Webcam Test
Inspect live camera stream, delivered resolution and frame rate — with a mirror mode.
Requires camera permission
Webcam & Video Resolution Tester
Test your camera feed, verify actual delivered resolution and frame rates, and capture a test snapshot before high-stakes video calls.
Click "Start Camera Test" to activate the camera preview.
Understanding Video Stream Measurements
The resolution shown represents the video stream dimensions negotiated between the browser and camera driver (e.g., 1920x1080 for 1080p). Frame rates typically stabilize at 30 FPS or 60 FPS under good lighting.
Webcam testing measures the browser-negotiated video stream. It does not verify physical optical sensor quality or certified color calibration.
Webcam Troubleshooting Steps
- Verify that the physical privacy shutter or sliding lens cover is open.
- Check whether another application (e.g. Teams, Skype, OBS) is actively using the camera.
- If the image is completely dark, verify room lighting or auto-exposure settings in your operating system.
- Ensure camera privacy permissions are enabled in Windows Settings or macOS System Settings.
This tester needs your permission
Your browser will ask for access the moment you start. Click “Allow” when the prompt appears — the test cannot see or send anything without it.
Allowed it but nothing happens? Click the lock (or tune) icon in your address bar and set this site's access to “Allow”, then reload. A fresh reload applies the new permission immediately.
Why we ask
Permission stays on your device: the test reads the live signal locally and nothing is recorded or uploaded.
How to Test
- •Click Start Test to request camera access.
- •View the stream properties, delivered resolution, and observed frame cadence.
- •Switch to the Mirror tab for a full-screen, flipped preview you can use while grooming or framing a shot.
Browser Limitations
- •Delivered resolution depends on browser WebRTC constraints and hardware driver limits.
- •Observed FPS measures video frame delivery rate, not display refresh rate.
Troubleshooting Tips
- •Ensure no other application (Zoom, Teams, OBS) is exclusively holding the camera lock.
- •Unplug and reconnect external USB webcams if no stream appears.
Why test your webcam online?
Camera failures are famously silent: the permission got revoked by an OS update, another app is holding the camera, or the built-in webcam simply died after a firmware update. This webcam test shows your live video feed within seconds, along with the resolution and frame rate your camera is actually delivering — numbers most conferencing apps hide from you.
Because the tester uses the same getUserMedia pipeline as Zoom, Meet, and Teams, it is a close preview of your next call — but not a guarantee. Call apps apply their own resolution caps, frame-rate targets, and processing on top of what the camera delivers, so always confirm the result inside the app itself before an important meeting. Everything stays local: frames are processed in browser memory and destroyed when you close the tab.
How to get an accurate result
- Test in the lighting you actually use for calls — webcam sensors change behavior dramatically between bright and dim rooms.
- Check the reported resolution against the camera’s spec: 1080p webcams often default to 720p until you set it in the conferencing app.
- Watch the frame rate while waving a hand, and note whether it is low from the start or falls partway through. This page reports the delivered frame rate and nothing about its cause — a low or falling number has several possible explanations, from USB bandwidth and heat to power management and background load, and the tester cannot tell them apart.
- Keep the frame counter climbing while you move: wave a hand in front of the lens or point the camera at a lamp and the counter should keep advancing. A counter that stops means the browser has stopped receiving frames altogether — it is not what the lens is pointed at.
- If you use an external webcam, test both it and the built-in one to know which fallback you have in emergencies.
Common webcam problems and fixes
Black screen but permission is granted
Another app is usually holding the camera. Quit Zoom/Teams/Snap Camera entirely (check the system tray and Task Manager), then reload this page.
Video is very dark or washed out
Webcams auto-expose to the whole scene. Face a window or lamp instead of sitting in front of it, and disable "auto low-light correction" in your conferencing app if highlights look blown.
The image is blurry
Fixed-focus webcams have a sweet spot around 50–80 cm. Manual-focus lenses have a ring on the barrel — adjust it slowly until your face sharpens. Also clean the lens; laptop cameras collect fingerprints.
Frame rate is low, or falls after a minute
Several different things produce this and the page cannot distinguish them. USB bandwidth contention is one possibility — try a different port, preferring USB 3.0 directly on the machine, and unplug other high-bandwidth devices like capture cards. Heat is another, so test on a cool machine with the power adapter connected. Equally plausible: CPU or GPU load from other apps starving the capture pipeline, aggressive power saving suspending the camera, a long or unpowered hub, a mismatched resolution/frame-rate mode the driver is downsampling, or background auto-exposure hunting in a dim room and eating frames. Change one variable at a time and compare the reported frame rate after each, because no single reading here identifies which cause is yours.
Camera works here but not in my meeting app
The app may be pointed at a different device (a virtual camera that no longer exists, for example). Check the camera picker inside the app and remove stale virtual camera drivers.
Allow access in your system settings
Windows 10 & 11
- Open Settings → Privacy & security → Camera.
- Enable "Camera access" and "Let apps access your camera".
- Under "Let desktop apps access…", allow your browser.
- For external webcams, check Device Manager if the device is missing entirely.
macOS
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
- Enable the toggle next to your browser.
- If the camera stays off after allowing, quit and relaunch the browser — macOS only applies the change on restart.
Webcam test FAQ
Is my camera feed uploaded anywhere?
Never. Frames are processed in your browser’s memory only. There is no server component — you can disconnect from the network and the test keeps working.
How do I know the real resolution and FPS?
The stats panel under the live feed shows the actual delivered video track settings. Compare them with your camera’s spec sheet: many cameras advertise 1080p but negotiate 720p by default.
Can I take a snapshot to check image quality?
Yes — use the capture button to freeze a frame and inspect it at full size. It stays in your browser until you dismiss it.
Why does my webcam look grainy at night?
Small sensors boost ISO in low light, which introduces noise. More light is always the answer — a lamp behind your screen transforms budget webcam quality.
Can I test an iPhone as a webcam?
If it appears as a system camera (e.g., Apple’s Continuity Camera on Mac), it will show up here exactly like any other webcam.
Related Tools
Microphone Test
Live input level meter with pitch detection and voice recorder tabs.
Speaker & Headphone Test
Verify stereo separation by playing a 440 Hz tone to the left, right, and centre channels, then confirming what you hear.
Screen Test
Dead-pixel, solid-pattern, and display-information checks in one tool.