Check your camera before a call
A quick camera check avoids the “can you see me?” start to a meeting or online exam. This page asks the browser for the camera only when you press Start, then shows the live picture with the details the camera reports: the resolution it is actually delivering, its configured frame rate and its name. A second figure, the measured frame rate, counts the frames that really arrive, which reveals when a camera drops to 15 fps in low light or when the computer is too busy.
Resolution and frame rate
Choose a resolution to ask the camera for 720p, 1080p or 4K. Cameras treat the request as a hint and pick the closest mode they support, so the resolution shown is the truth. Many built-in laptop cameras are 720p; external webcams are often 1080p. In dim rooms most webcams lower the frame rate to collect more light, so a camera rated at 30 fps may show 15 fps. Add light from the front, such as a window or lamp behind the screen, and the frame rate and image quality usually improve.
Common problems
- Black image or “camera busy”: another app (Zoom, Teams, the Camera app) may be using it. Close it and start again.
- Permission blocked: click the camera icon in the address bar to allow access, and on Windows or macOS check privacy settings for camera access.
- Wrong camera: pick the one you want from the list; names appear after permission is granted. Virtual cameras from streaming software also appear.
- Privacy shutter: many laptops have a physical slider or a function key that disables the camera.
Mirroring and snapshots
The preview is mirrored by default because that feels natural, like a mirror. Other people on a call usually see you un-mirrored, so text on your shirt will read correctly to them. Untick the box to see that view. Save snapshot downloads a PNG at full camera resolution; it is created in your browser and never uploaded. Stop camera turns the camera off and its light should go out.