How To Use Webcam On Laptop

Nowadays, video-conferencing has become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. It helps us to keep up with our family, friends, or co-workers living anywhere in the world. Even if we are a thousand miles apart, we can get things done faster and more efficiently than sending a bunch of emails back and forth.

Webcams allow face-to-face communication, making it easy to represent things visually to the person you are talking to. They give the most incredible HD resolution image, and are easy to position according to requirements. This makes the device a convenient one for both home and office use.

If you want to know the steps on how to use webcam on laptop, then we have got you covered!

How To Set Up Webcam Windows 10

Setting up a webcam is very simple, regardless of the operating system you are using. Here’s how you can set up your webcam on Windows 10:

Step 1:

Turn on your laptop and wait for Windows to load up.

Step 2:

Plug your external webcam’s USB cable into an available USB port of your laptop.

Step 3: 

If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 10, your laptop should be able to detect your webcam and install the required drivers automatically.

In case your laptop fails to detect your webcam, you will need to visit the manufacturer’s website and download the necessary drivers. After that, you will need to install them manually.

If your webcam comes with a CD, you will need to install the software for activating your webcam.

Step 4: 

Once you have finished the installation process, clip the webcam on top of your laptop screen and adjust it so that the webcam lens points at your face.

How To Use External Webcam On Laptop

A webcam is an absolute necessity when video calling your friends and family through Zoom or Skype. But what would you do if the built-in camera of your laptop has stopped working suddenly in the middle of a conversation? Using an external webcam would be the solution.

Below are the steps on how to use an external webcam on your laptop:

Step 1:

Turn on your laptop.

Step 2:

Plug the webcam’s USB cable into an available USB port on your laptop. Windows 8 and Windows 10 should recognize the webcam as connected and install the drivers automatically, allowing the computer to use the webcam.

Step 3:

If your webcam comes with a CD, then you will need to install the software for activating the webcam. If it doesn’t then you will need to download drivers from the manufacturer’s website and install them in your laptop.

You can usually find the software and drivers in the support pages of the webcam company’s website if it didn’t come with a startup CD.

Step 4:

During installation, follow any instructions that show up on the screen.

Step 5:

After the webcam installs, launch a video-conferencing application, such as Skype.

Step 6:

Sign in with your login credentials. Once you have signed in, click on your profile picture.

Step 7:

Click Settings and then Audio & Video.

Step 8: 

A window appears where you will be able to see yourself on the screen. You also have the option to tweak the webcam settings and test your microphone before joining in a video call.

Step 9: 

When everything looks good, head over to the Contacts section and search for a friend with whom you want to have a video chat.

Step 10: 

Click on that person’s name, and a chat window will appear. On the top right, you will find a video button that you will need to click in order to send a video call invitation. Make sure the person is online otherwise, they won’t know about your call invitation.

Once the person accepts the invitation, they will be able to see your video, and you will get to see theirs too, if they have kept the webcam turned on.

How To Change Webcam Resolution

When you are video calling or recording a video with your webcam, you might have noticed that the image quality of your video suddenly turns blurry or washed out. In order to fix these issues, you can try these methods:

1. Through The Camera App

Whether you are using your laptop’s webcam or an external one in Windows 10, you can adjust the resolution by following these steps:

Press the Start button and launch the Camera app.

When the window appears, you will be able to see yourself on the screen. On the left side of the window, you will see icons for adjusting the brightness and setting up the timer. Click on the bottom icon for increasing or decreasing the brightness.

Once you’ve done that, click on the gear icon on the top left of the window.  A menu bar will appear from which you can change the photo and video resolution.

2. Use Included CD

If you are using an external webcam that comes with a CD, you can use the included software for adjusting the video resolution.

3. Improve Surrounding Lighting

Make sure the environment in which you are working is well-lit. If the background has sufficient lighting, it will enhance the image quality and reduce graininess. Don’t increase the lighting in front of the webcam, for it will cause the image to look too bright.

4. Tweak Display Settings

Right-click on your desktop and click Display Settings. When the window appears, change the display resolution to one step below the current display resolution and then check your webcam’s image quality.

5. Use Skype To Adjust Settings

If you are using a video-conferencing program, such as Skype, you can adjust the settings there.

Launch Skype.

Click on your profile picture and then click on Settings.

Select Audio & Video.

When the window appears, you will be able to see yourself on the screen. If you are using an external webcam, you will need to select it first. In the same window, click on Webcam Settings.

A Properties box appears, from where you can adjust different settings, like brightness, contrast, hue, and sharpness.

Once you are done, click Apply, and then OK.

6. Clean Up The Dust

Accumulation of dust particles can make your image appear blurry. In such cases, you can blow away the dust using canned air or wipe it off gently with a clean microfiber cloth. If there are stains, then you can use a damp microfiber cloth. Make sure not to use rubbing alcohol as it will damage the coating of the lens.

7. Check Internet Bandwidth

Check your internet bandwidth. If there is high network traffic, it will affect the bandwidth, and as a result, cause the video quality to drop during a virtual meeting.

Final Word

Whether you want to use your laptop’s built-in webcam or an external one, you need to ensure it works properly to get the most out of it.

One tip we would like to share is that if you are planning to buy an external webcam, be sure to check its reviews on different sites before you make a purchase.

Now that you have learned how to use webcam on laptop, we hope you enjoy using it for virtual meetings or recordings without a problem.

 If you think this guide has been of great help, don’t forget to share it with people who need a solution!

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