How to Turn Off the Webcam in Windows 10

I take your concerns about the privacy of your home and your children seriously. When you hear stories about people being watched and stalked through their computer webcams, it’s definitely alarming. These creepy individuals can access your laptop or PC webcam remotely and spy on your every move.

Even though there are cameras everywhere these days, the weakest point of entry is still your PC or laptop. But don’t worry, there’s a simple way to protect your privacy without throwing your laptop in the trash.

“Okay, you’re scaring me. I’ll get rid of this laptop immediately.”

Don’t worry, as long as you disable your webcam properly, you won’t have to go to such extreme measures to safeguard your privacy.

“Good, because this laptop was expensive. How do I disable my webcam?”

If you feel like your privacy has been compromised or want to prevent it from happening, I can help you with that.

How to Disable and Enable the Webcam on Windows 10

Most laptops come with a built-in webcam, which can be handy for business meetings and staying connected with your relatives. But if you don’t need a webcam, it can pose a security risk. To protect yourself from prying eyes, you should disable your webcam when you’re not using it.

Let’s start with the steps to disable the webcam and then I’ll show you how to enable it again if you change your mind.

Disable the Webcam on Windows 10

You can’t ignore the security concerns associated with integrated webcams. To avoid becoming a victim, let’s turn off your webcam completely. Disconnecting an external camera is simple, just unplug it from your laptop or PC. Disabling an integrated webcam is also easy and can be done in a few steps:

To disable the webcam on your Windows 10 computer:

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
2. Select Device Manager from the menu.
3. In the Device Manager window, click on the drop-down arrow next to Imaging Devices or Cameras. This will show you the cameras connected to your laptop or PC.
4. If you’re using a laptop, it will likely show as Integrated Webcam.
5. Right-click on the device and choose Disable device from the menu.
6. A dialog box will appear asking for confirmation. Click Yes to disable your webcam.

Your integrated webcam should be disabled on your Windows 10 computer now. This means that apps and services won’t have access to your webcam anymore. If the webcam still appears enabled, you may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. As an extra precaution, you can also cover your webcam with tape to prevent any unauthorized access through malware. Keep in mind that this won’t disable your microphone, so it’s always good to take additional precautions.

Disable the Webcam for Specific Services

If you still want to use your webcam for specific sites and apps, you have the option to do so. However, this does reduce the level of security. To only grant access to your webcam for certain services, you need to:

1. Click on the Windows Start button in the lower-left corner of your desktop screen.
2. Open the Settings window by clicking on the icon in the menu.
3. Find and click on Privacy.
4. Scroll down and select Camera in the left-side menu.
5. In the “Camera” section, toggle the switch under “Allow apps to access your camera” to On. This will allow some apps and services to access your webcam.
6. Below that, in the “Choose which apps can access your camera” section, toggle the switch to On for the apps you want to grant access to, and toggle it to Off for the ones you don’t want to allow access.

This option is useful if you want to control which services can access your webcam. For example, you might want to allow Skype to have access but disable access for TikTok until you want to use it.

Enable the Webcam on Windows 10

You can easily re-enable your webcam whenever you want. For an external webcam, just plug it back in and follow any instructions that come with it. To enable an integrated webcam, follow the same steps but instead of selecting “Disable device,” choose “Enable device.”

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
2. Select Device Manager from the menu.
3. In the Device Manager window, click on the drop-down arrow next to Imaging Devices or Cameras. This will show you the cameras connected to your laptop or PC.
4. If you’re using a laptop, it will likely show as Integrated Webcam.

You can now go back to using your webcam as usual, but remember to disable it again when you’re done.