Advanced Webcam Troubleshooting
There are a couple of reasons why your webcam may not be working. Here are a few of the possible problems and steps to resolve the issue.
There are a variety of reasons why your camera may not be working with any of your applications. Here are a few steps to follow or eliminate as you troubleshoot the problem.
Solution 1: Multiple Applications Requesting Camera Access Simultaneously
As a first step, please make sure you are not trying to access your camera through multiple applications at once. Restart your laptop. Once it’s back on, open only the ‘Camera’ app in Windows. If that one works, CLOSE IT and then open Big Interview.
Solution 2: Check Physical Connectivity or Camera Cover
If you have an external camera, and none of your apps can use the webcam, it’s always worth a shot to make sure that any physical connections are secure. Don’t worry – it’s easy to overlook. Even the most experienced among us will sometimes make this mistake. Simply unplug the cord and plug it back in again, making sure it’s securely attached.
It’s also possible that there is a problem with the USB port itself. Try plugging the webcam into another port.
Be aware that some newer laptops are including built-in covers for the webcam, so check to make sure that there is not one covering your integrated camera.
Solution 3: Check the Windows Privacy Settings
Recently Windows 10 introduced a Privacy option that may turn off camera use entirely. Look in your Windows settings to check for this issue by following these steps:
Open Windows 10 Settings (click ‘Windows’ icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen, then click the ‘gear’ icon)
Click on Privacy
At the top, look for “Camera access for this device is on.” If it is off, click the “Change” button and turn it on.
Under that, check for “Allow apps to access your camera” and make sure it is On.
Next, look at “Choose which apps can access your camera.” Make sure apps you want to use with your camera are enabled.
Solution 4: Webcam is Enabled in Device Manager
Open Device Manager (click the magnifying-glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen and type ‘device manager’ and click on the first option)
Click on the ‘>’ next to Cameras to expand
Right-Click on ‘Integrated Webcam’ or the camera device displayed here and click on ‘Enable device’ IF the option is available in the menu
Solution 5: Check your antivirus
Antivirus software, which is designed to protect your privacy, can sometimes affect your webcam. It doesn’t want to allow the camera to turn on, to avoid unauthorized access. Check the settings in your software and contact the manufacturer for more information.
Solution 6: Webcam Driver is Installed and Up-to-date
After recent Windows 10 Security Updates, many old hardware drivers will not work correctly with the new operating system. To install or update the driver of your webcam please follow these steps:
Open Device Manager (click the magnifying-glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen and type ‘device manager’ and click on the first option)
Click on the ‘>’ next to Cameras to expand
Right-Click on ‘Integrated Webcam’ or the camera device displayed here and click on the first option in the menu. It may either be ‘Install driver’ or ‘Update driver’
Click on ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’
Once the Install/Update is done click on ‘Close’
If your Webcam works with the standard Windows 10 Camera application, but not on Chrome please follow the next steps.
Solution 1: Multiple Applications Requesting Camera Access Simultaneously
Solution 2: Allow Big Interview to Access your Camera
The first time you access our Mock Interview feature either through ‘Practice’ or ‘Assignments’ a pop-up asking for access to your microphone and camera is displayed. Please make sure you click ‘Allow’.
Solution 3: Allow Pop-Ups
If the pop-up mentioned in the previous step is not displayed please make sure pop-ups are allowed by following these steps.
Open Chrome and click this menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll down and click on ‘Advanced’
Select ‘Content settings’ and click on ‘Pop-ups and redirects’
Make sure the toggle is set to ‘Allowed’ and Big Interview is not under ‘Block’
Solution 4: Update Chrome
Make sure your Google Chrome browser is up to date. Normally updates happen in the background when you close and reopen your computer's browser. But if you haven't closed your browser in a while, you might see a pending update:
On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, look at More menu button
If an update is pending, the icon will be colored:
Green: An update has been available for 2 days.
Orange: An update has been available for 4 days.
Red: An update has been available for 7 days.
To update Google Chrome:
On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, click More menu.
Click Update Google Chrome. If you don't see this button, you're on the latest version.
Click Relaunch.
