How to Use the Windows 11 Camera App for Photos and Video

You need a quick webcam photo or a short video clip, and you’d rather not install a recorder from some random download site. The built-in Windows Camera app does both, and it’s already on your PC.

Open the Camera app

1. Select Start.
2. Type Camera.
3. Select Camera from the search results. You can also find it under Start > All apps > Camera, though its exact spot depends on your Start menu layout.

If there’s no webcam built in or plugged in, the app shows a black screen with the message “We can’t find your camera.” Plug in your external USB webcam, or jump to the troubleshooting section below if the camera is already connected.

4. If Windows asks whether Camera can use your camera, select Yes. Allow microphone access too if you plan to record video with sound.

You should now see a live preview of your webcam, with the capture controls along the right side.

The Camera app also runs on Windows 10. Windows 10 stopped receiving regular security support on October 14, 2025, so the steps below use Windows 11 paths, with Windows 10 paths noted where they differ.

Take a photo

1. Select Photo mode on the right side of the app if it isn’t already active.
2. Frame your shot using the live preview.
3. Select the capture button (the camera icon, labeled Take photo).
4. Select the small thumbnail that appears to review the picture.

You’ll hear a shutter sound, and the thumbnail updates with your new shot. Want to crop, add filters, or draw on it? Open the photo in the Photos app. Camera only captures; it doesn’t edit.

Record a video

1. Select Video mode on the right side of the app.
2. Select Take video to start recording.

3. Watch for the recording timer. The capture control turns into a red stop button while you’re recording.
4. Select Stop taking video to finish.
5. Select the thumbnail to play back your clip.

If the clip plays back silently, skip to Fix #5 below. Windows controls camera and microphone access on separate privacy pages, so the picture can work fine while the audio is blocked or the wrong mic is selected.

Change Camera app settings

The controls you’ll see depend on your webcam, its driver, and your Camera app version. Two laptops side by side can show different options, and that’s normal.

Set a photo timer

1. Switch to Photo mode.
2. Select the timer icon (a small clock).
3. Pick a delay, then select the capture button.

The countdown gives you time to step back into frame. Photo settings in current versions also include a time lapse option if you want a series of shots.

Adjust photo settings

1. Select the gear icon to open Settings.
2. Expand the photo settings section.
3. Choose your preferred photo quality or aspect ratio from the options your camera supports.
4. Turn on a framing grid if your version offers one. It overlays guide lines on the preview, which helps if you’re shooting on a tablet like a Surface.

Adjust video settings

1. In the same Settings pane, expand the video settings section.
2. Pick a video quality. Higher resolutions and frame rates only appear if your webcam supports them.
3. Set Flicker reduction to match your local power frequency if the video looks like it’s pulsing under indoor lights.
4. Turn on video stabilization if it’s listed. It mostly helps on handheld tablets.

The Settings pane may also include links for changing where photos and videos are saved and whether Camera can use your location.

Adjust brightness and contrast

Image controls like brightness and contrast live in Windows Settings, and they apply to the camera across apps.

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras.
2. Select your camera under Connected cameras.
3. Drag the Brightness or Contrast sliders while watching the preview.

Not every webcam exposes these sliders. If yours doesn’t, the manufacturer’s camera utility is usually where those controls live.

Find your photos and videos

Unless you’ve changed the save location in Camera’s settings, photos and videos usually land in Pictures > Camera Roll.

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
2. Select Pictures, then open Camera Roll.

Can’t find them there? OneDrive backup may have moved your Pictures folder into your OneDrive folder. Check C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive\Pictures\Camera Roll as well.

Update the Camera app

Camera gets its updates through the Microsoft Store, so a stale copy can be missing features or carrying bugs.

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Select Library in the bottom-left corner.
3. Select Get updates. The button wording can vary slightly between Store versions.
4. Install any update listed for Camera, then reopen the app.

When the camera won’t work

Stuck on a black screen or “We can’t find your camera”? Work through these in order. The first two catch the majority of cases.

