A camera not working on laptop models from HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS and MSI is most often switched off on purpose: a sliding shutter over the lens, a kill switch on the side, a camera key on the keyboard or a privacy mode in the maker's app. Windows then says it cannot find your camera, or shows a black picture or a camera icon with a line through it. Check those first, then the Windows settings and drivers. The laptop camera test shows the live picture with its real resolution and frame rate, and tells you whether the camera is black, too dark or missing.
Quick checks
- Look at the lens. Many laptops have a small slider above the screen that covers the camera. Webcam covers and stickers from a previous owner do the same.
- Look for a camera key. Scan the top row of keys for a camera icon, often with a line through it. Press it, or hold Fn and press it. Some laptops show a message such as Camera on.
- Close other apps. Teams, Zoom and browser tabs with calls hold the camera and keep running in the taskbar tray. Quit them.
- Restart. A full restart clears a camera held by a crashed app.
Camera not working on an HP, Lenovo, Dell or ASUS laptop
| Maker | Where to look |
|---|---|
| HP | A kill switch on the right side of many Spectre x360 and ENVY models, a camera key at the end of the top row on some, and a sliding shutter on business models |
| Lenovo | The ThinkShutter slider above the screen, a camera key in the top row, a switch on the side of some IdeaPad and Yoga models, and Camera Privacy Mode in Lenovo Vantage |
| Dell | A privacy shutter on some models, and the camera setting in the BIOS |
| ASUS | The F10 camera key: press F10, or Fn and F10, until the screen says Camera on. Some models also have a privacy shield |
| MSI | F6 on Modern, Prestige and Summit models, with Fn when the Fn Lock light on Esc is lit, or F4 on some others. Also Camera Switch in MSI Center, and a side switch on Summit models |
HP laptops
A knowledge base post on HP's support community explains that on Spectre x360 and ENVY models, an off kill switch makes Windows show error 0xA00F4244, We can't find your camera, and the camera drops out of Device Manager. A closed shutter key gives a black picture instead, with the camera still listed in Device Manager. Both look like a dead camera, but they are the privacy feature working. Slide the switch on the right side, or press the camera key in the top row, then open the camera again. HP Support Assistant installs the right camera driver for your model if the camera still does not appear.
Lenovo laptops
Lenovo lists three places to check. Slide the ThinkShutter open and remove any protective film. Press the key with the camera icon, or Fn with it; Lenovo notes the key differs by model. Then open Lenovo Vantage, go to Device, My Device Settings, Display & Camera, and turn off Camera Privacy Mode if it is on. While privacy mode is on, apps show a camera icon with a line through it instead of your picture.
Dell laptops
Check for a shutter first, then follow Dell's BIOS check: restart, press F2 at the Dell logo, and under Integrated Devices make sure Enable Camera is ticked. On some older models the setting sits under Miscellaneous Devices instead. For XPS laptops that show a camera error, Dell suggests turning off Let desktop apps access your camera for a moment, testing in the Windows Camera app, then turning it back on. If the error returns, install the latest camera driver from Dell's support page.
ASUS lists its camera key and driver updates through MyASUS in its camera troubleshooting FAQ, and MSI explains its key and Camera Switch setting in how to enable the camera.
Allow camera access in Windows
Windows 11: open Settings, Privacy & security, Camera. Turn on Camera access, Let apps access your camera and Let desktop apps access your camera. Zoom, Chrome and Edge are desktop apps and depend on that last switch. Microsoft Teams has its own switch in the app list.
Windows 10: open Settings, Privacy, Camera. Under Allow access to the camera on this device, select Change and turn it on, then turn on Allow apps to access your camera and Allow desktop apps to access your camera.
Check that Windows can see the camera
- Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Cameras. Your camera should be under Connected cameras. If it is under Disabled cameras, select Enable. Selecting the camera shows a preview and a Troubleshoot button that runs Microsoft's guided check.
- Open Device Manager and expand Cameras. A camera with a down arrow is disabled: right-click it and choose Enable device.
- If it is missing, select Action, Scan for hardware changes.
Laptops with Windows Hello face sign-in have two cameras: the normal color camera and an infrared camera used only for sign-in. If an app picks the infrared one, the picture is dark, grainy or missing. Choose the color camera by name in the app.
