Webcam Test
Press Start to see your camera live, with the resolution and frame rate it really delivers. Switch cameras, mirror the view or take a snapshot. The video never leaves this device.
Nothing is recorded or uploaded: the video stays on this device.
Your camera
Not tested
Press Start, then choose Allow when your browser asks to use the camera.
How this works: Method, 12 sources, Checked against 2 worked examples,
How this works
Method
Start asks the browser for the camera with getUserMedia, from the W3C Media Capture and Streams spec. The picture goes straight into a video element on this page: it is never drawn to a server, recorded or sent anywhere, and the camera light goes off as soon as you press Stop or leave. Full method
Sources
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.709 (HDTV) (ITU)
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.2020 (UHDTV) (ITU)
- MediaStreamTrack: getSettings() (MDN)
- Media Capture and Streams (W3C)
- MediaDevices: getUserMedia() (MDN)
- Web Audio API (W3C)
- MediaStream Recording (W3C)
- UI Events KeyboardEvent code Values (W3C)
- UI Events (W3C)
- Pointer Events (W3C)
- Gamepad (W3C)
- Gamepad API (MDN)
How it’s tested
2 worked examples for this page are checked by automated tests before every release: given the inputs, the tool must show the expected answer.
Changes
- First version: mic, webcam, keyboard, click speed, spacebar and gamepad tests, all on the device.
Example: a 720p camera
A camera that delivers 720p reports 1280 × 720: 921,600 pixels in every frame, a 16:9 picture. At 30 frames per second that is 27,648,000 pixels a second. Ask the same camera for 1080p and it either steps up to 1920 × 1080, 2.25 times the pixels, or stays at 720p because that is its limit; the size on the card is always the one it actually sends.
How the webcam test works
Start asks the browser for the camera with getUserMedia, from the W3C Media Capture and Streams spec. The picture goes straight into a video element on this page: it is never drawn to a server, recorded or sent anywhere, and the camera light goes off as soon as you press Stop or leave.
The resolution is read from the video itself (its videoWidth and videoHeight), so it is the size the camera really delivers, not the one on the box. The frame rate is counted: the page notes every new frame the browser paints (requestVideoFrameCallback) and shows how many arrived in the last second; where a browser can’t count frames, it shows the rate the track reports in getSettings().
The quality choices ask for an ideal size, not an exact one, so the camera can still answer with the nearest size it has. The mirror switch flips only the preview, the way a mirror shows you. A snapshot copies the current frame, as you see it, into an image in this tab, which you can save to your device or delete.
pixels per frame = width × height; pixels per second = width × height × frames per second
- 1920 × 1080 is the HDTV picture size in Recommendation ITU-R BT.709, the standard behind “1080p Full HD”. Source: Recommendation ITU-R BT.709 (HDTV).
- 3840 × 2160, the “4K” most webcams mean, is the UHDTV picture size in Recommendation ITU-R BT.2020. Source: Recommendation ITU-R BT.2020 (UHDTV).
- getSettings() reports the values a track is actually using, which can differ from the ones a page asked for. Source: MediaStreamTrack: getSettings().
Webcam resolutions compared
Common camera frame sizes, with the pixels in each frame and the shape of the picture.
| Name | Size | Pixels per frame | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| QVGA | 320 × 240 | 76,800 | 4:3 |
| 360p | 640 × 360 | 230,400 | 16:9 |
| VGA (480p) | 640 × 480 | 307,200 | 4:3 |
| 720p HD | 1280 × 720 | 921,600 | 16:9 |
| 1080p Full HD | 1920 × 1080 | 2,073,600 | 16:9 |
| 1440p QHD | 2560 × 1440 | 3,686,400 | 16:9 |
| 4K UHD | 3840 × 2160 | 8,294,400 | 16:9 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my webcam black or not showing?
Most often another app has it open (a video call, the Camera app), so close that and press Try again. Some laptops have a privacy shutter or a camera key that cuts the picture to black. If the browser says it is blocked, the steps for your browser show on the card.
Why is the resolution lower than my camera’s advertised one?
The camera sends the size it is asked for when it can. Choose 1080p or 4K under Quality to ask for more. A USB 2.0 port, a busy hub or an older driver can hold it back, and a camera sold as “1080p” may only reach that size at a lower frame rate.
Does this website record or save my video?
No. The video plays inside this page and goes nowhere else: no recording, no upload. A snapshot stays in the tab until you save it to your own device or delete it. The “On this device” counter at the foot of the page proves it, with 0 uploads.
How do I test the back camera on my phone?
Press Start, allow the camera, then pick the back camera in the Camera list. Phones show the cameras’ names once you allow access, such as “Back Camera” on an iPhone.
Why is my picture mirrored?
The preview is mirrored by default so moving left moves you left, as in a mirror. Turn Mirror off to see what the camera sees. It only changes this preview.