Skype is one of the most popular applications used by users of personal computers and smartphones to make online calls to different parts of the world. Skype offers the user to make not only voice, but also video calls. For their implementation, you must have a webcam.
From the above it follows that for a video call on Skype, you must first buy and then install and configure a webcam. Then you can successfully make calls.
In the material presented, we will try to give answers to the following questions: "How to enable the camera in Skype on a laptop?", "How to configure it?" and "How to connect it?"
Camera operation in the Skype application
So, how to enable the camera in Skype on a laptop? Most often, the webcam on the computer is one of the components that are part of the portable PC, it is built into the case above the display. To enable it, you need to install drivers that service the device, but, as a rule, its operation is automatically activated and does not require third-party intervention. The Skype program by default finds the web device itself and selects it as a priority for the video call.
If this is not the case, you should check the availability of drivers for the camera, how to do this will be described a little below.
It should be noted that not all laptops have a webcam, so such users should purchase it and connect it to the laptop via a USB cable. There may not be a disk with a driver for the camera, this indicates that drivers for the camera are not required. The device will be detected without them. But if they are, then they should be installed on your PC.
How to connect the camera in Skype on a laptop?
If for some reason there is no webcam on your gadget, you should buy it and then connect a cable with an adapter to a USB port 2.0 or 3.0.
After connecting, the device should automatically recognize the device by the operating system. If the installation disk with drivers for your device was bundled with the camera, you should install it on a laptop.
After successfully completing the above operations, go to Skype and try to make a video call. If it succeeds and your camera functions, you are lucky and you do not need further guidance.
Turn on and test the camera on a laptop
If in your case the camera does not automatically turn on in Skype on a laptop and the video call is unsuccessful, then you should check the correctness of the webcam connection. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Open the Start menu.
- Go to the "Control Panel".
- In the upper right field of the interface, set the "Small icons" option.
- In the window that opens, select "Task Manager."
- At the bottom of the list of devices, find “Image Processing Devices.”
- Click on this item, your webcam should appear there.
If the camera is not detected or outdated software is installed for it, then it should be updated. You can do this as follows:
- From the “Device Manager” window, under “Image Processing Devices”, right-click on the name of your camera.
- From the open drop-down list, select "Update drivers."
- From the newly opened window, select "Automatically search for driver updates."
After the update, restart your computer and try to make a video call in Skype. Everything should work out, otherwise, read the rest of the guide on setting up and turning on the camera in Skype on a laptop.
Keyboard activation
It is worth noting that not on all laptop models the camera is turned on by default. There are those on which you need to enable the webcam by pressing a specific key combination. Typically, this is the Fn key plus a button that depicts a small camera. It can be a V button, sometimes an Escape or one of the F1-F12 keys. Examine your keyboard and try to apply this method, perhaps it is on your laptop that such a camera switching system is used.
How to set up a webcam in Skype?
From the above information, we found out how you can turn on the webcam using standard means of the operating system and laptop keyboard.
Thus, we continue to understand the question of how to configure the camera in Skype on a laptop. This is a crucial step in the proper functioning of the web device in this application. If the above instructions helped you learn how to enable the camera in Skype on a laptop, then the next step will be to configure the device in the program itself. To do this, use the guide below:
- Log in to Skype.
- Click on the three points on the top panel of the program.
- From the drop-down list, select "Settings".
- In the left column of the menu, select the "Sound and video" tab.
- After opening the window, you should see the image transmitted by the camera, if it is not there, go to the "Camera" item and select the name of your device there.
Thus, the camera is configured in Skype on a laptop. If it is connected and working, the image in the program should appear.
Conclusion
In the above material, the question was considered how to turn on the camera in Skype on a laptop. From the article you learned about solving problems when setting up and connecting the device, as well as about the correct camera setup inside the Skype program itself.
In the event that nothing helped you from the above information, then most likely this is the very rare case in which the webcam for some reason crashed. Then you can take the laptop or removable web device to a service center for a complete diagnosis and further repair.