How to Fix Camera Not Working in Microsoft Edge on Windows?

Many people use Microsoft Edge as the default browser on Windows 10 and 11. If you are using Microsoft Edge for video conferencing or any such purpose, you will have to enable the camera on the browser. But many times camera might not work properly on Microsoft Edge. When this happens, your camera will not load and you won’t be able to use it for video conferencing. 

So why is this happening? If the camera is not working in Microsoft Edge on Windows, it might be because of missing permissions due to extensions, the camera not being connected properly to the PC, the camera being utilized by some other app, etc. This article will guide you with troubleshooting steps to help fix this issue. 

Fix Camera not Working in Microsoft Edge on Windows 

Is the camera not working on Microsoft Edge? Given below are some troubleshooting steps to help fix this issue-

1. Close Background Apps

You might not be able to use the camera on Microsoft Edge if some other application in the background is already using it. Close any apps running in the background and then allow the camera on Microsoft Edge. If no app runs in the background or closing the background apps doesn’t help, you can move to the next step in this article.

2. Give Camera Access to Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge won’t use the camera if camera permissions are not given. You must give the camera access to Microsoft Edge to fix this issue. To do so, follow the steps given below-

1. Press Windows + I key combo to open Settings on Windows PC. 
2. Under the Privacy & Security tab, click on the Camera option.
3. Turn on the toggle for Camera Access and Let apps access your camera.
4. Expand the apps list and turn on the toggle for Microsoft Edge. This will give camera permissions to Microsoft Edge. 

3. Allow Sites to Use Camera

You may also face this issue when sites are not allowed to use the camera. You can allow sites to use the camera on Edge, which should fix the issue. To do so, follow the steps given below-

1. Open Microsoft Edge on your PC. 
2. Click on the three dots at the top right corner and then click on Settings.
3. On the left sidebar, click on Cookies and site permissions. 
4. On the right side, click on the All Sites option under the Site Permissions section. 
5. Next, click the Camera option and enable the toggle for Ask Before Accessing (Recommended).

Note- If the site trying to use Camera is listed under the Block section, remove it. 

4. Reset Flags in Microsoft Edge

If you have changed the Flags, this may also cause this issue. You can reset the flags in Microsoft Edge to fix the issue. To reset flags in Microsoft Edge, follow the steps given below-

1. Type edge://flags in the address bar of Microsoft Edge and press Enter. 
2. Here, click on the Reset all button to reset flags.
3. Once done, you will be asked to restart the browser; click on Restart to restart it. 

5. Disable Extensions

You might also face this issue due to third-party extensions on your browser. You can disable the extensions from the browser and see if you still face the issue.

1. In Microsoft Edge, click on the Extensions icon next to the address bar and then click on Manage Extensions.
2. You will see the list of extensions now. Disable the extensions one by one by turning off the toggle next to them. 
3. After disabling all the extensions, restart the browser and check whether the camera is working on Edge. 

6. Repair Microsoft Edge

Lastly, if nothing helps, then you can try repairing the Microsoft Edge. To repair Microsoft Edge, follow the steps given below-

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I key combo. 
2. Click on Apps on the left sidebar, and then on the right side, click on Installed Apps. 
3. Click on the three dots next to Microsoft Edge, and then click on Modify option.
4. Next, click on the Repair button to repair the Microsoft Edge.
5. After the repair is completed, open Microsoft Edge and the issue will be fixed. 

Conclusion

There might be instances when the browser cannot use the camera. If you have been facing the same issue with Microsoft Edge while video conferencing or some other task, this article will help you. You can follow the troubleshooting steps mentioned in this article to fix the camera not working in Microsoft Edge on Windows.