Webcam Toy is a service that allows users to add creative filters and additions to images they post on social media. It is a basic platform that does not require any downloads to your PC. Simply upload photographs, select filters, and share with your friends and followers. This guide explains everything you ought to know about webcam test, apps, and webcams for laptops.
Webcam Test and Viewing Apps Your PC Needs
To see if you seem pleasant and professional on a PC camera, try the top four most popular free webcam viewers and test programs. They will let you know if your webcam is working properly and if you are in good angle and lighting conditions.
There are four free webcam viewing and testing applications that are commonly used to test the camera on your computer. All of them are free and simple to use, with no need to install any software from the Internet.
1. Online Webcam Viewers App—Based on Browser
Webcamtests.com has an online webcam viewer application that allows you to instantly watch your webcam without installing any software on your computer.
With this webcam viewer, you may quickly see live videos from any camera, whether built-in, external, or virtual. In this method, you may readily determine whether your camera works and what it will send to your viewers.
This is the interface for this internet webcam viewer. The main disadvantage of this tool is that there are numerous advertisements on the website.
2. Windows Built-in Camera App (Windows 8.1/10/11)
If you use Windows, the built-in Camera software is unquestionably the best webcam viewer tool you can use to see yourself on a webcam, even if your laptop is offline. This program also works well for taking selfies and recording movies.
To go to the Camera app on Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11, use the Windows search box and enter the phrase Camera. Alternatively, you can access it from the Start menu. There is no built-in Camera app in Windows 7 or Windows 8.
3. Photo Booth App: View Webcam on Mac
The first webcam viewer app you may use to test your Mac’s webcam is Photo Booth. Almost all Macs include a built-in Photo Booth, similar to the Camera software on Windows, which is simple to use and allows you to take images and movies. There is no need to install a third-party webcam application.
To use the Photo Booth app to preview what your webcam is taking, click the Spotlight icon (if visible) in the menu bar and search for Photo Booth.
In addition to Photo Booth, QuickTime Player, and iMovie are useful tools for seeing your webcam on a Mac.
4. A Third-Party Webcam App You Can Use—FineCam
FineShare FineCam is also a webcam viewer and tester that lets you connect and test any camera you own on Windows and Mac systems. Beyond that, being one of the best virtual camera software, FineCam allows you to edit webcam videos in real-time by tweaking color and brightness, as well as changing the background and hue.
Furthermore, FineCam for iOS allows you to utilize your iPhone as a temporary webcam, which is incredibly beneficial if the laptop’s built-in camera fails or takes low-quality video.
Webcam for Laptop
1. HP Dragonfly G4
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i7-1355U
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Screen: 13.5in 1920×1280 touchscreen
- Dimensions: 29.74 x 22.04 x 1.64 cm
- Weight: 0.99kg
- Webcam resolution: 5MP (2,560 x 1,920 pixels)
The HP Dragonfly G4 is a large laptop, and you’ll need to want the whole package to justify the asking price, but it does come with one of the best built-in laptop webcams on the market.
The days of low-resolution webcams are fortunately over, but the G4 goes beyond 1080p with a 5MP webcam embedded into the bezel around its 3:2 ratio touchscreen, capable of producing a 1440p image.
The camera’s improved detail is fantastic to have, and while it’s not the highest resolution on the market, it also benefits from HP’s outstanding software, which allows it to recognize and frame the speaker, smooth its look, and blur away the background.
2. MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)
Specifications
- CPU: Apple M3 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- GPU: Built-in
- RAM: 8-24GB
- Storage: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD
- Screen: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, 3024×1964, 254 PPI
- Dimensions: 1.55 x 31.26 x 22.12 cm (0.61 x 12.31 x 8.71 in)
- Weight: 1.55 kg (3.4 pounds)
- Webcam resolution: 1080p
The screen is amazing, and the new M3 CPU outperforms older Intel-powered MacBooks. Furthermore, the webcam is of good quality, with 1080p resolution.
Overall, this is a very powerful laptop, but it may be overkill for some people, particularly if you don’t perform a lot of resource-intensive work like photo or video editing. If you want a 1080p webcam, you may want to save some money and go with the 2021 24-inch M1 iMac or 2022 M2 MacBook Air instead.
3. HP Chromebook Plus
Specifications
- CPU: Up to Intel Core i3
- GPU: Intel integrated
- RAM: Up to 8GB
- Storage: Up to 256GB
- Screen: Up to 1920 x 1080
- Dimensions: 32.3 x 21 x 2.04 cm
- Weight: 1.37kg
- Webcam resolution: 1080p
Chromebooks, which run Google’s lightweight ChromeOS, have lower requirements than Windows laptops because they are only required to run web programs through the Chrome browser. This does not imply that they are less capable; entire office suites and image editing tools are available to them, but they are not expected to work as hard.
