Device Bench

Device test · Video in

Webcam Test

Start the camera and see yourself exactly as a call would. The readout shows the live resolution and frame rate, you can switch between cameras, and a freeze-frame lets you inspect focus and noise. Video stays on this device — nothing is uploaded or recorded.

Only checking a camera? You are on the right page. Before a meeting you probably want to check both at once — camera, microphone and a playback loop, with one summary.

Statusidle Resolution— Frame rate— Cameras—

How this test works

When you press start, the browser asks for camera access with getUserMedia and hands this page a live video stream, which is rendered straight into the player above. The readout strip reports what the browser negotiated with the camera — the actual width, height, and frame rate of the stream, read from the video track's own settings. Where the browser supports frame-callback timing, the frame-rate figure is then measured from frames actually presented on screen, not just the nominal value the driver claims.

The preview you see is the same processed feed a video-call app would receive — after the driver's exposure, white balance, and format conversion — so it answers the practical question: what will you look like on the next call? The freeze-frame button copies the current frame onto a still canvas laid over the player, which makes it far easier to judge focus, sensor noise, and a smudged lens than a moving picture does. Picking a different camera in the dropdown stops the current stream and reopens the exact device you chose.

The limits are worth knowing. The browser negotiates resolution with the camera, so the readout can legitimately show less than the box promised — especially in low light, where many webcams halve their frame rate to gather more light per frame. The test also cannot see past the operating system: if another application already holds the camera, the stream fails with a "camera in use" error rather than a picture. And a clean preview here verifies the camera, driver, and permissions — it says nothing about the network quality of an actual call.

Frequently asked questions

Is my video uploaded or recorded anywhere?
No. The preview is a direct feed from your camera to your own screen, rendered locally by your browser. Nothing is transmitted to a server and nothing is recorded — even the freeze-frame still is held only in memory, and it is gone when you leave the page.
The preview is black or says the camera is in use. What should I check?
Only one application can hold a camera at a time on most systems, Windows especially. Close anything that might have it open — Zoom, Teams, Skype, OBS, or another browser tab — and press Start again. If the preview stays black with no error, look for a physical privacy shutter over the lens or a keyboard function key that disables the camera; many laptops have both.
How do I fix "permission denied"?
Click the camera icon in the address bar and set camera access to Allow, then reload. If you previously chose Block, the browser remembers it — you must change it in site settings; the page cannot re-ask on its own. Then check the operating system: on Windows, Settings → Privacy → Camera; on macOS, System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
Why is the resolution lower than my camera's advertised spec?
This page asks the browser for up to 1920×1080, and the browser negotiates down to the closest mode your camera can actually deliver, so the readout shows the true live-stream resolution. Advertised megapixel figures usually describe still photos, not video. Low light matters too: many webcams quietly drop resolution or frame rate to keep the image bright.
Why is the preview mirrored? Do other people see it mirrored?
Self-view is mirrored by convention because a mirror is what your brain expects when it watches you move — unmirrored self-view feels oddly wrong. The flip is purely local: call apps send the unmirrored image, so text on your shirt reads correctly to everyone else even though it looks reversed to you. Untick "Mirror preview" here to see exactly what other people see.

Related tests and guides