Fix Dell P2424HEB webcam not working

The short answer

The P2424HEB's webcam is built into the monitor, but your computer treats it as a separate USB device. When it stops working, the cause is usually one of four things. The camera is retracted or covered. The monitor has no USB data connection to the computer. The operating system is blocking camera access. Or your app is set to a different camera.

The connection matters most. HDMI and DisplayPort carry the picture to the monitor, but they don't carry camera data back to the computer. If the monitor is connected only by one of those cables, the webcam won't appear until you add a USB connection from the monitor's upstream port to the computer. A USB-C cable that carries both data and video can do both jobs.

Which fix you need depends on whether the computer can see the camera at all. The checks below help you work that out.

This guide is based on how monitor webcams generally work. It isn't drawn from Dell's documentation for this model. Use the P2424HEB user guide to confirm the port names, how the camera is raised and covered, and any update procedure.

Identify which kind of failure you have

"Webcam not working" can mean three different problems, and each has a different fix:

• Detection: the computer doesn't list the camera at all. This points to the camera hardware, cable, port or monitor settings.
• Permission: the camera is listed, but the operating system or browser is stopping apps from using it.
• Selection: the camera works, but your app is using a different camera, such as a laptop's built-in one.

Video and audio are also separate. If your picture works but people can't hear you, that's a microphone problem, and it's set separately in your system and app settings. The checks below cover video only.

Check 1: Camera position and lens

Make sure the camera is raised and nothing is covering the lens. That includes any built-in privacy cover, tape or a sticker. Use the user guide to confirm how the camera on your unit opens and closes.

What the result tells you: a closed or covered camera often gives a black or blank preview even when the computer detects it. If the camera was already open and the preview is still black, or the camera isn't detected at all, go to Check 2.

Check 2: The USB connection to your computer

Confirm there is a USB data connection between the monitor's upstream port and the computer. Check these in turn:

• If you use HDMI or DisplayPort for video, make sure you also have a USB cable running from the monitor's upstream port to the computer.
• If you use USB-C, make sure the cable supports data and not just charging. The cable that came with the monitor is the safest choice.
• Make sure the computer's port supports data. Some ports only provide power or video.
• If you go through a dock, hub or KVM switch, connect the monitor directly to the computer for this test.
• If you have more than one computer or input connected, check the monitor's on-screen menu. Some Dell monitors link the USB connection to the active video input or have their own USB settings, so make sure the USB connection goes to the computer you're using.

What the result tells you: if the camera appears after you change the cable or connection, the old connection was the cause. If nothing changes, check whether the computer detects the camera.

Check 3: Does the computer detect the camera?

This check shows whether the operating system sees the camera as a device. It doesn't tell you whether apps are allowed to use it, or whether it produces a usable picture.

• Windows: open Device Manager and look under Cameras or Imaging devices. A warning icon means the device is detected but has a driver problem.
• macOS: open System Information and select Camera in the sidebar.
• Linux: run the commands below and compare the output with the camera connected and disconnected.

lsusb
ls /dev/video*

What the result tells you: if the camera isn't listed, the problem is detection. Go back to the connection checks, then to the reset and escalation steps below. If it is listed, the hardware link is working, so check permissions and app settings.

Check 4: Test outside your meeting app

Open a basic camera app, such as Camera on Windows or Photo Booth on macOS, and choose the monitor's webcam. Close Teams, Zoom, browsers and any other apps that might be using the camera first.

What the result tells you: a live picture shows the operating system can capture video from the webcam. It doesn't test your microphone, your meeting app's settings or browser permissions. If the basic app works but your meeting app doesn't, the problem is in that app's permission or camera setting. If the basic app also fails while the camera is detected, check system permissions next.

Check 5: Camera permissions

• Windows 11: go to Settings, then Privacy & security, then Camera. Turn on camera access, and turn on access for the app you're using.
• Windows 10: go to Settings, then Privacy, then Camera, and turn on the same options.
• macOS: go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Camera, and turn on access for the app. You may need to quit and reopen the app before the change takes effect.
• Browser-based meetings: check the site's camera permission in the browser. The browser itself also needs camera permission from the operating system.

What the result tells you: if the camera starts working after you allow access, the problem was a blocked permission. If access was already allowed, check which camera the app is using.

Check 6: Which camera the app is using

Open the video settings in your meeting app and choose the monitor's camera by name. Laptops often use their own built-in camera by default. Also, a camera can usually be used by only one app at a time. If another app or browser tab still has it open, the camera may show as busy or give a black preview.

What each result means

Result | What it suggests | Next step

Black preview, camera detected | Camera closed or covered, or another app is using it | Open the camera, close other apps, test again

Camera not listed by the system | No USB data link, or a hardware or detection fault | Check the USB cable, port and monitor settings, then try another computer

Works in a basic camera app but not in your meeting app | Blocked app permission or wrong camera selected | Allow access for the app and choose the monitor camera

Fails in every app but is detected | System permission blocked or a driver problem | Check privacy settings, then reinstall the device (Windows)

Video works but nobody can hear you | Microphone problem, separate from the webcam | Check the microphone input in your system and app settings

Fixes to try, in order

Start with changes that are easy to undo. After each one, test the original problem again in the same app.

• Camera closed or covered: open it, uncover the lens and check the preview again.
• No USB data link: add or replace the USB cable from the monitor's upstream port, use a port that supports data, and connect directly instead of through a dock.
• Permission blocked: allow camera access in the operating system and browser, then restart the app.
• Wrong camera or camera busy: choose the monitor camera in the app, and close other apps that might be using it.
• Still not working: turn off the monitor and computer, unplug the monitor's power for a short time, reconnect everything and start up again. This resets the monitor's USB connection.
• Detected with an error on Windows: in Device Manager, right-click the camera, choose Uninstall device, then disconnect and reconnect the USB cable or restart so Windows sets it up again. Windows will reinstall the driver it chooses, and any custom camera settings may be lost.

Driver and firmware updates

Updates were not part of the information this guide is based on, so it doesn't recommend a specific driver or firmware version. Check the support page for the P2424HEB on Dell's website for any monitor firmware or camera software. Read the release notes to see whether an update addresses camera detection.

If you install firmware, follow Dell's instructions exactly. Firmware updates usually need the monitor to stay powered and connected until they finish, and an interrupted update can leave the monitor unusable. Resetting the monitor to factory settings through its menu may restore USB-related settings, but it also clears your other display preferences. Check the user guide for what the reset changes before you use it.

How to know it's fixed

The fix has worked when the monitor camera appears in your system's device list, shows a live picture in a basic camera app, and shows the same picture in the app where it originally failed. If the problem kept coming back, check again after the computer wakes from sleep and after you reconnect the cable.

When to stop and contact Dell

Contact Dell support if the camera still isn't detected after you have tried all of the following: a known-good data cable connected directly to the computer, a different port, a full power cycle, and a second computer. If it fails on more than one computer with a working connection, the problem is probably in the monitor, not your computer's settings. Tell support which checks you ran and what each one showed, and have the monitor's service tag ready.