This online webcam test shows a live preview from your camera so you can confirm it works before a video call, interview or stream. Grant camera access and you see yourself in real time, along with the actual resolution the browser is receiving and the name of the active camera. A device picker lets you switch between a built-in laptop camera and an external USB webcam, which is the quickest way to make sure the right one is selected.
Seeing a live preview answers the questions that matter most before a call: is the camera pointing where you expect, is the lens clean, is the lighting acceptable, and is the framing right. The resolution readout tells you the width and height the browser is actually capturing, which is handy when a camera claims to be high definition but is negotiating a lower mode. If the preview looks soft or the resolution is lower than you expect, try a different camera in the picker or check that another app is not holding the camera at a reduced setting.
Camera access is permission gated, and this test is careful about it. If you deny access or the browser blocks the camera, you get a plain explanation of how to re-enable it instead of an empty black box. The video stream never leaves your device: it is shown in the page and nothing is recorded or uploaded. When you stop the test or close the page, the camera is released and its indicator light turns off, so you are never left wondering whether it is still active.
Running a webcam check here is a fast way to separate a hardware problem from an app problem. If your camera shows a clear picture in this test but a meeting app shows a black screen, the issue is that app's camera selection or permission, not the webcam. If the preview is black here too, work back through the privacy settings, the device picker and the physical connection or privacy shutter until the image appears.
How this test works
This test asks for a camera stream with navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia and attaches it to a video element, then reads the actual track settings to report the resolution and frame rate you are really receiving, which is often lower than a camera's advertised maximum. Stopping the test stops every track on the stream, which releases the device and turns the indicator light off. Nothing is captured or uploaded, and as with the microphone you can confirm that in the Network tab.
How to use the webcam test
- Click the button to start the webcam test and allow camera access when prompted.
- Select the camera you want from the device picker if more than one is available.
- Check the live preview for a clear, correctly oriented image.
- Read the resolution readout to confirm the capture size.
- Stop the test to release the camera and turn off its indicator light.
Reference tables
These are server-rendered, so they are readable without running the test and quotable without running any JavaScript. Where a figure comes from a specification it is cited under the table; where it is our own judgement, the table says so.
| What it measures | What it cannot see |
|---|---|
| The resolution and frame rate the browser is actually receiving | The sensor's native resolution: what you get is what the driver negotiated, which is often lower than the box claim |
| Which camera is active, and whether switching works | Whether a black preview is a lens cover, a privacy shutter, a driver or a broken sensor |
| That the stream has stopped when you press stop | Whether another application picked the camera back up afterwards |
Compiled by MyGearCheck from the browser APIs each test uses. Every limit listed here is a limit of the browser, not of your hardware.
Frequently asked questions
Is my webcam footage recorded or uploaded?
No. The camera stream is only displayed live in your browser to create the preview. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent anywhere, and the camera is released the moment you stop the test or leave the page.
The preview is black. What is wrong?
A black preview usually means another application is already using the camera, the browser lacks permission, or a physical privacy shutter is closed. Close other video apps, check the site camera permission in your browser, and make sure any lens cover is open, then reload.
Can I switch between cameras?
Yes. After you grant access, the device picker lists every camera the browser can detect, so you can switch between a built-in camera and an external USB webcam to test each one.
How do I know the camera is off afterwards?
When you stop the test, the browser releases the camera and its hardware indicator light, if it has one, turns off. Closing the page has the same effect, so the camera is never left running in the background.
Why is the resolution lower than my webcam advertises?
Because that is what the driver actually negotiated for this stream. Cameras trade resolution against frame rate and bandwidth, and the figure shown here is what any application would receive, which makes it a more honest number than the packaging.
Does the test work on a phone?
Yes, and both cameras are selectable once you grant permission. On a phone the front camera is usually offered first.
Why does my camera indicator light stay on after I close the tab?
It should not, and if it does another application has taken the camera. Closing the tab releases anything this page was holding, so the light is telling you about something else.
Can the test record a still image?
No. The stream is rendered and discarded, and nothing is captured or stored. That is deliberate: adding capture would mean holding image data, which is exactly what this site does not do.
Why does the test ask for permission every time?
Browsers grant camera access per site and often per session, and some are configured to ask every time. Allowing it permanently for this site is a browser setting rather than something the page controls.
Guides for this test
The test shows you what is happening. These explain what to do about it.
More hardware tests
The closest tests to this one are the rest of the audio & video group. Working through a whole machine instead? The full check runs everything in order and ends in one report.
Everything else in the suite: