Why is no preview showing — the box is just black?
Three usual suspects. (1) Permission denied: an earlier visit blocked camera access. Open the lock icon in the address bar > Camera > Allow, then reload. (2) Privacy shutter or kill-switch: many laptops have a physical webcam slider — ThinkPads, Framework, HP EliteBooks, Dell Latitudes, some Lenovo Yogas. Check the camera bezel for a slider or LED. (3) Another app holds the camera: Zoom, Teams, OBS, FaceTime, or Camo can lock the webcam exclusively. Quit them, then reload this page.
The browser is asking for camera permission — why?
getUserMedia is gated behind an explicit user permission grant by every major browser, by design. Without that prompt, any page could silently record video of you. The Allow click only grants permission to this page (or this site) for this session, and you can revoke it at any time from the browser's site settings. The video here is not recorded or uploaded.
Why is my webcam preview dim or grainy?
Almost always lighting, not the camera. Most laptop webcams have small sensors that perform badly in low light — they crank ISO, which produces visible grain, and they underexpose, which produces dimness. Sit facing a window during the day, or add a ring light or a desk lamp pointed at you (not at the camera) for the same effect. A $20 ring light fixes more video calls than a $200 webcam upgrade.
Can I test an external USB webcam, OBS Virtual Camera, iVCam, or Continuity Camera?
Yes — anything the OS exposes as a video input device appears in the dropdown. External USB webcams (Logitech C920, Brio, StreamCam, Razer Kiyo, Insta360 Link) show up once plugged in. OBS Virtual Camera appears when OBS is running with Start Virtual Camera enabled. iVCam and EpocCam expose iPhone or Android cameras as virtual webcams. macOS Continuity Camera shows your iPhone in the dropdown when the iPhone is nearby, unlocked, and on the same Apple ID.
Will a working webcam here mean my camera works in Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams?
Yes. This tool uses the standard getUserMedia API — the same API every browser-based conferencing tool relies on, and the same underlying OS video device that the desktop Zoom, Meet, and Teams apps open. If the preview here is clean, the camera will be available in those apps as well, assuming no other app is holding an exclusive capture on it.
Does this webcam test record me?
No. The video stream is rendered directly to a video element on the page. A hidden canvas samples frames locally for quality metrics, then the pixels are discarded. There is no MediaRecorder, no upload, no facial recognition, no AI processing, and no telemetry. You can verify this in your browser's Network tab.
How accurate are the FPS, sharpness, noise, and lighting numbers?
They are practical browser-side estimates, not lab calibration. Real FPS is measured from preview frames. Brightness, luminosity, saturation, sharpness, noise, and color variety are computed from downsampled frame pixels so they update quickly without uploading anything. Use them for comparison and troubleshooting, not formal camera certification.
Does it work on iPhone and iPad?
Yes, in Safari 14 and later on iOS and iPadOS. iOS prompts for camera permission the first time the test runs. To swap between front and rear cameras on iOS, use the device dropdown — iOS exposes both cameras as separate inputs. Continuity Camera flows the other direction: an iPhone can act as a webcam for a nearby Mac.
Why does the resolution look lower than my webcam's spec sheet?
The browser negotiates the best resolution within the constraints requested. Most pages, including this test, request a reasonable default rather than max resolution, because higher resolution uses more CPU and bandwidth and is rarely visible in a video call. If you need full resolution (4K from a Brio, 1080p60 from a Kiyo Pro), use a desktop recording app rather than a browser-based tool.