Windows · Devices
Manage connected camera devices
The Cameras page lists built-in and connected external cameras, letting you view their status, adjust default camera effects, and jump into per-camera settings like exposure and framing.
How to open Cameras
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Cameras
- Select the camera you want to configure
- Adjust Windows Studio Effects and camera properties
- Enable or disable specific cameras as needed
What you should know
- View all detected built-in and USB-connected cameras
- Set default Windows Studio Effects like background blur or eye contact where supported
- Adjust brightness, framing, and camera-specific properties
- Enable or disable individual cameras when multiple are connected
Why it matters
With hybrid and remote work now common, the camera is one of the most frequently used peripherals for video calls, making it worth configuring well beyond just plugging it in. Windows Studio Effects, available on many newer laptops with dedicated AI hardware, can automatically blur backgrounds or keep eye contact appear more natural without needing third-party conferencing app plugins. Being able to select which camera is active matters increasingly as users connect external webcams or capture cards alongside a built-in laptop camera. Proper camera configuration also helps troubleshoot situations where a conferencing app can't find or correctly use the expected camera.
Best practices
- Enable background blur through Windows Studio Effects if your hardware supports it, for consistent blur across all apps
- Disable unused built-in cameras if you exclusively use an external webcam to avoid app confusion
- Adjust exposure and framing settings here rather than only inside individual conferencing apps
- Check this page first if a video call app can't detect your expected camera
Common problems and fixes
- A video call app is using the wrong camera
- Check which camera is enabled or prioritized here, and disable any camera you don't want apps to detect.
- Windows Studio Effects options are missing
- This feature requires specific AI-accelerated hardware (NPU) not present on all PCs.
- Camera image looks dim or improperly framed
- Adjust brightness and framing settings directly on this page for that specific camera.
Tips and tricks
- Turn on automatic framing if available to keep yourself centered during video calls without manual adjustment
- Check per-camera brightness settings if your video looks washed out only through certain apps
Frequently asked questions
Do all PCs support Windows Studio Effects?
No, these effects require a neural processing unit (NPU), which is only present on certain newer devices.
Can I use multiple cameras at once?
Windows can detect multiple cameras, but most apps will only use one active camera at a time, selectable within the app.
Does disabling a camera here uninstall its driver?
No, disabling just prevents it from being used or detected by apps; the driver remains installed.
Related settings
- Device ManagerDevice Manager is a classic Windows tool (devmgmt.msc) that lists every piece of hardware attached to your PC — display adapters, network adapters, storage controllers, USB devices, and more — organized into categories. It's where you update, roll back, disable, or uninstall a specific driver, and where a small yellow warning icon points you directly at hardware Windows is having trouble with.
- AutoPlayAutoPlay settings control what Windows does automatically when you insert removable media or connect a device, such as a USB drive, memory card, or camera.
More Devices guides for Windows
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- KeyboardKeyboard settings cover autocorrect, text suggestions, and physical/touch keyboard behavior through the Typing settings page, alongside language-specific layout options managed under Language & region. This is where you tune how Windows interprets and assists your typing.
- TouchpadTouchpad settings let you adjust sensitivity, enable or disable tap-to-click, and configure multi-finger gestures for switching apps, virtual desktops, and zooming. These options only appear on laptops with a built-in precision touchpad.
- Pen & Windows InkPen settings control how Windows responds to a stylus on touchscreen devices, including which hand you write with, shortcut actions for the pen's button, and the Windows Ink Workspace for sketching and screen annotation. This only appears on devices with pen/stylus support.
- Printers & ScannersPrinters & Scanners settings let you add, remove, and manage printing and scanning devices connected via USB, network, or Bluetooth. From here you can set a default printer, view print queues, and run scans directly from connected multi-function devices.
- Graphics SettingsGraphics Settings lets you assign specific apps to your PC's high-performance or power-saving GPU on laptops with both integrated and dedicated graphics, override the automatically chosen graphics preference, and enable Auto HDR and Variable Refresh Rate for supported games. It's most relevant on 2-in-1s and gaming laptops with more than one graphics processor installed.