As a Test-taker, you may have some troubles with your webcam. Like
any piece of technology, your webcam can be
prone to problems that can come from anywhere.
Some of these include:
Issues with your camera driver, or driver software
Faulty wired or wireless device connection
Incorrectly configured system settings
Antivirus software interfering with connection
Outdated or incompatible webcam software
Blocked webcam sight
Please make sure your webcam is working correctly before the Test. If the system detects black screen from your webcam it will prevent you from starting the Test.
In Windows:
If your computer has Windows 7
or later installed, you can try testing the camera using the Camera
program included with Windows. This basic program can determine if
Windows recognizes your webcam.
To access the Camera program, press the Windows key and type camera in the Windows search box, and press Enter. In Windows 8, type camera on the Start screen after pressing the Windows key.
In MacOs:
On MacOs you can use apps such as Photo Booth or FaceTime to check if your camera is working correctly.
In these programs, you'll see a live video feed if your computer sees the webcam. If there's no video or the program displays a message that no camera is found or connected, then there is a problem with your camera setup.
Physical problems
Many
laptops let you turn the webcam on and off with a physical button or
keyboard shortcut. It’s possible that at some point you pressed this
button to deactivate the webcam.
Some laptops have physical webcam covers that you can use to block webcam sight or you may have a new laptop that still has the factory security stickers on which you can easily remove to restore sight to your webcam.
Make sure your webcams sight is not blocked so you don't have any problems while taking the Tests.
Privacy settings
In order to use your webcam with apps on Windows, you’ll need to turn on
some permissions through Settings. Then check the app permissions if
you’re trying to use your webcam with apps. Below is how you can do this
on Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Windows 10
On your keyboard, press the Windows logo + I keys simultaneously to open Settings or just search for it using the search bar.
Select Privacy.
Find Camera from the navigation panel on the left side and click on it. Scroll down and find the section Allow access to the camera on this device, click on the Change button to make sure Camera access for this device is turned on.
Scroll down to the section Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your camera. Then turn on camera access for the apps you want.
If you’re trying to use your webcam on some desktop apps, including Internet browsers and video conferencing apps, you may not be able to find them on the list. What you need to do is scroll down and find Allow desktop apps to access your camera. Then make sure it’s turned on.
After applying the changes, check if you can use your webcam normally.
Windows 11
On your keyboard, press the Windows logo + I keys simultaneously to open Settings or just search for it using the search bar.
Select Privacy & security from the left pane. Then scroll down and click Camera.
Make sure let the apps access your camera is turned on. Then turn on camera access for the apps you’re trying to use.
If you can’t find your apps from the list, scroll down and turn on Let desktop apps access your camera.
Author
Mustafa Ekim
Mustafa Ekim, founder of TestInvite and QuizCV, brings nearly a decade of expertise in building online assessment platforms for custom, secure tests.
