Windows 11 Camera Not Working? Here's How to Fix It

You are here because the camera on your Windows 11 laptop or desktop is not working. You tried a few basic fixes like reboot but it didn’t work. And all of this is happening when you are about to join a meeting. Here’s what to do when your Windows 11 camera is not working.

Table of Contents

Simple Quick Fixes

Try these before moving on so you can finish the meeting first.

You can use any Android phone as a webcam on Windows 11. We have a step-by-step guide for it. This will also give you much better image quality.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, simply use the Phone Link app to use phone as a webcam on Windows 11 PCs.

1. Run the Camera Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter for common camera-related issues. This is a simple and quick step to try before diving into more complex solutions. Here’s how to do it:

Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
Find the Camera and click Run to automatically detect and fix issues.

2. Check Camera Permissions

If Windows 11 is blocking your camera from working with apps, you may need to manually enable permissions for it. This ensures apps can access the camera without issues.

Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
Ensure that camera access is turned on for your apps.

3. Test Camera with the Camera App

Testing the camera with the Camera app can help identify if the issue is with the camera itself or the specific app you’re using. If it works here, the problem might be app-related. Here’s how you can test:

Open Start, type Camera, and launch the app.
If it works here, the issue might be with the app you were using.

4. Check External Camera Connections

For external cameras, a loose connection can cause issues. Ensure that the camera is properly connected to the USB port and test it on a different device if necessary. Remember these points:

Make sure your external camera is securely plugged into the USB port.
Test it on a different device to confirm it’s working.
Try cleaning the USB port as well as the plug with a clean cloth before plugging in.

5. Update Camera Drivers

Outdated or missing drivers can cause problems with your webcam. Keeping them updated ensures your camera works correctly with Windows. Here’s how you can update your camera drivers:

Right-click the Start button or press Win + X and select Device Manager.
Find the Cameras option.
Right-click your camera, select Update Driver, and search for updates.

Once you click on the update driver option, you will see two options:

Also Read:

Search automatically for drivers: This option allows Windows to search online and install the latest available driver.

Browse My Computer for Driver Software: If you have downloaded the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website, select this option and navigate to the folder containing the driver.

Note: Restart your PC/laptop once the drivers are installed.

6. Check Antivirus or Firewall Settings

Some security software can block your camera. Temporarily disabling your antivirus or firewall might solve the problem and will allow you to test the camera. Scammers and hackers can use your camera to spy on you. This is why most antiviruses and firewalls automatically block webcams temporarily for security reasons. But they can be unblocked manually. Here’s how to check:

Open the antivirus or firewall.
Go to Settings and look for an option to disable or pause protection.

If your antivirus or security software allows adding exclusions or disabling protection for specific services, select that option and turn it off for the camera.

7. Repair and Reset Camera

Webcam still not working on your Windows 11 computer? Windows has an option Repair or Reset the camera in the system settings. This won’t delete or remove your data in any way.

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Search for the Camera app.
Click on the three dots icon on the right-hand side.
Click on the Advanced options.
Scroll down and look for the Repair and Reset option.

Note: Restart your PC/Laptop once you have completed the Repair or Reset before opening the Camera app.

8. Roll Back Camera Driver

If your camera stopped working after an update, rolling back the driver to its previous version might fix the issue. Here’s how you can roll back to your old driver:

Right-click the Start button or press Win + X and select Device Manager.
Right-click your camera and select Properties.
Go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver if the option is not greyed out.

You can also Disable Automatic Driver Updates on Windows 11 to stop Windows from updating drivers automatically as sometimes it installs buggy versions.

9. Uninstall and Reinstall Camera Driver

Uninstalling and reinstalling your camera’s driver forces Windows to reset the camera settings, which can fix any corrupted files.

Right-click the Start button or press Win + X and select Device Manager.
Right-click the camera in Device Manager and choose Uninstall Device.
Then, go to Action > Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver.

10. Switch to UVC Driver for External Cameras

Using an external webcam? Switching to the universal UVC driver might solve compatibility issues, especially if the camera isn’t working correctly.

Right-click the Start button or press Win + X and select Device Manager.
In Device Manager, right-click your camera and select Update Driver.
Click on the Browse My Computer for Driver Software option.
Choose Let me pick from a list and select USB Video Device.

Hopefully, your PC’s webcam is now working. There is also a workaround to use OBS Studio to use your phone as webcam but the steps are long and complicated for this guide to cover. That’s it, folks.

troubleshooting Windows 11

Windows 11 Camera Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It