Written by:
Our posts contain affiliate links. Sometimes, not always, we may make $$ when you make a purchase through these links. No Ads. Ever. Learn More
Table of Contents_
Videoconferencing, Zoom interviews, virtual happy hours, and face timing with old friends are all activities that have flourished in this COVID-19 world. And what’s one thing they all have in common? Webcams. The best webcams connect us to the outer regions of the world through a few short clicks. But just because they can serve a function doesn’t mean they always function the way we want. Because of this, it’s crucial to know how to test a webcam. Below, we’ll show you how.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Although webcams continue to find their place in everyday life, they pose certain security risks. As such, you may want to learn how to turn off a webcam or even learn how a webcam kill switch works.
Insider Tip
If you want to switch from your built-in laptop webcam to an external device, enter your computer’s device manager and select “Imaging Devices.”
If you’re trying to figure out how to take a picture with a webcam, conducting a test before initiating a webcam feed is a great way to avoid complications. A webcam test ensures you won’t run into any issues and will ultimately provide a better video quality. Whether you have a built-in laptop webcam, external webcam, Windows, or Mac, testing for quality is easy and can be done in a few simple steps.
Press the start button on your menu bar; this should be located in the bottom left corner of your screen. If you can’t see it, click the search bar.
Once the start menu appears, enter “Camera” into the search bar. Then press the enter key. After pressing enter, a camera icon should appear. Click on the camera icon to open the computer’s webcam.
Once the webcam is opened, you can test the video stream and audio by recording a short video. To do this, press the large white button to record, and then press it again to make it stop.
Additionally, you can click into the dropdown menu to access webcam settings like image quality.
Begin by clicking on the “Finder” icon; this is the button of a smiley face, one half is blue, and the other is white.
Locate “Applications” on the dropdown menu after opening the finder. Then, click on the application option.
Press the “Photo Booth” option to open your webcam.
Run a webcam test by recording a video and playing it back to check for visual and audio quality.
You can adjust the image quality by entering the settings window.
Warning
Increasing your webcam’s image quality may cause the processing speed to slow down.
STAT: Eight of ten US consumers are aware of potential privacy breaches through their webcams. (source)
References: