How to Take a Photo With Your Webcam on Any Computer

You need a quick photo of yourself. Maybe it’s a profile picture for a new work account, a photo for an online form, or proof to a friend that you did, in fact, get a haircut. Your phone is across the room, and the laptop is right here with a camera built into the lid. So how do you actually take a picture with it?

It’s easier than it sounds, and there’s more than one way. Below are the built-in options for each operating system, plus the browser route, which works the same everywhere.

The quickest way: a camera online

If you don’t want to hunt for an app, a browser camera is the fastest option, and it works identically on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS and Linux.

1. Open the online camera.
2. Click Start camera and allow access when the browser asks.
3. Pick your camera from the list if you have more than one.
4. Press the shutter button, or just hit the Space bar.
5. Your photo appears in the gallery below the preview. Download it when you’re happy.

A few things make this nicer than the built-in apps. You can set a 3, 5 or 10 second self-timer so you’re not caught mid-click with your hand stretched toward the keyboard. You can shoot a short burst of three or five photos and keep the one where your eyes are open. And you can choose the file format: JPG, PNG or WebP.

Everything stays on your computer. The photos live in the browser tab until you download them, and nothing is uploaded anywhere.

Windows 10 and 11: the Camera app

Windows comes with an app simply called Camera.

1. Press the Start button and type “Camera”.
2. Open it and allow it to use the camera if prompted.
3. Make sure the photo mode is selected (the little camera icon, rather than the video one).
4. Click the shutter button.

Photos are saved to the Camera Roll folder inside your Pictures folder. The app is fine for a quick shot, but it doesn’t offer much control over filters, and it can be fiddly to find where the timer setting lives.

macOS: Photo Booth

Every Mac has Photo Booth, which is a little more playful than the Windows app.

1. Open Launchpad or Spotlight (Command + Space) and type “Photo Booth”.
2. Click the red camera button. There’s a three-second countdown by default, and the screen flashes white to light your face.
3. Your photos appear in a strip along the bottom. Drag one to the desktop, or right-click to export it.

Photo Booth’s effects are fun, though they’re stuck in a fairly dated style. If you want something more modern, the browser route gives you sixteen live filters instead.

Chromebook: the Camera app

ChromeOS has its own Camera app in the launcher. Open it, choose Photo, and click the shutter. Photos go to the Camera folder in the Files app. It also supports a timer and a grid overlay, which is handy for lining up shots.

Linux

It depends on your distribution. GNOME desktops often ship a camera app (GNOME’s newer one is simply called Camera, and older setups used Cheese). If you don’t have one, the browser route works without installing anything.

Getting a better photo

Laptop cameras are small, and small sensors need help. Here’s what makes the biggest difference.

Face a window. Natural light from in front of you is the single best upgrade. Never sit with a bright window behind you; the camera will expose for the window and turn you into a silhouette.

Raise the camera. Shooting from below is unflattering for almost everyone. Put the laptop on a stack of books so the lens is at eye level or a touch above.

Clean the lens. Seriously. A smudge from your thumb softens everything. A soft cloth fixes it in two seconds.

Use the timer. When you click the button yourself, you lean forward and tense up. A three-second timer lets you sit back, relax your shoulders and look at the lens.

Shoot a burst. People blink a lot more than they think. Taking three or five in a row almost guarantees one good one.

Choose the right resolution. If your camera supports 1080p, select it. Some browsers start at a lower default resolution to be safe. Our resolution test will show what your camera can really do.

Why does my photo look backwards?

Most camera apps show you a mirrored preview, because that’s what you’re used to from mirrors. If you’re holding up a document or wearing a shirt with text, it’ll look reversed in the preview. The question is whether the saved photo is mirrored too. Different apps make different choices. On our camera, the preview is mirrored by default but saved photos are not, so text reads correctly. You can change both. There’s a full explanation of mirrored and reversed webcams if you want the details.

JPG, PNG or WebP?

• JPG is the safe default. Small files, accepted everywhere: forms, email, social media.
• PNG is lossless, so it keeps every detail, but files are much larger. Useful if you’re going to edit the image heavily afterwards.
• WebP looks about as good as JPG at a smaller size. Most modern sites and apps accept it, but some older upload forms don’t.

If you’re not sure, pick JPG.

Taking ID or document photos

Lots of websites ask you to upload a photo of yourself or a document. For these, keep it simple: no filters, even light, plain background, and the saved image un-mirrored so any text on the document reads correctly. Hold the document flat and parallel to the camera to avoid a skewed, unreadable picture. Some services require you to use their own capture tool, in which case follow their instructions.

That’s really it

Taking a photo with your webcam takes about ten seconds once you know where to look. Use the built-in app if you like, or open a free camera online when you want a timer, burst shots, filters and a choice of format, all without installing a thing.