Fix #1: Check the physical shutter and camera key

Plenty of laptops have a sliding privacy shutter over the lens or a keyboard key that disables the camera.

1. Look for a small slider above the screen and push it open.
2. Check your function keys for a camera icon with a slash through it, and press it.
3. Remove any stick-on webcam privacy cover.

Reopen Camera. If the preview appears, you’re done.

Fix #2: Turn on camera permissions

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. On Windows 10, it’s Settings > Privacy > Camera.
2. Turn on Camera access.
3. Turn on Let apps access your camera.
4. Find Camera in the app list and make sure its switch is on.
5. Turn on Let desktop apps access your camera if the webcam also fails in Teams, Zoom, OBS, or your browser.

Store apps like Camera show up individually in that list. Traditional desktop programs don’t. They all share the single desktop-apps switch.

If your PC belongs to an employer or school, an administrator may have blocked the camera by policy. Those switches will be grayed out, and only IT can change them.

Fix #3: Close other apps using the camera

Most webcams only serve one app at a time.

1. Quit Teams, Zoom, browser tabs with video calls, and any recording software.
2. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager to confirm none of them are still running in the background.
3. Reopen Camera.

Fix #4: Reconnect or switch cameras

1. Unplug your external webcam and plug it back in.
2. Try a different USB port directly on the PC. Skip the USB hub or monitor port for this test, since some hubs don’t supply enough power.
3. Restart Windows.
4. In Camera, select the camera-switch button if you have more than one camera and the wrong one is selected.
5. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras and confirm your camera appears under Connected cameras. If it’s listed as disabled, select it and choose Enable.

Fix #5: Fix missing audio in videos

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
2. Turn on Microphone access and make sure Camera is allowed.
3. Open Settings > System > Sound and check that the right microphone is selected under Input.
4. Check for a hardware mute key, a muted headset, or a privacy utility blocking the mic.

Fix #6: Check the driver in Device Manager

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Cameras. Some webcams appear under Imaging devices instead.
3. Look for a down arrow (disabled) or a yellow warning icon (driver error).
4. If it’s disabled, right-click it and select Enable device.
5. If there’s a warning icon, right-click it and select Uninstall device, then restart. Windows reinstalls a driver on boot.

Still broken? Download the camera driver from your laptop or webcam manufacturer’s support site and install it.

Fix #7: Repair or reset the Camera app

Use this when the webcam works in other apps but Camera itself crashes, freezes, or won’t save files.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Find Camera, select the three-dot menu, and choose Advanced options.
3. Select Repair and try the app again.
4. If that doesn’t help, select Reset. This wipes the app’s saved preferences.

Also check that your drive isn’t full. Camera can’t save to Camera Roll with no free space.

If none of this works and the camera also fails in Teams and your browser, the webcam itself may be failing. Test a known-good external webcam before paying for a laptop repair.

Need more than a quick recording?

Camera is built for fast captures. For anything bigger, grab a dedicated tool from the Microsoft Store, the developer’s official site, or your camera manufacturer.

Tool	Best for	Trade-off
Windows Camera	Quick photos and simple webcam clips	Almost no editing or scene control
Microsoft Clipchamp	Trimming and editing webcam recordings, adding titles and captions	More to learn; some features depend on your plan
OBS Studio	Recording multiple sources, scenes, and streaming	Free and powerful, with a steep learning curve
Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet	Calls and occasional recorded meetings	Recording options depend on your account
Manufacturer camera software	Focus, exposure, HDR, and firmware updates	Quality and privacy practices vary by brand

Wrap-up

For a camera that won’t show up, start with Fix #1 and Fix #2. A closed shutter, a camera key, or a privacy switch that’s turned off (Let apps access your camera or the Camera app’s own switch) is a common cause and takes seconds to check. If the camera disappears from Device Manager entirely or drops out every few minutes, suspect a loose cable, a flaky USB port, or failing hardware rather than Windows.