How to switch camera or use an external webcam in video chat
In a browser video chat, the camera is usually chosen by the browser, not by a button in the chat. To use an external webcam or a different camera, set it in your browser's site settings (Chrome), in the permission prompt (Firefox), or by connecting the camera before you open the page, then reload.
1. Browser setting or chat button: know the difference
There are two places a camera choice can come from. The browser keeps a list of your cameras and decides which one a site gets. Some video chat interfaces also show their own camera controls. This page focuses on the browser and system settings, because they work whatever the chat interface shows.
If you see a camera option inside the chat, use it. If you don't, the steps below change the camera at the browser level, and the chat will use that camera the next time the page asks for it.
2. Choose the camera in Chrome or Edge on a computer
Chrome lets you pick a default camera for sites. Google documents it under Switch between cameras in Use your camera and microphone in Chrome. Microsoft Edge uses a very similar settings layout.
- Connect the external webcam and wait a few seconds for the system to recognise it
- In Chrome, open the menu at the top right and choose Settings
- Go to Privacy and security › Site settings › Camera
- Use the drop-down at the top to select the camera you want
- Do the same under Microphone if your webcam has its own mic and you want to use it
- Return to the chat tab and reload
3. Firefox and Safari
In Firefox, the permission prompt that appears when a site asks for your camera can show a list of available devices, so pick the right one there before you allow it. If you allowed the wrong one and Firefox remembered it, clear the permission from the icon in the address bar and reload so the prompt appears again. Mozilla explains these permissions in How to manage your camera and microphone permissions.
Safari on Mac manages camera access per website under Safari › Settings › Websites › Camera (Apple Support). If Safari keeps using the built-in camera, the simplest test is to try the same page in Chrome or Firefox, where you can pick the device directly.
4. Check that the system sees the webcam
If the external camera doesn't appear in the browser's list at all, the browser isn't the problem yet. The operating system has to recognise the webcam and allow your browser to use it.
| System | What to check |
|---|---|
| Windows | Settings › Privacy & security › Camera: camera access on, and desktop apps allowed (Microsoft Support) |
| macOS | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera: your browser switched on (Apple Support) |
| Any computer | Try another USB port, avoid unpowered hubs, and close apps that may already be using the webcam |
5. Phones: front camera, back camera and the browser
On a phone, the page asks the browser for a camera and the browser opens one, normally the front camera for a video chat. Mobile browsers don't offer a general setting to pick a default camera the way desktop Chrome does, so if the wrong camera opens, the useful checks are simple:
- Look for a camera option in the chat interface itself, if one is shown
- Reload the page; the browser asks for the camera again
- Make sure the browser has camera permission in the phone settings: Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera on iPhone, or Settings › Apps › your browser › Permissions on Android (Android Help)
- Try another browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox) to compare
- Open the link in Safari or Chrome rather than inside another app; see video chat in in-app browsers
6. Using your iPhone as a webcam for a Mac
On a Mac, Apple's Continuity Camera lets a nearby iPhone act as a webcam, and it then appears as another camera option. Apple lists the requirements in Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac. Once it's set up, select it like any other camera, using Chrome's camera drop-down or the Firefox prompt.
7. Confirm the right camera before you chat
Open our webcam and mic test in the same browser to see which camera the browser hands to a page. If the preview shows the right view, the chat will get the same camera. If it shows nothing, follow camera not working; if you're unsure what the permission prompt allows, read camera and microphone permission.
Got the right camera but the picture is dark or badly framed? Our camera, light and sound guide covers simple placement and lighting.