Learn how to disable the webcam on your laptop for added privacy and security. Follow our step-by-step guide for Windows and Mac users.
A webcam is present in any modern laptop, but not everyone uses it. Moreover, in the era of digital crimes, many users are afraid that intruders can spy on them through the “peephole”. We tell you how to turn off a webcam in different ways.
How to Disable Webcam on Laptop.
In addition to the fear of being spied on, there are other cases when it is necessary to turn off the webcam:
- The laptop’s built-in webcam does not allow you to connect an external, higher-quality one;
- There are problems with the webcam, it needs to be rebooted;
- A software conflict has been detected.
Disabling the webcam using the shutter
Many laptops, including modern ones, have a special physical shutter that can be used to hide the webcam module. Current ASUS Vivobooks have such shutters. To disable it, you need to:
- Simply slide the curtain from left to right.
This way you can be sure that no one is watching you. To turn on the camera, simply slide the curtain from right to left.
Disabling the webcam via settings
You can also turn off the camera directly in the settings. To do this:
- Click on “Start”;
- Go to “Options”;
- Click on “Bluetooth and devices”;
- There, go to the “Cameras” section;
- In the “Connected cameras” section, select the one you want to disable (usually there is only one);
- Now in the settings at the top, click “Disable”.
That’s it, done. The camera turns on in exactly the same way.
Disabling the webcam via the device manager
You can also use the device manager and disable the camera there. To do this:
- Click on “Start”;
- Enter “Device Manager” in the search bar;
- Select “Cameras”;
- Right-click on the section;
- Click “Disconnect device”.
It is included in exactly the same way in this section.
Disabling the laptop camera via BIOS
This is not suitable for all laptops, but only for some models that have such an option in the BIOS. To do this, you need to:
- Enter BIOS;
- Find the Security tab there (it may have a different name);
- Find the webcam there and disable it at the BIOS level.
Disabling the camera using the app
If for some reason the user does not like the simple methods mentioned above, then a special application can be used. It is called WebCam On-Off. You can download it here . The application has only a few buttons, everything is intuitive.
Covering the camera with tape
Finally, if there is no physical switch on the laptop, and you don’t want to dig into the settings, you can simply cover the camera with tape.