windows 11 camera not working

Hi phil Davey,

I understand how confusing it can be when Windows says the camera is on, but an app that needs facial recognition still reports it as off.

Step 1: Check Windows Hello Face status

1. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign‑in options
2. Under “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)”, check:
   • If it says “Set up”, complete the setup
   • If it is already set up, continue to Step 2

Step 2: Remove and re‑add Windows Hello Face

1. In “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)”, select “Remove”
2. Restart the PC
3. Go back and select “Set up” to add face recognition again

This refreshes the secure camera pipeline that facial‑recognition apps depend on.

Step 3: Quick validation

• Test with Start > Camera (just to confirm the camera still works)
• Then reopen the app that needs facial recognition

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1

Right click your Start Button and open Device Manager.

Expand the Cameras section.

Please provide a screenshot of that full Device Manager window.

2

Click your Start Button, then just type msinfo and press Enter, please provide a screenshot of the resulting System Information window.

The camera is on at system level, but the app likely does not have permission to use it or is treated as a desktop app that needs separate access.

Try these steps in Windows 11:

1. Open camera privacy settings:
   • Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
2. Check device and app access:
   • Make sure Camera access is turned on.
   • Make sure Let apps access your camera is turned on.
   • In the list below, turn on access for the specific app that needs facial recognition (if it is a Microsoft Store app).
3. If the app is a desktop app (for example, a browser or a classic Win32 program):
   • In the same Camera settings page, make sure Let desktop apps access your camera is turned on. Desktop apps do not appear individually in the list and cannot be controlled per‑app.
4. Confirm the camera itself works:
   • Open Start > Camera and check if the preview works. If the camera works here but not in the facial‑recognition app, the issue is with that app’s own settings or requirements.

If the app still reports the camera is off after these steps, close all other apps that might be using the camera and try again, or test another app that uses the camera to confirm it is functioning normally.

References:

• Camera doesn't work in Windows
• my camera does not function in windows - Microsoft Q&A When I open camera I can not see my face ,just a black image
• my camera is not listed under device manager camera is not listed and it's not under imaging devices - Microsoft Q&A My camera is not working and is not under device manager. Camera is not listed and it's not under imaging devices. I get error code 0xa00f429F can't start camera. How can I correct this?
• Camera fails in Teams - Microsoft Q&A Some of our users are having issues with their camera in Teams, where it randomly turns off, leaving just the 'background' picture.
• New Teams crashes whenever I turn on a webcam in a meeting - Microsoft Q&A Ever since I updated Windows back in April 2023, I have been experiencing an issue where Microsoft Teams crashes and restarts every time I try to turn on my camera during a meeting or call.