How to Check Which App is Using Your Webcam on Windows?

The apps and features on your Windows can use your system’s camera without your awareness. 

Either Built-in or Third party, your computer may have various applications that may need camera access. And sometimes few features may work seamlessly when you provide permission to use the camera. But, there’s always the privacy concerns especially from those apps which you are unsure about.

If you are someone who is sensitive about privacy and security concerns, you can see which app is using my camera. In this article, we will discuss exactly that.

Which App is Using My Camera in Windows?

The process to check which app is using your camera differs a bit on Windows 10 and 11. You can try out the steps below to know the apps using your computer camera. 

On Windows 10

1. Open the Windows Settings by pressing the combination of the Windows logo and I key on the keyboard.
2. Then, select Privacy.
3. Now, from the left side panel, click the Camera option. It should be under the App permissions segment. 
4. You will see the Camera settings menu. 
5. From there, you need to scroll down to the Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your camera option. 
6. Next, see which apps have the button turned on next to them. 
   
7. You can disallow the camera access for apps by toggling the button next to the app. 

On Windows 11

1. You can press the Windows + I buttons on your PC’s keyboard to launch the Settings menu. 
2. From there, select Privacy & security from the left sidebar.
3. Then, navigate to the App permission section and choose Camera.
4. Now, you can see the list of apps under the Let apps access your camera section. 
5. If the button beside the app is in the ‘On’ state, it means the app is using the camera on your computer. 
   
6. To restrict the camera access, toggle off the button alongside the app. 

How to See Which App is Using My Webcam?

Through Process Explorer, you can search the program that is using a certain file or directory. It can display all the details of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) and handles opened on your computer.

It can also help you know the applications and programs using the webcam of your PC. To do so,

1. First, download the Process Explorer through the Official Microsoft page.
2. Open the downloaded file and extract all the files. Now, select the application file to launch it. You will see the name ‘procexp64’ if you are using a 64-bit Windows version.
3. Now, you need to find the device name of the webcam. For that, open Device Manager by pressing the Windows + X keys and selecting the Device Manager from the list.
4. Next, double-click on Imaging devices. The webcam name will appear.
5. Right-click the webcam name and choose the Properties option.
6. Select the Details tab.
7. Then, under the Property, click the drop-down menu.
8. From the list, scroll and select Physical Device Object Name.
   
9. Under Value, you will see the device name. Right-click on it and choose Copy. 
10. Now, go back to the Process Explorer window. 
11. Choose the Find option from the top panel.
12. Select the Find Handle or DLL… option.
    
13. Next, right-click on the Handle or DLL substring section and press the Paste option.
14. Now, you need to click on the Search button. You will see the list of apps and features using the webcam on the computer.

How to Check Which Apps Are Using My Camera on Mac?

Similar to Windows, some apps and features on Mac require camera access to capture photos and record videos. It is up to you to grant that permission. The case occurs especially with third-party apps. Meanwhile, Photo Booth, FaceTime, and other inbuilt apps on Mac are automatically granted permission to use the camera. 

To know which apps are using your camera on Mac, you can follow these steps below:

1. Select the Apple icon to open the Apple menu.
2. Then, click on the System Preferences option.
3. Next, select Security & Privacy.
4. Now, choose the Privacy option. 
5. After that, click Camera.
6. You will now see a list of apps that uses the camera. Those with a Blue checkmark denote that the app has permission to access the camera. 
   

Which App is Using My Camera on My Phone?

There are various in-built and third-party apps on your phone that require camera permission to work properly. It is possible that you will forget which apps you gave permission to access the camera. The procedure to check it varies on iPhone and Android devices. 

Here’s how you can inspect which app is using the camera on your phone: 

On iPhone

1. Select the Settings icon.
2. Scroll down and press the Privacy option. 
3. After that, tap on the Camera option. 
4. A list of apps will appear. You will see the Green button next to the app if it is accessing your camera. If not, it appears Grey. 
   

On Android

1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. Then, select Privacy or Privacy protection based on your Android device.
3. Next, tap All permissions or Permission manager, whichever appears on your device.
4. Now, choose the Camera option. 
5. You will see three sections: Allowed all the time, Allowed only while in use, and Now allowed. 
6. The apps under the first two sections are the ones using the camera on your phone. 
   

How to Enable or Disable Camera for the Desktop Apps?

Several apps and features on your computer require camera access to work properly. You can decide whether to allow camera permission for desktop apps or not. To enable or disable the settings we are talking about, you can follow the steps below:

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Then, select the Privacy option. 
3. Navigate to the Camera and select it from the left side pane.
4. Now, on the Camera menu, scroll down and toggle on or off the button underneath the Allow desktop apps to access your camera option.