The webcam does not show on Skype. Test your webcam in another application. Skype settings affecting video broadcasting

I think it’s no secret that you can contact anyone anywhere for almost free of charge. globe, if you both have internet access. And I’m sure the word video call and, in particular, Skype will not be new to you. So, it happens that for some inexplicable reason your webcam stops working even though you didn’t go into the settings and basically didn’t touch anything. In this article, we will solve this common problem.

Before you start looking for a problem in everything, you need to think carefully and reduce the search range to a minimum so as not to waste time. There can be many reasons why a camera may not be visible:

If you just bought a computer, laptop, then it may very well be that you simply do not have the driver installed (usually the most common case);
Perhaps you not only just bought a computer, but also reinstalled the operating system, then you most likely need to install the appropriate driver;
The most unpleasant case is a malfunction of the webcam;

There may be other options, but they will have to be sorted out individually.

In any case, you should start with the first two points (even if you do not qualify for them). That is, even if you did not buy a PC and did not change the operating system, you better check for the availability of the driver. Moreover, if everything worked great, and then suddenly stopped. It happens that the driver, for reasons that seem inexplicable at first glance, has been removed. Maybe you did it, maybe you didn’t - it doesn’t matter.

If this is not the case, then you will have to deal with the camera. Let's go.

Checking the availability of the driver and its functionality

First, we check the presence of the driver. To do this, go to the device manager (you can enter it through “my computer” or the control panel).

In the device manager, find the “imaging devices” section and click on it (to expand). Usually you will see at least one device there.

The device functions normally if:

What if the driver is not working correctly?

If you find any error, then you should remove the driver (to do this, just click right click mouse and click “delete”).

After that download new driver. It is best to find it on the website of the manufacturer of your laptop or computer (usually there is a special corresponding section there).

Checking the operation of the webcam

Once we have solved the problem with the driver (if there was one), we need to check the functionality of the camera itself. To do this, you need to open, for example, a popular video player for Windows - media player classic (or any other) and select File - Open device.

You may have to specify the video source in the settings. To do this, go to the menu View - Settings - Capture.

In general, any player for Windows has a similar function. You can choose any of them from the corresponding article on our website.

If, for some reason, this option does not suit you, then you can use special sites, for example - webcammictest.com.

Go to the site and click big green button- “check the webcam”, after which you allow the use of everything they ask and, if everything is fine, you see yourself.

If you were able to see yourself, then everything is fine and now you can configure Skype itself.

Setting up a webcam in Skype

After updating the drivers and checking the camera itself, you may find that Skype still does not see you. To fix this, go to the settings and find the “video settings” section.

Problems with the correct operation of the webcam when communicating on the network may arise both when connecting new video equipment and at other times. At the same time, it is quite possible that just yesterday you were calmly communicating via video conference, and today you were horrified to discover that the camera on Skype does not work. To solve this problem, you need, first of all, to find the cause of its occurrence.

Look whether the camera indicator light is on when connected. If not, most likely you have purely technical problems and the device needs to be shown to the service center staff.

Next, restart your PC and Skype program, while checking the data transfer speed or simply the Internet. So, for example, if the camera turns off during a conversation, but the microphone works, this may indicate that the speed is too low, and the video sequence is automatically turned off to compensate for the transmission of other data. To fix the situation, disable unused interactive applications, close the browser, and also change the video quality settings down.

If the camera does not turn on from the very beginning, it is quite possible that manual confirmation of video communication is set in the settings. Pay attention to the icon at the bottom of the video communication window: if you see an icon with a camera crossed out, just click on it with the mouse to turn on the camera.

If everything is fine with the first points, update the version of Skype for your operating system. Next, go to the settings and check the camera’s operation - the video connection may be completely disabled. At the bottom of the contact list window, click on the “Skype” icon and select “Settings” from the menu that appears. In the Settings window, select “Video Settings” and check for a checkmark next to “Enable Skype Video.”

Next, check whether the camera is selected correctly, because if, for example, there is a built-in non-working device and you want to connect an alternative one, it must be reassigned as the main source of the video channel. Also select desired setting automatic connection video.

The operation of the webcam when communicating via Skype can be incorrect when incorrect settings display(brightness, contrast), as well as when accidentally turned on additional effects. IN similar situation installation will help automatic mode camera operation.