This HP model has specifications that would make a budget Windows laptop envious, and its 1080p webcam ensures that your video conversations are crisp and sharp.
Webcam Toy Chromebook
Using your Chromebook’s webcam is a simple and quick method to interact with friends and family via video chat, attend online meetings, or generate content for social media. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of using your webcam on a Chromebook and go over numerous features and options to improve your experience.
To use your webcam, take these steps to open the Camera app on your Chromebook:
- Make sure your Chromebook is powered on and logged in.
- Locate the Launcher icon, which is usually found in the bottom left corner of your screen. It resembles a circle with a dot inside.
- To open the app drawer, click the Launcher icon.
- Scroll through the apps until you reach the Camera app, which is indicated by a camera icon. Clicking on it will launch the app.
- Once the Camera app is open, you may begin using your webcam for numerous purposes.
Taking photos and recording videos
The Camera app on your Chromebook allows you to easily take images and record videos. Here’s how you can utilize these features:
1. Taking photos
To take a photo with your Chromebook’s webcam:
- Position yourself or the subject you want to capture in front of the webcam.
- In the Camera app, you will see a round button at the bottom center of the screen. Click on it to take a photo.
- The snapshot will be stored in the “Downloads” folder by default. You can access it later by going to the “Files” app and selecting the “Downloads” folder.
2. capturing videos
If you want to shoot a video with your Chromebook’s webcam, follow these steps:
- In the Camera app, look for the video camera icon in the upper right area of the screen. Click it to enter video mode.
- To start recording, click the red circular button in the bottom center of the screen.
- While filming, you can pause or restart the video by pressing the pause button adjacent to the record button.
- When you’re finished recording, click the stop button (represented by a square) to end the recording.
- The video file will be saved in the “Downloads” folder, among the images. You can access it later using the “Files” app.
Webcam App: The Best Free Webcam Software for Windows PC: Ranked
1. YouCam
YouCam is a free webcam software that comes with a variety of tools, functions, and entertaining effects for use with your PC webcam. The program is user-friendly and works with popular video conferencing and live-streaming platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, YouTube Live, Twitch, and Facebook Live.
YouCam makes it simple to improve your video quality, even if you use a low-resolution camera. The free webcam program employs TrueTheater™ technology to automatically adjust lighting and sharpness, resulting in higher-quality video images.
In addition to these crucial features, YouCam adds hundreds of entertaining animated emojis, particles, and distortions to keep your online gatherings interesting. This webcam for PC software lets you look professional at work meetings by replacing the background, tracking your face, and even putting on natural-looking cosmetics.
Furthermore, you can record content and include customizable titles, channel logos, advertising, promotional messages, or sponsorships in your recordings or broadcasts.
2. Riverside
Riverside is a streaming webcam software for people of all ability levels. It is a great streaming webcam software for anyone holding a large webinar, conference, or online event because the platform can connect up to 7 guests and 1,000 audience members. You can also record and modify your event to share on social media or multistream to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
This streaming camera for PC software allows you to create and modify live videos with sound effects, media clips, screen sharing, and more. It also has editing features for audio and video recordings, making it ideal for video podcasts and live streams.
3. AlterCam
AlterCam is a free webcam program that allows you to live broadcast webcam videos. It is simple to use and has over 50 effects that can be applied in real-time, as well as various privacy protection measures. The Mosaic filter allows you to pixelate your face and disguise your voice with the voice-morphing tool.
4. SplitCam
If you want to speak with pals on numerous platforms at once and are tired of getting the “webcam busy” error, try SplitCam. This free webcam program allows you to split your webcam and share it with many apps at the same time, including Skype, Google Hangouts, and Facebook Messenger. It’s also a great choice for live-streaming webcam video.
Stream straight to all of the top streaming services from your webcam or HD camera without losing quality, and choose your resolution manually. You can also create a fully customizable tip notifier that displays the amount of the tip, the tipper’s name, and a thank you note.
5. Webcamoid
Webcamoid is an open-source, free-camera program that allows you to stream live video, produce screenshots, and take images. For free and easy software, we discovered Webcamoid provided a remarkable variety of lighting changes for both video and photos.
This camera for PC software also allows you to customize the video format, quality, and frames per second. Webcamoid includes simple video and photo editing features, as well as more than 60 amusing filters and effects.