Find webcam in Windows Device Manager

In Windows Device Manager, look for your webcam under Cameras. Some webcams appear under Imaging devices instead. A webcam’s microphone, if it has one, may appear separately from the camera, so finding the camera entry does not identify the input used to capture your voice.

How to find your webcam

• 1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
• 2. Expand Cameras and look for your webcam’s name.
• 3. If it is not there, expand Imaging devices.
• 4. For an external webcam, disconnect and reconnect it while watching the device list. The entry that disappears and returns can help you identify it.

If the webcam is missing

For an external webcam, check its connection, then select Action > Scan for hardware changes in Device Manager. You can also select View > Show hidden devices, but a hidden entry alone does not establish that the webcam is currently connected or available. If you still cannot find it, the next checks depend on the webcam model and whether it is built in or connected externally; those details were not supplied.

What this means for webcam audio

To look for microphone inputs, expand Audio inputs and outputs in Device Manager. Do not assume that an entry named Microphone belongs to the webcam: it could belong to the computer, a headset or another device. No webcam model or device labels were supplied, so its microphone presence and exact input name cannot be confirmed here.

For speech capture, check the selected input in Windows Settings > System > Sound and in your conferencing or recording app. Select the intended microphone and check its input indicator while speaking. Finding the webcam under Cameras does not establish that its microphone is selected or that speech is being captured.