How this webcam test works
Test my webcam asks your browser for the camera through getUserMedia, the same
call every video-calling site makes. The browser shows its own permission prompt, opens the camera, and hands
the page a live stream that is played straight into the preview box. We ask for the highest common mode,
1920×1080, and let the browser negotiate down to whatever the camera can actually supply, then read back what
it settled on.
From there the page measures rather than assumes. It counts frames as they are presented, so the frame rate you see is what is really arriving, not what the driver advertises. It samples the average brightness of the picture so a closed shutter registers as "black frames" instead of a false pass. And it reports the resolution from the decoded video itself, which is the same figure a call app would get.
What the readouts mean
- Resolution is the width and height of the frames arriving right now, in pixels. Cameras sometimes start low and step up after a second; the readout follows.
- Frame rate shows two numbers once measured: frames actually presented per second, and in brackets the nominal rate the device claims. A big gap between them usually means low light or a busy USB bus.
- Facing is which way the lens points, reported by phones and tablets. Desktop webcams rarely say, so n/a is normal there.
- Aspect is the shape of the frame: 16:9 for most webcams, 4:3 for older or cheaper ones, 3:4 or 9:16 on a phone held upright.
Mirror, snapshot, and switching cameras
The preview is mirrored by default because that is how a mirror behaves and how every calling app shows you to yourself. Other people see you the right way round. Take snapshot draws the current frame at full resolution onto a canvas in memory; you can look at it, save it as a PNG to your own device, or discard it. Nothing about it touches a network. If your machine has more than one camera, the Camera menu appears once the stream is running; on phones it is how you switch between front and back.
What a good result looks like
For calls: 1280×720 or better, 24 to 30 fps measured, and a picture that is not black or frozen. Above that, the picture quality is about light and lens, not numbers. If you present or stream, 1920×1080 at 30 fps is the realistic ceiling for most USB webcams inside a browser; 60 fps requires a camera that supports it, a USB 3 port, and enough light for a short exposure.
Webcam not working? Fixes by browser and system
Open your browser first, then your operating system. Your own platform is marked. The tool shows the same steps automatically when it hits a blocked or missing camera.
Chrome browser
Blocked permission. Click the icon at the left of the address bar (lock or sliders), turn Camera on, and reload. If there is no switch, open Site settings and set Camera to Allow. Every blocked site is listed at chrome://settings/content/camera, and the dropdown at the top of that page chooses Chrome's default camera, which matters when a virtual camera from OBS, Snap Camera or a meeting app has taken over.
"Camera in use" or a black preview. Chrome could not open the device because something else has it, most often a meeting app, the Windows Camera app, or another tab. Close them and click Try again. On Windows, a black preview with no error is the same problem in disguise.
Never asks. A remembered Block decision, a privacy extension, or an organisation policy ("managed by your organization" on the settings page). Try an incognito window; if it works there, an extension is the cause.
Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Arc behave the same way; replace chrome:// with the browser's own scheme.
Edge browser
Blocked permission. Lock icon, Permissions for this site, Camera, Allow, then reload. The list is at edge://settings/content/camera.
Windows privacy. Edge counts as a desktop app: if Let desktop apps access your camera is off in Windows settings, Edge reports no camera at all. See the Windows section.
Windows Studio Effects. On newer laptops with an NPU, Studio Effects (background blur, eye contact) sit between the camera and Edge and can reduce the frame rate or resolution. Toggle them from the quick settings panel if the readout looks low.
Firefox browser
Blocked permission. Click the crossed-out camera icon in the address bar and press the × beside "Blocked". Click Test my webcam; the prompt now includes a dropdown to choose the camera before you press Allow.
Never asks. Settings, Privacy & Security, Permissions, Settings… beside Camera. Remove or allow devicexray.com and untick Block new requests asking to access your camera.
Firefox and virtual cameras. Firefox does not always list virtual cameras that other browsers show. If you rely on one, check that its driver is a real system camera (OBS's Virtual Camera is) rather than an app-level plug-in.
Safari browser
Blocked permission. Menu bar: Safari, Settings for devicexray.com…, Camera, Allow (or Ask). Also under Safari, Settings, Websites, Camera. Reload.
macOS permission. System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera: Safari must be switched on. It shows up in that list only after its first request.
Safari quirks. Only the front-most tab gets the camera; switching tabs pauses the stream, and it resumes when you come back. Continuity Camera can make Safari default to your iPhone when it is nearby; pick the built-in camera from the Camera menu if the preview looks like your phone's view.
Windows system
Privacy switches. Settings, Privacy & security, Camera. Turn on Camera access, Let apps access your camera, and at the bottom of the page Let desktop apps access your camera. Browsers are desktop apps, and with the last one off they see no camera at all.
Is the camera alive? Open the built-in Camera app. If it says "We can't find your camera" with error 0xA00F4244, Windows itself sees no device: check the privacy shutter and the camera F-key first (an LED next to the key normally means off), then Device Manager under Cameras or Imaging devices. Right-click a disabled device to enable it; a warning triangle means the driver needs reinstalling from your laptop maker's support site.
Two cameras listed. Laptops with Windows Hello often show an infrared camera next to the normal one. Pick the RGB one; the IR camera produces a dark or grey picture by design.
