Due to the high levels of cybercrime and impersonation in the internet sector, often well-connected people will falsely claim credit for work they do not do. Hence increasingly companies and individuals are asked to use webcams for their meetings, so that the person they are interacting can identify the person he is dealing with. This will ensure that the person gets credit or can be held accountable for the work done, someone else does not make fake claims. However, one of the major problems faced, is that users often find that the webcam is malfunctioning for an important meeting. Hence people would like to know how to check if webcam is working using an online webcam test, so that they can test their webcam well before any meeting that they are scheduled to attend.

Computer used

Before testing the webcam, the user should be aware that the testing procedure and troubleshooting method will vary significantly depending on the computer hardware. Usually most of the laptops and all in one computers have a webcam inbuilt, usually in the frame of the display. The driver is also automatically installed. In case of desktop computers, usually a separate webcam is required. This webcam is usually attached to the USB port of the desktop. Often drivers are required for installing the webcam so that it works on the desktop computer. For Mac computers also a separate webcam may be required

Testing method

Computer users can choose to test their webcam online or offline depending on their convenience and computer skills. Often testing the webcam online is the easiest method, since the user only has to open the website and click the test button. However, the user should have a reliable internet connection. While devicetests does not record the video, other online webcam testing websites may record the videos on their servers, resulting in loss of privacy. If the camera is tested without connecting to the internet, there is no danger of unauthorized sharing of video footage. For offline testing, the user will have to make more effort, to find the relevant tools.

Online

For online testing with devicetests.com, the webcam should be connected to the desktop and switched on. The browser should be opened, and the user should give the browser permission to access the webcam. The user should then click on the “test webcam” button. If the webcam is working properly, it will show the video footage in the browser. In case the webcam is not connected or malfunctioning, the browser will show the message in red that the webcam could not be accessed. Typically, the main reason is that the webcam was not connected or the browser was not allowed to access the webcam

Offline

Computer users who are worried about their privacy, will prefer to test their webcam offline. For Windows 10, there is a camera option in the start menu. If there is no problem with the computer hardware as well as software, the camera video will be visible in the screen. If there is a hardware/software problem it will give an error message. For Mac computers, the Photobooth option can be used to check the webcam. For a properly installed webcam, the video will be visible, else an error message will be displayed, which could be used for troubleshooting further.

Troubleshooting

If the webcam is not functioning properly, the user should try to fix the problem himself or herself. The problem may be a hardware problem, the webcam may not be connected properly to the computer. Often the connection to the USB port is loose, due to which the computer does not detect the webcam. In some cases, the webcam has an additional switch which should be used to switch it on. In a few cases, the webcam is not functioning because one or more component is damaged, this can be confirmed checking the webcam on other computers.

Often the webcam is not installed because of device driver problems. Hence the webcam drivers should be downloaded from the webcam manufacturers website and used to install the webcam. In other cases, the webcam is used by some other applications, so the video output is not visible. In a few cases, the computer may be hacked making unauthorized registry changes, installing malware, or corrupting the memory, due to which the webcam malfunctions.