How To Allow/Prevent Apps To Access Camera In Windows 10

In Windows 10, some apps may require access to your webcam for their basic operation such as Camera app. While there are some other apps which additionally requires access to webcam, apart from their routine functioning.

To maintain your privacy, you can anytime allow or block these apps to access your webcam. In this article, we’ll provide you two methods, using which you can configure if you want apps to access your webcam or not. Here’s how.

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How To Allow/Prevent Apps To Access Camera In Windows 10

Method 1 – Via Settings App

FYI: These steps are illustrated on Windows 10 V1903. The options and text labels may vary with successive versions.

1. Right click Start Button or press + X keys and select Settings.

2. In the Settings app, navigate to Privacy > Camera.

3. Now in right pane of Camera, under Allow apps to access your camera, toggle the option to On to let apps use webcam. Or you can toggle the option to Off to block apps to use webcam. When the option is set to On, you can individually select which apps can use webcam. Set the option for corresponding app to On/Off to allow/block webcam access.

How To Allow Prevent Apps To Access Camera In Windows 10

4. Your settings will be applied immediately, so when you’re done, close Settings app and return to Desktop, if you like.

Method 2 – Via Registry

Registry Disclaimer: The further steps will involve registry manipulation. Making mistakes while manipulating registry could affect your system adversely. So be careful while editing registry entries and create a System Restore point first.

1. Press + R and put regedit in Run dialog box to open Registry Editor (if you’re not familiar with Registry Editor, then click here). Click OK.

Windows 10 Registry Editor

2. In left pane of Registry Editor window, navigate to following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CapabilityAccessManager\ConsentStore\webcam

How To Allow Prevent Apps To Access Camera In Windows 10

3. Now in the right pane of webcam registry key, look for the registry string named Value. Double click on this registry string to modify its Value data:

How To Allow Prevent Apps To Access Camera In Windows 10

4. By default, Value is set to Allow which means apps can access your webcam. Set it to Deny to block apps to access webcam. Click OK.

5. Similar to steps 3 and 4, you can allow or block individual apps with their specific registry subkey located next to webcam registry key. Set the Value string to Allow or Deny to enable/disable access to webcam.

When you’re done, close Registry Editor and reboot to make changes effective.

That’s it!