If on your PC transmitted image without interference and failures, but the interlocutor does not see you, it is quite likely the problems lie in the Skype settings installed on his PC.

Skype, according to statistics, is still one of the most popular means of online communication, including video communication. However, for last years its position has been shaken due to the fact that users began to use other instant messengers, which are becoming more and more popular every day (the same WhatsApp or Viber). However, for the vast majority of our compatriots, Skype is still one of the most popular programs.

Unfortunately, difficulties may arise with this software, which often depend on the user himself. For example, some people’s cameras don’t work when making calls. Why does this happen and how to solve the problem? I'll try to give you a hint.

Causes and solutions

First of all, you as a user must make sure that the webcam is connected to the computer via a USB port. It is possible that the latter does not work or is simply disabled, so it makes sense to use a different port. If you're using a laptop, you don't need to connect anything—this device already has a built-in camera.

Now open Skype, enter your username and password for your account and once you are logged in, go to the “Tools” - “Settings” - “Video Settings” section. If everything is fine with the camera, then you should see your image.

If there is no image, then the first thing to do is check if the camera is being used in another application. Yes, it cannot be used in two programs at once, so if it is used somewhere else, that program must be terminated.

Be sure to install drivers for it, because without them it will not function. To do this, take the disk that was offered with the device and launch it, simultaneously installing the drivers. If the disk is missing, then go to the manufacturer’s website and download drivers from the site. If the drivers are already installed, you need to check if they work properly. To do this, click on the “Start” button - “Control Panel” - “System” - “Device Manager”. Here we find our camera and if next to it you see yellow Exclamation point, which means you need to install or reinstall the drivers.

In some cases, the reason lies in the obviously low Internet speed. In this case, I can only advise.

Look at your status. If you have the status set to “Invisible”, then you need to change it to another, visible one. According to comments on a computer forum, this is one of the reasons for the problem.

You can also try deleting the profile folder (for example, in Windows 7 it is located at C:\Users\username\AppData\Skype\username\). After removing it, the video broadcast can start working. Still, I advise you not to delete the folder, but to rename it in order to avoid problems with the performance of the program.

Some laptops have separate button, which turns on the camera. Take a close look, perhaps it is also on your device and someone accidentally clicked on it.

Sometimes problems can arise precisely with new version Skype. In this case, it is recommended to download a special “old” version of the utility. You can find it on the company's official website.

If nothing helps, then you can try to reinstall it yourself; this method helped me run the program on my laptop. To do this, go to the official website and download latest version utilities. However, I can recommend that you do not download regular version for PC, but the so-called business version (Skype Business Edition). After installing it, the problem was solved and it was not possible to find out what it was.

Alas, sometimes when making another call, the user may suddenly see that his camera is not functioning. All the answers to the question Why doesn't the camera work on Skype?, as well as the reasons for this, can be divided into two large groups:

problems with hardware;
problems with the software.

Problems with hardware

Sometimes an unlucky user may forget to connect the webcam to the computer if it is remote. You need to check the reliability of the connection connecting cable and download Skype to your computer.
“Webka” is a fairly unpretentious device that rarely fails. This is especially true for cameras built into laptops. But sometimes they break too. You can, of course, try to take the camera to a service center, but it will be easier and sometimes cheaper to buy a new one. In order to exclude this option, you can try connecting another camera to your computer.
It is also possible that the video card may fail, but in this case other signs of failure will be noticeable. Replacing the video card is the only solution in this situation.

Problems with the software

If possible, you can test the camera on another computer. If everything works on it, most likely the cause of the failure lies in the software part.

The most likely problem is a problem with the camera drivers. As a rule, drivers and utilities are included with any webcam. Through Device Manager, you need to find the desired webcam and remove all drivers, and then reinstall everything again. You can also try updating the drivers to the latest version.
You can also access the camera control utility. It is likely that the settings are set to incorrect parameter. It is impossible to recommend anything definitive in this case, since each model has its own utility with its own interface.
The settings in Skype itself have been reset. This happens most often. To restore them, you need to select “Tools” - “Settings” and in the new window select “Video Settings” on the left. On the right top corner There is a selection of web cameras installed on your computer. You need to select the one you need from the drop-down list. You can also move the sliders in the “Webcam Settings” parameter.
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