Whether your camera is built into the laptop or is plugged using an external connector, the solutions should almost be identical, except when there’s a hardware issue. For an external camera, make sure it’s properly plugged into the connecting port, and try using another USB port as well to see if that fixes the issue. For all cameras, these troubleshooting steps should be taken to resolve common issues related to webcam and computer cameras, including restarting the computer. Many times, simply restarting the PC can get your camera working again. To get started with troubleshooting webcam issues on Windows 11, follow the steps below.
How to fix webcam issues on Windows 11
As we mentioned above, fixing webcam and camera issues on Windows 11 could come down to a few settings, drivers, or Windows updates, and the steps below should get you started.
Check for the camera On or Off switch
Some laptops and camera devices have a physical switch that turns the camera on or off. When the webcam button is turned off, Windows won’t recognize that there’s a camera installed. Turn it back on for Windows to see the camera again. If your device doesn’t have a switch to turn off or on, then continue to the next steps.
Restart your computer
A lot of issues can be resolved simply by restarting your computer. If your webcam isn’t working, go shut down and restart your computer. You can read this post the learn how to shut down your computer. Then turn it back on to see if it fixes the issues.
Check for Windows Updates
If you restarted your computer and the issues are not resolved, then go and update Windows. Windows updates can also install drivers for devices and running older device drivers may lead to devise issues. To check for updates and install optional drivers, click on the Start button, then select Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. If there are updates available, download and install them. If no updates are available, then click Advanced options, and under Additional options, select Optional updates to see if there are updates available for your camera. Allow available updates to install, then restart your device when it’s ready.
Check your computer privacy settings
Windows 11 has built-in privacy settings that prevent some apps from accessing the computer camera and you might need to permit apps to use the camera. Some apps don’t have default access to the camera. To let your device access the camera, click the Start button, then select Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. Make sure Camera access is turned On. Then also confirm that the apps you want to use have access to use the camera as well. Toggle the button next to the app to the On position to enable access to the camera. After that, test the camera to see if that fixes the issues. If not, continue below.
Check camera drivers
Next, make sure the correct drivers are selected for the camera. To do that, click on the Start button, then search for Device Manager. Select to open the Device Manager app. In Device Manager, expand the Camera, then right-click on the camera name and select Update driver as highlighted below. Next, select Browse my computer for drivers. Then click “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer“ Next, choose another device driver on the list. In some cases, there could be multiple drivers for a particular device. Switch between them to see which one works. Click Next, to install the selected driver. Restart your computer and test it out.
Manually download a new driver
If all the above steps don’t work, then you may have to download a new driver from the manufacturer’s website. Get the name of the device on Device Manager, then search Google and download compatible drivers for your device. Next, reopen Device Manager as described above, right-click the device, select Update driver, choose to Browse my computer for drivers, and select Then click “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer” and then click the Have Disk. Browse and select the downloaded driver and install it. Restart your computer and test it out. If you tried everything above and the issues were not resolved, then there might be an issue with the device itself and not the software. A hardware issue means the device is broken and may need to be replaced. That’s it. Conclusion: This post showed you how to resolve common camera issues when using Windows 11. If you find any error above or have anything to add, please use our comment form below.
