Each and every PC manufacturer provides an in-built LED indicator that glows whenever the Camera is in use by some system or external applications. The real problem arises when this LED indicator somehow corrupts or stops working. Well, in such cases you may enable the camera privacy indicator on Windows 11 by tweaking some registry entries.
By default, this feature is disabled inside the registry. And, if you want to enable this software indicator, you need to configure the registry correctly. This guide will explain the relevant steps to enable or disable this Webcam Privacy indicator on your Windows 11 PC.
Turn On Camera Privacy Indicator on Windows 11
If you want the camera privacy indicator to blink while using your Webcam on Windows 11, follow the below steps –
Note: Modifying the registry entries incorrectly may corrupt your entire operating system. This is why, we suggest backing up your registry, and then following the same steps as outlined below –
- Press Win + X, and select Run.
- Type Regedit on it and hit OK.
- The UAC window will prompt next, hit Yes to authorize opening it.
- When the registry opens up, navigate to the below path –
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OEM\Device\Capture
- Search for an entry named “NoPhysicalCameraLED” on the right pane and when found, double-click on it.
- Doing so will invoke its Properties pop-up window.
- Change its Value data field to “1” from “0”, and click OK.
That’s it, close the registry, and restart your PC.
From now onward, whenever you turn On or turn Off your Camera in Windows 11, the privacy indicator will blink. This way, you will come to know whether your camera is running or not.
How do I disable the Webcam Privacy Indicator?
If you ever want to disable the Camera Privacy indicator on your Windows 11 PC, all you require is to follow these steps –
- Launch Registry Editor first, and navigate to the below path on it –
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OEM\Device\Capture
- Locate NoPhysicalCameraLED on the right pane, and right-click on it.
- Select Properties, and when the related pop-up window appears, change its Value data back to “0”.
- Close the registry and reboot your computer.
That’s it, you have successfully disabled the camera privacy indicator on your Windows PC.
Fix: Windows 10 Camera App not working
Should I check what permissions are allowed on my Windows PC?
These days, when you install a new application, it instantly asks for some permissions. These permissions could be for accessing your File Explorer, Bluetooth, Camera, Mic, and others. For example, if you are using some Video Calling apps on Windows, they will prompt allowing them access to your Camera. If you are concerned about your privacy settings, we suggest manually checking what permissions have been granted to different apps. For this, you must navigate to the below path on your Windows 11 PC –
Settings > Privacy & Security > App Permissions
I hope you are now able to successfully enable or disable the Camera Privacy Indicator on your Windows 11 PC. Do tell us in the comment section if you face any difficulty following this article.
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