How to install and use a webcam

Updated: 06/xxx/2020 by Estimator Promise

Computer webcam

In our increasingly mobile and technology-driven world, videoconferencing is becoming very pop, especially for companies that have employees working from home. There are many services and programs available to host and join a videoconferencing call and a webcam is used to prove your live video.

For help with installing, testing, and using a figurer webcam, and determine if your laptop has a built-in webcam, select a link below.

How to install a webcam

USB cable and port

Today, most webcams are universal, meaning they work on most any computer. Follow the steps below to connect and install a webcam on your computer.

  1. Turn on your computer and make sure the operating system is loaded.
  2. Most webcams have a USB cable continued to them. Plug the USB cable into an available USB port on your estimator. USB ports are on the back of the computer or the sides of a laptop.
  3. Newer operating systems, like Windows 8 and Windows 10, should recognize the webcam every bit connected. The drivers are unremarkably installed automatically, allowing the computer to use the webcam.

If your operating organisation does non automatically install the drivers, you can go to the webcam manufacturer's website and download the necessary drivers. Install the downloaded drivers on your estimator.

  1. If your webcam came with a CD containing software, you tin can install that software to add additional features for the webcam.
  • How to install software.
  1. The webcam needs to be placed in front end of yous, and near the same elevation as your face while sitting. The best location to mount the webcam is at the top of your calculator monitor. Most webcams sit on top of a monitor, having an adjustable clamp that braces itself confronting the back of the monitor to secure the webcam. Place the webcam on top of the monitor and adapt the clench equally desired. When finished, the webcam should be pointed at your face.

Adjustable clamp on a webcam

How to exam a webcam

To test if your webcam is working, follow these steps.

Windows computers

Windows Camera app

If your estimator has Windows 7, Windows eight, Windows x, or Windows 11, you can use the Photographic camera app to test the built-in webcam. To open the Camera app, follow these steps.

  1. Printing the Windows key or click Start.
  2. In the Windows search box, type camera.
  3. In the search results, select the Photographic camera app selection.
  4. The Camera app opens, and the webcam is turned on, displaying a alive video of yourself on the screen. You tin can conform the webcam to center your face on the video screen.

Tip

Y'all tin utilize the Photographic camera app to tape videos and have pictures of yourself or anything in front end of the webcam.

macOS computers

Photobooth app

On a computer running macOS, you tin test your webcam using the Photobooth app, located in your Applications folder. You can use it to accept photos or videos using an attached webcam.

Linux computers

On a computer running Linux, y'all can test your webcam using the cheese utility. Information technology is available in about parcel managers. For example, to install it on Debian, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint, you can install it using apt.

sudo apt install cheese

If you want to actuate the webcam whenever it detects movement, use the movement utility.

sudo apt install motility

How to use a webcam

Button or option to enable video in videoconferencing software

After yous accept connected and installed a webcam on your reckoner, you tin use information technology to show video of yourself on video conferencing services and software. Popular services and software for videoconferencing include Microsoft Teams, Skype, Webex, and Zoom.

When you connect to a conference phone call using videoconferencing services or software, yous tin can activate the webcam to display alive video. The service or software should have a button with what looks like a video photographic camera on information technology. Examples of the button are shown in the picture.

Click the video camera push to plough on the webcam and activate video sharing. Depending on the videoconferencing service or software, the alive video sharing starts immediately or displays a preview of the video, so you can run into how it looks. If a preview is displayed first, click the pick for "Start Video" or something similar to begin sharing the live video to others on the videoconferencing telephone call.

Does my laptop have a built-in webcam?

Using an external webcam with a laptop is possible, just sometimes a bit more clunky if placed on top of the laptop screen. The laptop screen is very thin, causing an external webcam to be less stable when mounted to the top of the screen.

Today, some laptops feature a built-in webcam, eliminating the demand for an external webcam. However, the built-in webcam is non easy to come across and piece of cake to miss. In most cases, laptop webcams are located in the middle of the top edge of your laptop screen, in the plastic casing.

Laptop with built-in webcam

The built-in webcam is usually 1/ii" or less in size. Information technology may be a small, dark circle, or it may be a pocket-sized dark square, with a slightly less night circle inside it. Pictured beneath are ii examples of a built-in webcam on the top border of a laptop screen.

Built-in webcam on laptop - small dark circle

Built-in webcam on laptop - small dark square with dark circle inside

If your laptop has a characteristic similar to the pictures in a higher place, your laptop likely has a built-in webcam.