How to switch cameras in the Windows Camera app

If your PC has more than one camera, such as a built-in webcam plus a USB webcam, or front and rear cameras on a tablet, you can switch between them in the Windows Camera app with its Change camera button. The button appears only when Windows detects at least two cameras. If you see only one camera, the problem is detection or permissions, not a hidden setting.

The short answer

Open the Camera app and select the Change camera button. The icon shows a camera with circular arrows. Each press moves to the next detected camera, and the preview updates to show that camera's view. Its exact position depends on your Windows version and Camera app version, so look near the top of the window or next to the capture controls. Hovering over it should show its name.

This switch affects only the Camera app. Video-call and meeting apps keep their own camera choice, which you set in each app's settings. Windows has no single "default camera" switch that every app follows.

Before you start

• Connect the camera you want to use and give Windows a moment to install it. For USB webcams, plug directly into the PC rather than a hub if you can.
• If the camera has a physical shutter or a privacy switch, open it. Some laptops also have a camera on/off key or a slider on the bezel.
• Close other apps that might be using a camera, such as meeting apps or streaming software. On many PCs, only one app can use a given camera at a time.

Steps to switch cameras

• 1. Open Start, type Camera, and open the Camera app.
• 2. Wait for the live preview to appear. The app opens with the camera it used last.
• 3. Find the Change camera button. If you're unsure which icon it is, hover over the icons.
• 4. Select the button once. The preview should briefly go blank and then show a different view.
• 5. If you have three or more cameras, keep selecting the button to cycle through them until the one you want appears.
• 6. Leave the app on that camera. It will normally reopen with the last camera you used.

How to tell it worked

The clearest sign is a change in viewpoint: a different angle, framing or field of view. If two cameras sit close together and the views look alike, cover one lens with your finger. If the preview goes dark, you are on the covered camera. Many webcams also have an activity light that turns on for whichever camera is in use.

A working preview tells you three things: Windows detects the camera, the Camera app is allowed to use it, and the camera is sending video. It does not tell you that other apps have camera permission, that a meeting app has the same camera selected, or how your video will look to others. Call quality also depends on your connection and the call service's own processing. To check those, open the meeting app's video settings or join a test call, and confirm the right camera is selected there.

If the Change camera button is missing or a camera won't appear

A missing button usually means Windows sees only one usable camera. Work through these checks in order, reopening the Camera app after each one.

• Check camera permissions. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. Make sure Camera access is on, Let apps access your camera is on, and the Camera app is allowed in the list. Windows 10 has equivalent settings under Settings > Privacy > Camera.
• Check whether the camera is turned off in Windows. In Windows 11, Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras lists connected cameras. Some may appear under disabled cameras, where you can turn them back on. You can also look in Device Manager under Cameras or Imaging devices for a device marked as disabled.
• Reconnect the camera. Unplug a USB webcam, wait a few seconds, then plug it into a different port.
• Free up the camera. Close any app that might be using it, including apps running in the background, then reopen the Camera app.
• Restart the PC. This clears a camera held by an app that didn't release it.

You may also see extra entries that aren't physical cameras. Some streaming and effects software installs a "virtual camera" that shows up as a separate device. If cycling lands on an unexpected or blank view, it may be one of these. You can skip it, or close the software that provides it.

What this guide doesn't cover

The Camera app's layout has changed across Windows releases and app updates. The exact position of the Change camera button on your PC may differ from what's described here, but the icon and its function stay the same. Switching cameras is a selection step, so no brightness levels or other technical thresholds apply to it. If image quality is the concern rather than which camera is active, that is a separate adjustment.