Laptop camera drivers
Many thin laptops from recent years connect the camera straight to the processor's imaging unit rather than over an internal USB link. Those cameras need the maker's camera driver package, and Microsoft's generic USB Video Device driver does not apply to them. Dell's XPS 13 9340, XPS 14 9440 and XPS 16 9640, for example, need a driver called Intel 2D Imaging, MCU, Visual Sensing Controller Driver for Camera.
- Install drivers with the maker's tool: HP Support Assistant, Dell SupportAssist, System Update in Lenovo Vantage, or System Update in MyASUS.
- If the camera stopped after a Windows update, open it in Device Manager, Properties, Driver, and select Roll Back Driver.
- Check Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates for a camera driver.
- Windows 11 24H2 and later has a basic camera mode for faulty drivers: in Cameras, select the camera, open Advanced camera options and turn on basic camera.
Camera works in Windows but not in Zoom, Teams or Meet
If the Windows Camera app shows a picture, the meeting app is the problem. Pick the built-in camera by name in its video settings, not the infrared camera or a virtual camera such as OBS Virtual Camera. Quit other apps that might hold the camera. The step by step settings for Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Discord and OBS are in webcam not working windows 11, and the zoom camera test shows what Zoom will get before you join.
MacBook camera not working
MacBooks have no camera switch. The camera turns on when an app uses it, with a green light beside it.
- Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera, and turn on the app. Quit and reopen it.
- Open System Settings, Screen Time, Content & Privacy, App Restrictions (or Apps), and make sure Camera is allowed.
- Quit other apps that use the camera, such as FaceTime, Photo Booth and browser tabs with calls.
- Restart the Mac. On an Intel MacBook, Apple also suggests resetting the SMC.
- With the lid closed and an external display connected, the built-in camera is off. Open the lid or use another camera.
Apple's guide for a built-in camera that is not working says a green light that flashes, or a camera that still fails after these steps, needs service.
Chromebook camera
Select the time at the bottom right, then Settings, Privacy and security, Privacy controls, and turn on Camera access. Check the app's own setting in the list below it, and look for a physical camera switch on the side, which some Chromebooks have.
When it is a hardware fault
The camera sits in the screen bezel and connects through a thin cable that runs through the hinge. Signs of a hardware fault:
- The camera is missing from Device Manager even after the BIOS check, the privacy controls and the maker's driver.
- The picture flickers, turns purple or drops out when you move the screen.
- The shutter is stuck or broken and will not slide.
Run the maker's diagnostics first (HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, Dell SupportAssist, Lenovo Diagnostics or MyASUS), and save the result with the serial number for a warranty claim. A camera module or cable is a routine repair for the maker's service center. Until then, a USB webcam works on any laptop, and the webcam test confirms it before your next call.
Laptop camera questions
Why does my laptop camera show a camera icon with a line through it?
The camera is switched off by a privacy control, not broken. Look for a kill switch on the side, a camera key in the top row of the keyboard, or a privacy mode in the maker's app, such as Camera Privacy Mode in Lenovo Vantage. Turn it back on and reopen the app.
How do I turn on the camera on my HP laptop?
Many HP Spectre x360 and ENVY models have a camera kill switch on the right side, and some have a camera key at the end of the top row of keys. With the switch off, Windows reports that it cannot find your camera. With the shutter key closed, the picture is black instead. Slide the switch or press the key, then check camera access in Windows Privacy & security.
How do I turn on the camera on my Lenovo laptop?
Slide the ThinkShutter above the screen open, press the key with the camera icon (or Fn with it), and in Lenovo Vantage open Device, My Device Settings, Display & Camera and turn off Camera Privacy Mode. Some IdeaPad and Yoga models also have a camera switch on the side.
Why is my laptop camera not working in Zoom or Teams?
If the camera works in the Windows Camera app, the meeting app is set to the wrong camera or lacks permission. Pick the built-in camera by name, not the infrared camera or a virtual camera, turn on Let desktop apps access your camera (Teams has its own switch in the app list), and quit other apps that may hold it.
Why is my MacBook camera not working?
Check the app is allowed in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera, and that Camera is allowed in Screen Time. Quit other apps using it and restart. The built-in camera also turns off when you close the lid to use an external display.