Fix Phone Link Webcam Not Working

What is the essential answer?

Phone Link can fail to show your phone camera for a few common reasons: the phone and PC are not fully connected, the Phone Link app does not have camera permission, another app is holding the camera, or the feature is not available for your phone model or current session. Start by confirming the connection and permission, then retest the camera feed inside Phone Link.

Which check will narrow down the cause?

Run these checks in order. Each check only rules out its own layer, so do not treat one result as proof about the whole webcam path.

• Check the Phone Link session. Confirm the phone is actively connected to Phone Link on the PC. If the app shows a disconnected or idle state, the webcam feed will not start.
• Check phone camera permission for Phone Link. On the phone, open app permissions for the Phone Link companion app and make sure camera access is allowed. A denied permission blocks video capture even when the session is connected.
• Check for another app using the camera. Close any other phone app that may be using the camera, such as a video call, camera preview or scanning app. If another process holds the camera, Phone Link may receive no frames or a black preview.
• Check active input selection. Inside Phone Link, confirm that the video or webcam feature is selected as the active input. A selected microphone or screen-share input will not test the webcam.
• Check Windows camera privacy settings for Phone Link. On the PC, open camera privacy settings and confirm that desktop apps are allowed to access the camera. This is only a relevant check where the phone camera feed passes through a PC-side app permission.

If one of these checks fails, that is likely the blocking layer. If all checks pass and the feed is still missing, the cause may be a device-compatibility limit or a temporary service problem that is not visible from the settings screen.

What should I change, and how will I know it worked?

Apply the change that matches the failed check, starting with the most reversible option. After each change, close and reopen the webcam view inside Phone Link and check whether the original symptom is gone.

• If the session was disconnected, reconnect the phone and PC through Phone Link, then open the camera feature again.
• If camera permission was denied, enable camera access for the Phone Link companion app in the phone settings. This change is reversible at any time.
• If another app was using the camera, close that app and return to Phone Link. Retest immediately because the camera lock should clear.
• If the wrong input was selected, switch to the webcam or camera input and confirm that the preview changes from blank or screen-share content to a live camera image.
• If Windows camera privacy was blocking desktop apps, allow desktop apps to access the camera and retest. This broadens access for other desktop apps too, so review which apps are listed if you want to keep the setting narrow.

If the feed still does not appear after these changes, restart both the phone and the PC, then retest once more. If the issue remains, stop changing settings and check whether your specific phone model and Phone Link version officially support the webcam feature. Some phones or regional builds may not expose the camera to Phone Link even when all local settings are correct.