The browser saves your open tabs and windows and reopens them automatically when it restarts. If you'd prefer not to restart right away, click Not now. The next time you restart your browser, the update will be applied.
Solution 5: Webcam Test in Browser
Test your webcam is working by visiting either http://www.testmycam.net/ or https://www.onlinemictest.com/webcam-test/
Solution 6: Default Camera
Sometimes the camera set as default in Chrome may not be the current device you are using.
Open Chrome and click this More menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll down and click on ‘Advanced’
Select ‘Content settings’ and click on ‘Camera’
Make sure the correct device is set in the dropdown and Big Interview is not under ‘Block’
Solution 7: Ad-Blockers or Plugins Interference
Ad-blockers may interfere with the functionality of any website. They are extensions to the browser and their icons are usually displayed to the right side of the address bar. The most common 3 are AdBlock, Adblock Plus and uBlock Origin:
To disable AdBlock click on the hand icon and click on ‘Don’t run on pages of this site’.
To disable Adblock Plus click on the ‘ABP’ icon and click on ‘Enabled on this site’
* To disable uBlock click on the shield icon and click on the big blue power button.
Other plugins may interfere with the website functionality and camera use. We recommend you turn them OFF on the Big Interview website. Alternatively you can use the Incognito mode in Chrome which disables any plugins and ad-blockers automatically.
Solution 8: Clear Cookies and Cache
Even if plugins and programs are uninstalled their data may linger for a while in the form of cookies and cached files. To remove these please follow the next steps:
Open Chrome and click this More menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll down to ‘Advanced’ and click ‘Clear browsing data’
In the dropdown select ‘All time’
Check off the boxes for Cookies and Cache
Click on ‘Clear data’
Restart your browser
Solution 9: Disable Hardware Acceleration
To disable hardware acceleration in Google Chrome, follow the steps below:
Open Chrome and click this More menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll to the bottom and click on ‘Advanced’
Scroll to the bottom of the page again and under ‘System’ turn ‘Use hardware acceleration when available’ to OFF and restart Google Chrome.
Problem: Webcam Not Working on Windows 10 with Any Application
There are a variety of reasons why your camera may not be working with any of your applications. Here are a few steps to follow or eliminate as you troubleshoot the problem.
Solution 1: Multiple Applications Requesting Camera Access Simultaneously
As a first step, please make sure you are not trying to access your camera through multiple applications at once. Restart your laptop. Once it’s back on, open only the ‘Camera’ app in Windows. If that one works, CLOSE IT and then open Big Interview.
Solution 2: Check Physical Connectivity or Camera Cover
If you have an external camera, and none of your apps can use the webcam, it’s always worth a shot to make sure that any physical connections are secure. Don’t worry – it’s easy to overlook. Even the most experienced among us will sometimes make this mistake. Simply unplug the cord and plug it back in again, making sure it’s securely attached.
It’s also possible that there is a problem with the USB port itself. Try plugging the webcam into another port.
Be aware that some newer laptops are including built-in covers for the webcam, so check to make sure that there is not one covering your integrated camera.
Solution 3: Check the Windows Privacy Settings
Recently Windows 10 introduced a Privacy option that may turn off camera use entirely. Look in your Windows settings to check for this issue by following these steps:
Open Windows 10 Settings (click ‘Windows’ icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen, then click the ‘gear’ icon)
Click on Privacy
At the top, look for “Camera access for this device is on.” If it is off, click the “Change” button and turn it on.
Under that, check for “Allow apps to access your camera” and make sure it is On.
Next, look at “Choose which apps can access your camera.” Make sure apps you want to use with your camera are enabled.
Solution 4: Webcam is Enabled in Device Manager
Open Device Manager (click the magnifying-glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen and type ‘device manager’ and click on the first option)
Click on the ‘>’ next to Cameras to expand
Right-Click on ‘Integrated Webcam’ or the camera device displayed here and click on ‘Enable device’ IF the option is available in the menu
Solution 5: Check your antivirus
Antivirus software, which is designed to protect your privacy, can sometimes affect your webcam. It doesn’t want to allow the camera to turn on, to avoid unauthorized access. Check the settings in your software and contact the manufacturer for more information.
