Causes for Lenovo Laptop Camera Problems
There’s no root issue for Lenovo laptop camera problems. Here’s a list of possible reasons why the camera is not working.
You haven’t selected the camera in the program you’re using. The program you’re using doesn’t recognize the camera. Another program is already using the camera. Your privacy settings are blocking the camera. The camera driver has encountered an error. Windows has failed to recognize the camera properly. Your laptop’s firmware has encountered an error. The camera is defective.
How to Fix It When a Lenovo Laptop Camera Is Not Working
These steps will fix most Lenovo laptop camera problems. It’s necessary to follow the steps in order, as skipping steps could hide the issue’s cause.
Make sure your camera is turned on. If you have a newer model Lenovo laptop (2018 and newer), there may be a switch near the camera that either covers or opens the built-in Lenovo camera lens. If it is closed any app that uses the camera will show a blank image. Check this switch to make sure your camera is not disabled. Check the settings of the program you’re trying to use with your Lenovo laptop’s camera. You may not have selected the camera in the program you’re using. Maybe Zoom isn’t set to use the camera. A Lenovo laptop camera will likely appear as an Integrated Camera. Select it as the default camera in the app if it’s not already selected. Resolve software conflicts. Take a look at your camera to see if the light indicating it’s in use is on. If it is, a program is currently using the camera. Only one program can use a camera at a time, so you’ll need to find and close the program currently using the camera before using it in another. Our guide on how to force-quit a program in Windows can be useful if the program using your webcam is frozen or refuses to close. If the camera is in use, and no program open appears to be using the webcam, then a malicious program may be hijacking the camera. Install and run an antivirus if you don’t have one already. Check the camera’s privacy settings. Search for Camera Privacy Settings in Windows Search and open the first result. The menu that opens will show several toggle buttons. Check that the Allow apps to access your camera toggle is On. Next, find the program you want to use with your webcam in the list below and make sure its toggle button is On. Restart your laptop. This should resolve unusual bugs or configuration issues. It will also close software using the camera in the background, freeing up the camera for other apps. Check that the camera is working. Perform a Windows Search for the Camera app and open it. If the app detects your Lenovo laptop camera and displays an image, the camera is working, and the issue is with the software you’re attempting to use. You’ll need to troubleshoot the program, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, instead of your Lenovo laptop’s camera. Check for and install updates. Open Windows Update and use it to install any Windows and driver updates that are available. Doing this will fix known bugs or configuration issues that recent software and driver updates resolved. Manually check for and install driver updates. Visit Lenovo’s support page. Hover over the PC support category and select Detect Product. It will download Lenovo Support Bridge. Install and launch the tool, then use it to scan for driver updates. Install any available, including those not related to the camera, and restart the laptop. Manually reinstall the camera. Perform a Windows Search for Device Manager and open it. Find the Cameras category in the list of devices and expand it. Right-click on Integrated Camera and select Uninstall Device. Also, select the Delete Driver Software checkbox. Find the Action menu at the top of the window. Open it and then choose Scan For Hardware Changes. The Integrated Camera should appear again.
The steps above should resolve any issues with your Lenovo laptop camera. If the problem persists, the fault is likely a hardware defect with the camera. Contact Lenovo support for further troubleshooting and repair. If you need a camera sooner than later, consider using an external webcam.
Our guide on how to force-quit a program in Windows can be useful if the program using your webcam is frozen or refuses to close.
