Device Bench

Device test · Video in

Webcam Test

Press Start camera and allow access to see your live preview.

Statusidle Resolution— Frame rate— Cameras— Grain— Brightness—

Verdict

NOT RUN

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Start the camera, point it at a still scene, hold still, and press Check image quality. It reads ten frames over one second on this device; nothing is saved or sent.

Published thresholds. Resolution: 720 lines or more is PASS, fewer is CHECK SETTINGS. Frame rate: 24 fps or more is PASS, fewer is CHECK SETTINGS. Grain (frame-to-frame luminance noise, 0–255 scale): 2.5 or less is PASS, up to 6 is CHECK SETTINGS, above 6 is LIKELY FAULT when brightness is 80 or more and CHECK SETTINGS in a dimmer scene. The worst of the three sets the verdict. Full reasoning in the methodology.

If it's flagged

    How this test works

    The preview shows the camera stream your browser supplies through getUserMedia, so a moving picture means the camera is delivering frames to the browser. Resolution is the width and height the video track reports, or the video element's size when the track leaves them out. Frame rate starts at the track's reported value. On browsers with video-frame callbacks, the page then counts the frames presented over each second and updates the readout; on other browsers the figure stays the reported one.

    After you allow access, the list fills with the cameras the browser reports. Choosing another one while the preview is live stops the current stream and opens the selected camera. Freeze frame copies the current picture to a still on top of the preview, so you can judge focus, sensor noise or a smudged lens; the camera keeps running underneath, and Unfreeze returns to the live picture. If the browser cannot copy the frame, the still stays blank. Stop releases this page's camera stream, and Mirror preview flips the picture on this page only.

    The 1920×1080 request is a preference: the camera's available modes, its settings and the lighting decide what the browser delivers. In low light many webcams lower their frame rate to keep the picture bright. If the picture looks grainy, see how to fix a grainy webcam. A call app can request its own capture settings and processing, then adds encoding, network delivery and the other person's screen, so check the call itself in that app.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is my video uploaded or recorded?
    No. Your browser draws the preview locally, and the page does not upload or record your video. Freeze frame keeps one still image in page memory and saves no file. Stop releases the camera and hides the still, which stays in page memory until the next freeze replaces it or the browser discards the page.
    The preview is black or says the camera is in use. What should I check?
    Close other apps or browser tabs that may be using the camera, such as Zoom, Teams or OBS, then press Start camera again; some systems let only one app use a camera at a time. If the picture stays black with no error, look for a privacy shutter over the lens or a keyboard key that turns the camera off, and check which camera is selected in the list.
    How do I fix "permission denied"?
    Click the camera or site-controls icon in the address bar, set Camera to Allow, reload, and press Start camera. If you chose Block before, the browser remembers it: change it in the site settings, because the page cannot override a saved block. If the browser allows access and the camera still will not open, check your operating system's camera privacy settings for this browser: on Windows, Settings → Privacy → Camera; on macOS, System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera. Camera access also needs a secure HTTPS page and a browser that supports it.
    Why is the resolution lower than my camera's advertised spec?
    The page asks for 1920×1080 as an ideal size, and the browser settles on a mode the camera supports, which can differ from that size; the Resolution field shows the size it delivered. Advertised megapixel figures often describe still photos, so look for the video resolution in the camera's specifications.
    Why is the preview mirrored? Do other people see it mirrored?
    Self-view is mirrored by convention, because that is what you are used to seeing in a mirror. Mirror preview is on by default and flips the preview and the frozen still left to right on this page only; uncheck it to see the picture unflipped. The checkbox changes nothing in a call app. Whether a call app mirrors your self-view, and what it sends, is set in that app, so check its video settings or ask someone on the call.

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