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Enable the Camera on Windows 11 [2 Easy Ways]
Learn to turn the camera on in the new OS
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Many PCs come with a webcam, and sometimes you need to enable it or change its configuration to work as intended.
To protect your privacy, Windows 11 allows you to completely disable your camera, but you can also allow only certain apps to access it. This feature ensures that you can always be sure that your laptop’s camera is not activated remotely by any third parties.
These settings are easy to change, and they allow you to have maximum control over your privacy, so you won’t have to rely on webcam protection software. Using software is efficient as well, but it will never beat deactivating a feature entirely.
If you’re not familiar with webcam settings, or you deactivated it in the past but forgot how to access the setting, in today’s guide we’re going to show you how to enable a camera on Windows 11 PC.
How can I enable camera on Windows 11?
1. Use the Settings app
2. Change which apps can access your camera
How can I change camera settings on Windows 11?
Can I control if desktop apps have access to my camera?
In the privacy settings you can control which apps have access to your webcam, but that list is mostly populated with Universal apps that come from Microsoft Store.
This has left many users wondering if they can block Win32 apps from accessing their cameras. The answer is yes, you can block desktop applications from accessing your webcam.
In the camera privacy section, you have a Let desktop apps access your camera and you can use it to see which desktop applications have accessed your camera.
However, you can’t control which Win32 app has access to your camera, but you can stop all desktop applications from accessing your webcam by disabling this feature.
How can I disable my camera completely?
It’s pretty simple to enable your camera in Windows 11, not to mention that it takes just a couple of seconds toaccess webcam settingsand to allow apps to use your webcam. Even if this guide is dedicated to Windows 10 users, those who own a Windows 11 computer can apply the included tips too, for more advanced features, we recommend giving a try to3rd party webcam software.
Can my webcam record me without my knowledge?
If your PC is configured properly, only the specific applications can have access to your camera, so it’s unlikely that your webcam is spying on you.
However, this changes if your computer is infected by malware, and sometimes malware can override your system settings and record you without your knowledge.
There are several ways to combat this, and most users rely on a reliableWindows 11-compatible antivirus. If you want extra protection, you might want to consider disabling your camera or using awebcam cover.
To be sure that your privacy is protected, only allow apps that you completely trust to have access to your camera.
Are you controlling your webcam access settings and which apps are allowed to access your PC camera? Let us know in the comments section below.
More about the topics:camera,webcam,Windows 11
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
