ultra-wide. Chrome on Android also gives web pages the most controls: zoom, torch, focus and exposure, where the phone allows them.

Safari and Firefox let web pages change little beyond size and frame rate. When a control is missing, the test says your browser does not let web pages change it, so you know it is the browser and not your camera. On a computer, Chrome and Edge can zoom only a webcam that supports pan, tilt and zoom, after you allow it (Chrome developers).

Frame rate and lighting

Frame rate is how many pictures the camera sends each second. 30 fps looks smooth in a call, and 15 fps or less looks choppy. In a dark room most webcams slow down on their own, to let more light in for each frame, so a low frame rate often means too little light, not a broken camera. Face a window or a lamp and watch the number on the strip go up. Light from behind you makes your face dark, so turn your back to the wall, not to the window.

Test your camera before a call

Open this webcam test a few minutes before a Zoom, Teams or Meet call. Choose the camera you will use, check that your face is in the middle of the picture and well lit, then stop the test so the call app can use the camera. In the call app, choose the same camera in its video settings. Test your microphone too with themic test.

FAQ

• Mic test

  Check your microphone with a live level and a 5 second playback.

• Dead pixel test

  Fill your screen with plain colors to find dead or stuck pixels.