How to install and utilize a webcam

Updated: 06/30/2020 by Figurer Hope

Computer webcam

In our increasingly mobile and technology-driven world, videoconferencing is becoming very pop, peculiarly for companies that take employees working from dwelling house. There are many services and programs bachelor to host and join a videoconferencing call and a webcam is used to evidence your live video.

For help with installing, testing, and using a calculator 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, significant they piece of work on almost any calculator. Follow the steps below to connect and install a webcam on your computer.

  1. Turn on your computer and brand sure the operating organization is loaded.
  2. Near webcams accept a USB cable connected to them. Plug the USB cable into an available USB port on your computer. USB ports are on the dorsum of the figurer or the sides of a laptop.
  3. Newer operating systems, similar Windows 8 and Windows 10, should recognize the webcam equally connected. The drivers are usually installed automatically, allowing the computer to employ the webcam.

If your operating system does not automatically install the drivers, you can go to the webcam manufacturer's website and download the necessary drivers. Install the downloaded drivers on your computer.

  1. If your webcam came with a CD containing software, y'all can install that software to add together additional features for the webcam.
  • How to install software.
  1. The webcam needs to be placed in front end of you, and most the same tiptop equally your face while sitting. The all-time location to mount the webcam is at the top of your reckoner monitor. Most webcams sit on top of a monitor, having an adjustable clamp that braces itself against the back of the monitor to secure the webcam. Place the webcam on top of the monitor and arrange the clamp as desired. When finished, the webcam should be pointed at your confront.

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 computer has Windows vii, Windows eight, Windows 10, or Windows eleven, you tin use the Photographic camera app to test the built-in webcam. To open the Camera app, follow these steps.

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

Tip

You can use the Camera app to record videos and take pictures of yourself or anything in front of the webcam.

macOS computers

Photobooth app

On a reckoner running macOS, you can test your webcam using the Photobooth app, located in your Applications folder. You lot tin can use information technology to take photos or videos using an fastened webcam.

Linux computers

On a reckoner running Linux, you tin can test your webcam using the cheese utility. It is available in most package managers. For example, to install it on Debian, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint, you can install information technology using apt.

sudo apt install cheese

If y'all want to activate the webcam whenever it detects motility, use the move utility.

sudo apt install motion

How to utilise a webcam

Button or option to enable video in videoconferencing software

Later you lot accept connected and installed a webcam on your reckoner, y'all tin employ it to testify video of yourself on video conferencing services and software. Popular services and software for videoconferencing include Microsoft Teams, Skype, Webex, and Zoom.

When y'all connect to a conference call using videoconferencing services or software, you lot tin actuate the webcam to brandish live video. The service or software should have a button with what looks like a video photographic camera on it. Examples of the button are shown in the picture.

Click the video camera push button to turn on the webcam and activate video sharing. Depending on the videoconferencing service or software, the live video sharing starts immediately or displays a preview of the video, and then you lot tin can see how it looks. If a preview is displayed first, click the choice for "Start Video" or something like to begin sharing the live video to others on the videoconferencing phone call.

Does my laptop have a built-in webcam?

Using an external webcam with a laptop is possible, but sometimes a chip more clunky if placed on tiptop 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 characteristic a born webcam, eliminating the need for an external webcam. However, the born webcam is not piece of cake to see and piece of cake to miss. In about cases, laptop webcams are located in the center of the top edge of your laptop screen, in the plastic casing.

Laptop with built-in webcam

The built-in webcam is usually one/2" or less in size. It may be a small, nighttime circle, or information technology may be a small night square, with a slightly less night circle inside it. Pictured beneath are two examples of a born webcam on the top edge 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 feature like to the pictures to a higher place, your laptop likely has a built-in webcam.