Webcam test
Check your camera picture, resolution and frame rate before a call. Nothing is uploaded.
Your browser will ask for camera access. The preview runs entirely on this device, so you can check your picture, lighting and framing before a call.
Your video never leaves this device. There is no upload and no recording on any server.
What the numbers tell you
The resolution shown is what your camera actually delivered, not what it claims to support. Those differ more often than people expect. The camera maximum is read separately from the device's reported capabilities, so when the two do not match you can see it immediately.
Frame rate is counted from decoded video frames rather than from how fast the page is painting, which means it reflects the camera rather than your browser's performance.
Checking your picture before a call
Lighting
Light should come from in front of you, not behind. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette, because the camera exposes for the brightest part of the frame. This is the single biggest difference between a good and a bad call picture, and it costs nothing.
Framing
Aim for your eyes about a third of the way down the frame, with a little space above your head. Raising a laptop on a stand fixes the upward angle that most built in cameras produce.
Background
Toggle the mirror off before a call. Anything with text behind you reads backwards in the mirrored preview and correctly to everyone else, which is easy to miss.
Common faults
Black preview with the light on
A physical privacy shutter, or another application holding the stream. Check the shutter first, since many laptops and most standalone webcams now have one.
Grainy or noisy image
Almost always low light rather than a faulty sensor. Webcams increase sensor gain in dim conditions, and that gain is what produces the noise. Add a light source facing you.
Stuttering or low frame rate
Check lighting first, then USB bandwidth. A webcam sharing a hub with other devices may not have the bandwidth for full frame rate at full resolution.
Out of focus
Fixed focus cameras have a sweet spot, usually somewhere between 30 and 60 centimetres. If yours has autofocus and hunts constantly, more light usually settles it.
Common questions
Is my video recorded or uploaded?
No. The preview runs entirely in your browser and the page has no server to send video to. Snapshots are created on your device and are only saved if you choose to download one. Closing the tab ends the stream.
Why is my resolution lower than my camera supports?
The browser negotiates a resolution with the camera and does not always get the maximum. Common causes are USB bandwidth limits, particularly on a shared hub, another application holding a lower resolution stream, or a driver default. Try a USB 3 port directly on the machine and close other video apps.
My camera light is on but the preview is black.
This usually means a privacy shutter is closed or another application is holding the stream while your browser shows an empty one. Check for a physical shutter first, then close other video apps and restart the camera.
Why does the image look mirrored?
The preview is mirrored by default because that is what video call apps show you, and an unmirrored self view feels wrong to most people. Other participants see the unmirrored version. Toggle it to check anything with text in the background.
The browser says my camera is in use by another application.
Most operating systems allow only one application to hold a camera at a time. Close Zoom, Teams, Meet, Discord and OBS, including anything still running in your system tray, then try again. If nothing obvious is open, restarting the browser releases it.
My frame rate is low.
Poor lighting is the most common cause. Almost all webcams drop their frame rate automatically in low light to keep the exposure usable, so a camera reporting 30fps in daylight can fall to 15 in a dim room. Add light before suspecting hardware.
Troubleshooting guides
Test your other hardware
Most hardware faults travel in pairs. If one device is misbehaving, check the rest.