2 Quick Ways to Make Sure Your Camera Works in Teams

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Check your video settings before joining a meeting

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: January 26, 2026 Fact Checked

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Testing in Teams

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Using the Teams Device Test Page

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Troubleshooting

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Video

Want to make sure your camera is working before joining a meeting in Teams? You can easily preview and adjust your camera settings by opening an upcoming meeting in your calendar and clicking Join (you won’t actually join the meeting right away!). We’ll also explain how to use the Teams Device Test page in your web browser, plus offer troubleshooting tips to get your camera working.

Testing a Camera on Teams: Overview

Click on an upcoming meeting in your calendar and select Join. This will open a preview screen where you can view and adjust your camera settings.
Run a quick test on your camera and other hardware by visiting the Teams Device Test website.
If your camera isn’t working, you might need to turn off conflicting apps, restart your device, or adjust your app permissions.

Section 1 of 3:

Testing in Teams

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1
Open your Calendar in Teams. It’s in the left-hand menu bar. Click the Calendar icon to open a calendar with all your upcoming meetings.
- This method will allow you to test your camera without actually joining a meeting.
- While the official Teams help page suggests that you can test your camera in Settings by making a test call, this option was not available in the version of Teams we tested.
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Click on an upcoming meeting. Locate a scheduled meeting in your calendar and click on it to open a larger information window.
- If you don’t have any meetings scheduled, you can create one just to test your camera. Click the New Meeting button in the top right corner of the window. Add a title, date, and time for your meeting, then click Save.
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Don’t worry, you won’t actually enter the meeting when you click the Join button. Instead, another window will open where you can check and adjust your camera and audio settings before joining.
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Check your camera settings. If this is your first time using Teams on this particular device, you might be prompted to allow access to your camera and mic. Once you’ve done that, you should see a camera preview on the left side of the window.
- If you don’t see any image and/or you see a message saying “Your camera is turned off,” make sure the toggle switch is on next to the camera icon. The switch should be purple if your camera is enabled.
- Click the popout menu next to the camera icon to see a list of available cameras. You can switch to a different camera if you like.
  - Click More video settings in the same pop-out menu to see additional options. For example, you can adjust your camera’s brightness, turn soft focus on or off, or select whether to flip (mirror) or camera view.
- Want to change your background? You can do so by clicking the Background filters option below the camera preview.
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Click Join Now when you’re ready to join. Once you’re satisfied with your camera settings, click the purple Join Now button at the bottom right side of the screen. (It will appear at the bottom left, directly below the camera preview, if you have the Video settings or Audio settings panel open.) You will now enter the meeting itself.
- You can still view and adjust your camera settings once you’re actually in the meeting. Click the pop-out menu icon next to the camera symbol at the top of the screen. From here, you can adjust things like your background or brightness and focus settings.
  - Click More video effects and settings to see additional options. Other users in the meeting won’t see any of the settings you preview until you click Apply.

Section 2 of 3:

Using the Teams Device Test Page

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1
Visit devicetest.teams.microsoft.com/ in a browser. This page will test various components of your device and system–like the network, camera, mic, and speaker–to make sure they are working properly.
- If you see a “Browser not supported” error, try it in a different browser or turn off any extensions or add-ons that might be interfering with the test.
A window will pop up asking you to allow Teams to access your camera and mic. Select one of the “Allow” options (e.g., Allow while visiting this site or Allow this time).
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Wait for the test to finish. After a few seconds, you’ll see a checklist of all the components that Teams tested, including your camera. If the device test page detects that your camera is working correctly, you’ll see a green checkmark next to it.
- If you want to test a different camera, click Change audio and video at the bottom of the list. Select another camera from the Camera drop-down menu.
- When you’re finished, click Done at the bottom of the page. This will take you to a screen that says “Test Complete.” You can now close the tab or browser window.

Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

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If you’re using a different app that has access to your camera, it may not work in Teams. For example, make sure you don’t have an active FaceTime or Zoom call going at the same time.^{[1]
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Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

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Restarting can sometimes fix minor camera glitches. If you have an internal camera, restart your computer. If you’re using an external camera, try unplugging it and plugging it back in.
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Update Teams and your operating system. Outdated software can lead to glitches and poor performance. Make sure you’re running the latest version of Teams and that Windows or macOS is up to date on your computer.
- If you’re using Windows, make sure your camera’s drivers are up to date as well.
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Check your app permissions. If Teams doesn’t have permission to access your camera, you can typically change that in your computer’s Settings.
- In Windows, go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. Ensure that both Let apps access your camera and Let desktop apps access your camera are enabled. Check the list of available apps and make sure access is enabled for Teams.^{[2]
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  Microsoft Support
  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  
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  - Teams is classified as a “desktop app,” so you must enable desktop app access for your camera to work!
- On a Mac, go to
  Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll down and click Camera. Make sure the switch next to Microsoft Teams is in the On position.^{[3]
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