Camera recorder

What is a Camera Recorder?

This camera recorder lets you take a still photo or record a video clip with any camera your browser can access: a laptop webcam, an external USB camera or a phone's front or rear camera. Everything is captured and saved locally, so it is handy for quick test recordings, checking your webcam before a call or grabbing a snapshot without installing software.

How to use it

  1. Allow camera access when your browser asks. Allow microphone access too if you want sound in videos.
  2. Pick the camera if you have more than one.
  3. Take a picture or start and stop a video recording.
  4. Preview the result and download it.

How it works

The tool uses the browser's getUserMedia API to read the camera stream and the MediaRecorder API to record it. Photos are drawn onto a canvas and saved as images. Videos are usually saved as WebM in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, or MP4 in Safari. No frames are sent to a server.

Troubleshooting

  • No camera prompt: camera access only works on HTTPS pages. Check the site permission icon in the address bar.
  • Camera already in use: close other apps such as Zoom or Teams that may be holding the device.
  • Black image: some laptops have a physical privacy shutter or a keyboard camera switch.
  • WebM will not play: use VLC or convert the file if your video editor does not support WebM.

Privacy

Recording runs entirely in your browser. You can revoke camera permission at any time from your browser's site settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are my recordings uploaded anywhere?

No. Photos and videos are captured and stored in your browser until you download them.

Why can't the site access my camera?

Check that you allowed camera permission, that no other app is using the camera, and that the page is loaded over HTTPS.

Which video format is used?

It depends on your browser. Chrome, Edge and Firefox usually record WebM, while Safari records MP4.

Can I use my phone's rear camera?

Yes. On mobile browsers you can choose between front and rear cameras if the browser exposes both.

You May Also Need