Something else has it. Windows lets one app own the camera. Close Teams, Zoom, OBS, the Camera app and any other browser tab, then Try again. If it still fails, restart; camera drivers wedge after sleep more often than they should.
macOS system
Privacy. System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera. Turn on your browser. If it is not listed, run the test once so it asks. Quit and reopen the browser after changing the setting.
Is the camera alive? Open Photo Booth or FaceTime. A green dot appears next to the notch or in the menu bar whenever the camera is on; if you see it while the browser shows nothing, another app owns the camera. If Photo Booth shows "No camera available" or a black frame, restart the Mac. The camera service can get stuck after sleep or after a virtual-camera app crashes.
Continuity Camera. A nearby iPhone can become the default camera automatically. That is a feature, but if you wanted the built-in one, choose it from the Camera menu, or disable the option in the iPhone's Settings, General, AirPlay & Continuity.
Screen recording apps and virtual cameras such as OBS, mmhmm or Camo add cameras that only produce a picture when their app is running. A black frame from one of those means the app is closed, not that your webcam is dead.
iPhone and iPad mobile
Tap the page-settings button at the left of Safari's address bar (it reads AA on older versions), Website Settings, Camera, Allow. Or Settings, Apps, Safari, Camera. Chrome, Firefox and Edge on iPhone have their own Camera switch under Settings, Apps. iOS gives the camera to one app at a time, so close FaceTime or any call first. Screen Time's Content & Privacy Restrictions can also block the camera for every app. To switch between front and back, use the Camera menu once the preview is running.
Android mobile
In Chrome, tap the lock or site-information icon left of the address bar, Permissions, Camera, Allow. If Chrome itself is blocked: Android Settings, Apps, Chrome, Permissions, Camera, "Allow only while using the app". Android 12 and later have a global camera toggle in quick settings; when it is off, every app shows a black picture. Samsung Internet keeps its site permissions under Settings, Sites and downloads. If the preview is black but permission is granted, another app such as the system Camera or a video call is holding the device.
Frequently asked questions
Is any video sent anywhere or stored?
No. The preview is the raw camera stream playing inside your browser tab. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no server that could receive it. A snapshot is drawn onto a canvas in memory; it exists only until you discard it or leave the page, unless you choose Save to device, which writes a PNG straight to your own downloads folder. Check the Network tab of your browser's developer tools during the test if you want proof: no requests.
Why is my picture mirrored?
Because that is what people expect from a preview: it behaves like a mirror, so moving your right hand moves the hand on the right of the picture. Everyone else on a call sees you un-mirrored, exactly as a person across the table would, and text on a mug reads correctly for them. Turn Mirror preview off to see the un-mirrored version. Snapshots follow whichever setting is on when you take them.
Why is the resolution lower than my webcam's box says?
The page asks for 1920×1080 and the browser negotiates the closest mode the camera and the operating system will actually deliver. Common reasons for a lower answer: the camera is on a USB 2 hub or a long cable, so it falls back to a lower mode; a "1080p" webcam that only reaches that in a compressed MJPEG mode the browser did not pick; a virtual camera app sitting in between at 720p; or a laptop maker capping the built-in camera. Some cameras also change resolution a moment after starting, which is why the readout updates once frames arrive.
Why is the frame rate 15 fps, or lower than the nominal number?
The nominal figure is what the driver promises; the measured figure is what actually arrives. In dim light most webcams lengthen the exposure and halve the frame rate to stay bright, so the fastest fix is more light on your face. Battery-saver modes, USB 2 bandwidth, other apps reading the same camera, and browsers themselves capping at 30 fps all lower the number too. Anything above 24 fps looks smooth on a call; 60 fps needs a camera that supports it and USB 3.
The camera works here but not in Zoom, Teams or Meet. Why?
Each app has its own camera selection and, on macOS and Windows, its own OS permission. Open the app's video settings and pick the same camera that worked here. On macOS check System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera for that app; on Windows, Settings, Privacy & security, Camera, and for desktop apps the switch at the bottom of that page. Most webcams can serve only one app at a time, so close the browser tab you tested in before starting the call, or vice versa.
My preview is completely black. Is the camera broken?
Usually not. A physical privacy shutter, a sticker, or a keyboard kill switch (an F-key with a camera icon on many ThinkPad, HP, Dell and Framework laptops) all produce a black stream that the browser considers perfectly healthy. So does another app holding the camera on Windows, which often shows black instead of an error. The test watches the average brightness and flags black frames for exactly this reason. If light reaches the lens and the frames stay black on every app, then it is time to suspect the driver or the hardware.
Can I use my phone as a webcam and test it here?
Yes. On a Mac with an iPhone, Continuity Camera makes the phone appear as a camera named after the iPhone; on Windows 11 an iPhone can be added under Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mobile devices. Apps such as Camo, DroidCam and EpocCam add a virtual camera on both systems. Whichever you use, start the test, then pick the phone from the Camera menu. The readout will show its resolution and frame rate like any other device.
What does "facing" mean, and can I switch to the back camera on my phone?
Facing is what the device reports about which way the lens points: user for the front (selfie) camera, environment for the rear. On phones and tablets both cameras appear in the Camera menu once the test is running, usually labelled Front and Back. Desktop webcams rarely report a facing mode, so the readout shows n/a, which is normal.