Solution 6: Webcam Driver is Installed and Up-to-date
After recent Windows 10 Security Updates, many old hardware drivers will not work correctly with the new operating system. To install or update the driver of your webcam please follow these steps:
Open Device Manager (click the magnifying-glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen and type ‘device manager’ and click on the first option)
Click on the ‘>’ next to Cameras to expand
Right-Click on ‘Integrated Webcam’ or the camera device displayed here and click on the first option in the menu. It may either be ‘Install driver’ or ‘Update driver’
Click on ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’
Once the Install/Update is done click on ‘Close’
Problem: Webcam Not Working on Chrome
If your Webcam works with the standard Windows 10 Camera application, but not on Chrome please follow the next steps.
Solution 1: Multiple Applications Requesting Camera Access Simultaneously
Solution 2: Allow Big Interview to Access your Camera
The first time you access our Mock Interview feature either through ‘Practice’ or ‘Assignments’ a pop-up asking for access to your microphone and camera is displayed. Please make sure you click ‘Allow’.
Solution 3: Allow Pop-Ups
If the pop-up mentioned in the previous step is not displayed please make sure pop-ups are allowed by following these steps.
Open Chrome and click this menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll down and click on ‘Advanced’
Select ‘Content settings’ and click on ‘Pop-ups and redirects’
Make sure the toggle is set to ‘Allowed’ and Big Interview is not under ‘Block’
Solution 4: Update Chrome
Make sure your Google Chrome browser is up to date. Normally updates happen in the background when you close and reopen your computer's browser. But if you haven't closed your browser in a while, you might see a pending update:
On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, look at More menu button
If an update is pending, the icon will be colored:
Green: An update has been available for 2 days.
Orange: An update has been available for 4 days.
Red: An update has been available for 7 days.
To update Google Chrome:
On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, click More menu.
Click Update Google Chrome. If you don't see this button, you're on the latest version.
Click Relaunch.
The browser saves your open tabs and windows and reopens them automatically when it restarts. If you'd prefer not to restart right away, click Not now. The next time you restart your browser, the update will be applied.
Solution 5: Webcam Test in Browser
Test your webcam is working by visiting either http://www.testmycam.net/ or https://www.onlinemictest.com/webcam-test/
Solution 6: Default Camera
Sometimes the camera set as default in Chrome may not be the current device you are using.
Open Chrome and click this More menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll down and click on ‘Advanced’
Select ‘Content settings’ and click on ‘Camera’
Make sure the correct device is set in the dropdown and Big Interview is not under ‘Block’
Solution 7: Ad-Blockers or Plugins Interference
Ad-blockers may interfere with the functionality of any website. They are extensions to the browser and their icons are usually displayed to the right side of the address bar. The most common 3 are AdBlock, Adblock Plus and uBlock Origin:
To disable AdBlock click on the hand icon and click on ‘Don’t run on pages of this site’.
To disable Adblock Plus click on the ‘ABP’ icon and click on ‘Enabled on this site’
* To disable uBlock click on the shield icon and click on the big blue power button.
Other plugins may interfere with the website functionality and camera use. We recommend you turn them OFF on the Big Interview website. Alternatively you can use the Incognito mode in Chrome which disables any plugins and ad-blockers automatically.
Solution 8: Clear Cookies and Cache
Even if plugins and programs are uninstalled their data may linger for a while in the form of cookies and cached files. To remove these please follow the next steps:
Open Chrome and click this More menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll down to ‘Advanced’ and click ‘Clear browsing data’
In the dropdown select ‘All time’
Check off the boxes for Cookies and Cache
Click on ‘Clear data’
Restart your browser
Solution 9: Disable Hardware Acceleration
To disable hardware acceleration in Google Chrome, follow the steps below:
Open Chrome and click this More menu button in the top-right corner
Click on ‘Settings’
Scroll to the bottom and click on ‘Advanced’
Scroll to the bottom of the page again and under ‘System’ turn ‘Use hardware acceleration when available’ to OFF and restart Google Chrome.
Updated on: 24/06/2024
Thank you!