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Dell Chromebook Camera Not Working (How to Fix)

Dell makes very high quality computers, laptops, and Chromebooks. From time to time a component on a Chromebook can have an issue. Below is what to do if the inbuilt camera or an external camera is not working.

As a general rule, soft reset your Chromebook by turning it off and on. If your Dell Chromebook camera is still not working go to the Chromebook system settings and see what camera is set by default. After that, do a hard reset, and do the additional steps below.

using chromebook laptop

Each of the steps to get a Dell Chromebook camera to work that isn’t working are easy to do yourself. Go to the section of this article where I have provided instructions for each of these troubleshooting steps.

Do each step one by one, or until your camera starts working. The last step covers what to do if you try all of the steps and it’s still not working.

Why Isn’t Your Dell Chromebook Camera Working?

using chromebook laptop

There are quite a few reasons why the camera on a Chromebook is not working. Here are the top 8 reasons why the camera on a Chromebook is not working.

There is a minor glitch with ChromeOS, the specific app is not set to use the camera correctly, ChromeOS is not updated to the latest version, the incorrect camera is set to be used, the USB port or the USB camera is faulty (USB cameras only), or an internal component is faulty.

Below, is a rundown of why each of these cause the camera on a Chromebook to stop working. As well as, how to fix each of these issues.

1. There’s a minor glitch with ChromeOS

When a Chromebook has been on for some time it can develop a glitch, and certain features won’t work. This is especially the case if you always leave your Chromebook on. This can be fixed by doing a soft and hard reset on your Chromebook.

Do a soft reset first and see if it now works, after that do a hard reset. To soft reset a Chromebook you simply turn it off and on again. There are two main ways to do that.

Press and hold the power button on the keyboard until it turns off. Then press the power button again to turn it back on. Another option if you’re logged in click the time on the bottom right hand side of the screen.

A new menu opens up, click on the power icon near the top. Then press the power button on your Chromebook keyboard to turn it back on.

How to soft reset a Chromebook tablet

Soft resetting a Chromebook tablet is very straightforward. Simply hold down the power button on the side. Most Chromebook tablets will then have two options that show on the screen, these are ‘restart’ and ‘power off’. Select restart.

How to hard reset a Chromebook (tablets and laptops)

A hard reset commonly works to fix issues with certain programs, and peripherals like the camera, and keyboard. It’s very easy to do a hard reset.

Google has provided a very good article that explains how to reset every different type of Chromebook. Go to this Google page, and follow the instructions there to hard reset your Chromebook.

3. The app you’re using it not set correctly to use the camera

There are various different programs/apps that use the camera on your Chromebook such as Google Chrome, Skype, and the default Camera app on your Chromebook. If you’re trying to use it on Google Chrome on Google Meet for example, then try using it on the default camera app. If one works but not the other, then you can be sure it’s a minor setting on the program or app that you will need to change.

How to do that depends on the program you are using. For example, if you’re using Google Meet, do a Google search for how to adjust the camera settings on Google Meet. When using a camera on a web browser like Google Chrome.

Often there is a small pop up on Google Chrome that will ask you if you allow Google Chrome to use your webcam, if you miss this, then the camera won’t work. Next to the website address bar at the top there will be a small camera icon that you need to click, and then select enable.

Also, for other programs like Skype, go into the settings and ensure everything is set correctly. If in doubt do a Google search for what settings to change for the specific app you’re using your camera on.

4. ChromeOS is not updated to the latest version

Updates for ChromeOS are regularly released and most Chromebooks are set by default to download them as soon as they come out. After it downloads you get a notification to update ChromeOS. Some updates, update the software for things like the camera.

These are called drivers. If you decided not to update your version of ChromeOS it can cause a conflict with different software on your Chromebook. As a result, it can cause the camera to not work.

If there is a pending update, install that. Also, it’s a good idea to manually check for a ChromeOS update, in case you disabled automatic updates. Refer to this article by Google that shows how to update ChromeOS.

Unlike Windows, it’s not necessary to download individual drivers for your USB camera. These are all included in the ChromeOS updates.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on February 17, 2023.

5. The camera settings in ChromeOS are set to the wrong camera

When you are using a USB webcam the camera you’re using needs to be set manually, and you need to change the settings so that your Chromebook uses your USB webcam instead of the inbuilt webcam. Or, it was set to use your USB webcam, and you need to change it to using the inbuilt webcam. To do that use the instructions in this article provided by Google Support.

6. The USB port is faulty (USB cameras only)

USB ports can sometimes be faulty and not work. It’s possible your USB camera is not working because the USB port it’s plugged into is not working. Try your webcam on the different USB ports on your Chromebook one by one.

7. The USB camera is faulty or the wrong type (USB cameras only)

In rare cases a webcam will not be compatible with ChromeOS. If you still have the box for your USB webcam it will typically state on the side what operating systems it’s compatible with. Otherwise, do a Google search for whether your USB camera make and model is compatible with ChromeOS.

However, this is the exception rather than the rule. You can isolate if the issue is with your USB camera itself by trying it on another computer. Such as a Windows computer.

If it also doesn’t work on a different computer, then it’s virtually guaranteed it’s an issue with your USB camera itself. In that case, you should contact your USB camera manufacturer.

8. The internal wiring or an internal component is faulty

Electrical components have a shelf life. After using them for some time an internal component or the wiring can fail all on their own. But, other times there can be a manufacturer’s fault and they can fail much sooner than normal.

Also, if you dropped your Chromebook one too many times, or spilled water on your Chromebook then it can damage one or more of the internal components or the wiring. And as a result, the inbuilt camera or the USB port when using a USB camera can be faulty. If you did drop it or spill water on it and it caused damage to your Chromebook it won’t be covered under warranty.

And you will need to pay for the cost of the repair. But, if it’s still covered under warranty the repair will generally be free of charge. They may even swap out your Chromebook for a different one.

Either a refurbished model, or a brand new one. Contact your Chromebook manufacturer.

They can let you know if the repair is covered under warranty. As well as, how to have it repaired.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on February 17, 2023.

General Fix For Dell Chromebook Camera When It Is Not Working

using chromebook laptop

There are two types of cameras that are used on Chromebooks, the inbuilt camera and a USB camera. When using some programs and apps the camera won’t work, and you need to adjust a few settings. But, in other cases a camera won’t work at all on a Chromebook, here is how to fix the camera on a Chromebook when it’s not working.

Overall, first restart your Chromebook, after that try using the webcam in a different app, next hard reset your Chromebook, check ChromeOS is updated. For USB webcams check the settings to switch between two different cameras, and try it on a different USB port and computer.

Each of these steps are very easy to do. I have covered step by step instructions for how to do each of them, as well as, what to do if you try all of the steps and your camera is still not working. Please refer to the article sections above.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on February 17, 2023.

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