How to use the camera test
- Press Start camera.
- When the browser asks, allow this page to use the camera.
- Check the picture and the numbers above it. With more than one camera, pick the one to test from the list.
This is the same camera access that Zoom, Teams or Google Meet use in a browser, so if the picture works here, the camera itself is fine. This page is a webcam test as well: it works the same way for a laptop’s built-in camera, a USB webcam or a phone’s front and back cameras.
What the numbers mean
- Resolution is the size of the picture in pixels. 1280 × 720 is called 720p, 1920 × 1080 is 1080p, and 3840 × 2160 is 4K. The test asks for 1080p, and the camera sends the nearest size it offers.
- Frame rate is how many pictures a second reach this page. Most webcams aim for 30. In dim light many slow down to let in more light, so a low number in a dark room is not necessarily a fault. A figure marked * is the rate the camera was set to, shown where the browser cannot count frames.
- Aspect ratio is the shape of the picture: 16:9 is widescreen, 4:3 is squarer.
- Light level is the average brightness of the picture. Near 0% the picture is black, which usually means the lens is covered.
Supported resolutions
Find supported resolutions asks the camera for common sizes one at a time, from 4K down, and ticks the ones it delivers itself. Browsers can otherwise scale a bigger picture down to any size, so the check asks them not to. Crossed-out sizes are not native to the camera, although an app may still offer them by scaling. When the check is done, the picture goes back to the size it had.
Why the picture is mirrored
The picture is shown like a mirror, because that is how people are used to seeing themselves. The camera itself does not flip anything, and video-call apps normally send the unmirrored picture to the other side. Turn Mirror off to see yourself the way others do. Photos are saved the way the picture is shown.
If the camera does not work
- The browser says the camera is blocked. Click the camera or lock icon at the left of the address bar, allow the camera for this site, and press Start again.
- Windows is blocking it. Open Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Camera. Turn on Camera access, and “Let desktop apps access your camera”, which browsers need.
- A Mac is blocking it. Open Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera, and turn access on for your browser.
- Another app is using it. Close Teams, Zoom, Skype, OBS or anything else that might be holding the camera, then press Start again.
- The camera is switched off. Some laptops have a sliding shutter, a switch on the side, or a key with a camera symbol that turns the camera off.
- No camera is found. For a USB webcam, try another port and cable. On Windows, check that it appears in Device Manager under Cameras.
- The picture is black. The lens is covered or the room is very dark: open the shutter and add light.
Is it private?
Yes. The picture goes from the camera to this page and nowhere else: nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded. A photo is only made when you press Take a photo, and it goes straight to your downloads. On many laptops a light next to the camera shows when it is on. Press Stop camera, or close the page, to turn it off.
Just want to check how you look before a call? The online mirror shows you full size, with a fill light and zoom. To check how you sound, use the mic test.