Webcam Test
Start the test and allow camera access to see a live preview. Check the image is clear and correctly framed, then switch devices below if you have more than one camera.
This test shows a live preview of your camera directly in your browser using getUserMedia; the video is never uploaded to or processed on a server. The resolution and frame rate shown are what your browser and OS report for this camera, and may be lower than the camera's advertised maximum depending on lighting, USB bandwidth or driver settings. The optional snapshot is created locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded unless you choose to download and share it yourself.
What the Webcam Test checks
It checks whether your browser can open the camera you choose and what it reports about it. After you allow access you see a live preview, the resolution and frame rate the browser reports for that camera, a list of the cameras it can see and a button to take a snapshot. If something goes wrong, the page tells you whether the camera permission was denied or the camera couldn't be opened, for example because another app is already using it.
How it works
The page asks for camera access and shows the stream in a video element. Resolution and frame rate are the values the browser reports for the active video track; they are reported, not measured by TryYourGear. Choosing another camera restarts the stream with that device.
The snapshot copies the current frame onto a canvas and turns it into a PNG image inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the download button only saves the file to your computer. Stop test releases the camera.
A quick check before a video call
Start the test and allow access
The browser asks for permission for this site. If you refuse, the page says access was denied.
Pick the camera you will use
The dropdown lists the cameras the browser can see. A laptop with an external webcam plugged in often lists both, and the browser may start with the wrong one.
Look at framing and light
You judge the picture yourself: is your face lit from the front, is the framing what you want, does the lens look clean? The test can't rate any of it.
Take a snapshot if the preview looks black or odd
A snapshot copies the current frame. A black snapshot means the black is in the video the browser receives, which rules out a display problem.
Press Stop test when you finish
It releases the camera, so a video-call app can open it.
Reading what you see
| What you see | What it may mean | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution or frame rate lower than the camera's specification | The browser and system agreed on a smaller stream. Lighting, USB bandwidth or driver settings can cause it. | Try another USB port (avoid hubs), add light and close other apps that use the camera. |
| The frame rate shows a dash | The browser didn't report a value for this camera. | It doesn't mean the camera is faulty; judge how smooth the preview looks yourself. |
| The preview is dark or blurry | Light, lens or focus. This test can't rate image quality. | Put more light in front of you, gently clean the lens and check for a lens cover. |
| Access was denied | The browser or the operating system is blocking this site from the camera. | Allow the camera for this site in the browser and check the system's camera privacy switch. The webcam guide lists the browser and operating-system settings one by one. |
| The camera could not be accessed | Another app may already be using it, or the device isn't available. | Close video-call and recording apps, unplug and reconnect the camera, then try again. |
| It says active but the picture is black | A privacy shutter, a covered lens or the wrong camera selected. | Check the shutter and choose another camera in the dropdown. If it stays black, the webcam guide goes through the other causes in order. |
What this test can't tell you
It can't judge image quality, colour accuracy, sharpness or low-light performance in any objective way; you judge the preview yourself. The resolution and frame rate are what the browser reports and can be lower than the camera's maximum. It doesn't test a microphone built into the camera, and it doesn't measure the delay between the camera and the screen.
What to do next
Before a video call, check here that the right camera is selected, that nothing else is using it and that the framing and light look right. If the camera fails, the webcam guide covers it step by step, and the guide on what browser tests can and can't measure explains what this test can and can't show. Because calls also depend on sound, the Microphone Test and the Speaker & Headphone Test cover the rest of your setup.
Related guides
Webcam Black Screen or Camera Not Working: Permission, Device or App?
Black screen, no camera or “in use”? Run TryYourGear's Webcam Test, then check browser permission, system privacy, the selected camera and other apps.
Read guideWhat a Browser-Based Hardware Test Can and Can't Measure
How TryYourGear's 12 browser tests work: what each observes, what it can't measure and what result it gives, from key codes to refresh rate and latency.
Read guideTry next
Microphone Test
Free online microphone test. Check your mic's input level in real time, switch between devices, and record a short local playback — entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Open testSpeaker & Headphone Test
Test your speakers or headphones with left, right, stereo and frequency audio tests.
Open test