Follow us
Share this article
Improve this guide
Unblock your camera by following these easy steps
5 min. read
Updated on
updated on
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team Read more
Key notes
You have stumbled upon our guide because your antivirus is blocking your camera; here is all you need to know.
Usually, when the webcam isn’t working, you should update/reinstall its drivers and update the Windows 10 system (if a system update is waiting for your approval, some built-in features cannot run correctly).
Or you can remove a specific Windows update if the camera stopped running after a new Windows patch was applied.
Thus, in most situations, these general solutions should fix the software problems related to the webcam or an external camera app.
However, if the camera is still inaccessible, the answer to your problem might be within the security solution used on your Windows 10 system.
Secure your devices with award-winning cybersecurity technology.
Maximize your PC’s security and performance with top-notch digital threat detection.
Keep secure with groundbreaking AI detection and prevention technology.
Browse the web securely for up to 3 devices across Windows, Mac, iOS or Android systems.
Best security tool for intense browsing activity.
Yes, that’s right, the antivirus software might block the webcam. So the first thing to do is to disable the antivirus software temporarily. Then, try to use the camera.
This can be the case if the application you want to use has a bug or your privacy settings prevent some apps from accessing your camera.
To protect you from potentially malicious software that tries to access your webcam, your antivirus software will typically prevent camera access.
A hacker can install malware that opens your webcam without your knowledge to spy on you. Your antivirus program aims to safeguard your privacy.
There is a possibility that this is the case.
If Windows Defender discovers malicious software and an application, it may disable the camera.
If you have determined that your antivirus is blocking camera access, here is how you can complete these processes for the most popular antivirus programs available for the Windows system.
ESET is a PC protection company operating for about two decades. It helps to keep threats at bay and offers excellent protection against malicious websites.
Bitdefender is pre-installed with a built-in feature designed to secure your camera app. And this feature can be configured so that you can decide which apps can use it and which cannot.
⇒ Get Bitdefender Internet Security
Like Bitdefender, Kaspersky will automatically block certain apps and software from accessing your camera.
While this is a good thing as it can protect your identity, in some situations, you might have to add an exclusion for a specific tool or for the webcam app itself.
⇒ Get Kaspersky Internet Security
In most situations, this antivirus program will successfully secure your computer against malware attacks or similar other malicious and infected files.
Sometimes you have to manually introduce the IP address of your camera in the ignored addresses field to be sure that you can enjoy its functionality.
⇒ Get Avast Free Antivirus
With Norton’s SafeCam feature enabled, untrusted sources cannot access and capture images or videos and send them outside of your PC to compromise your privacy.
⇒ Get Norton 360
This will stop Windows Defender from blocking the camera.
According to users, sometimes malware can add an entire drive to the exclusions list to prevent Windows from finding it. However, you can fix the problem simply by checking your exclusions list.
The guidelines should help you add exclusions for the webcam or camera app. Of course, similar steps can be applied to other antivirus programs too.
For instance, if Sophos antivirus, ESET antivirus, AVG antivirus, McAfee antivirus, Norton antivirus, or Symantec is blocking the camera, you may take similar steps listed above.
Don’t forget that the first thing to do when noticing that the camera/webcam isn’t running or cannot be accessed is to reinstall the associated drivers.
If specific errors are received, don’t hesitate and share all these details with us by accessing the comments section below.
More about the topics: fix webcam
Andrew Wafer 
Andrew is not just trying to bring you closer to Windows, but he’s truly interested in this platform. He just happens to be passionate about sharing that knowledge with our readers and that’s what makes his presence here, at WindowsReport, such a valuable one. He specializes in writing about the best products for this operating system and Windows 10 fixes. Determined and creative, Andrew also loves coffee, country music, and Sunday mornings.
Andrew Wafer
Was this page helpful?
Let us know if you managed to solve your tech problem reading this article.
We’re happy to hear that!
You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and best deals!
Do you have a suggestion?
We know how frustrating could be to look for an universal solution.
If you have an error which is not present in the article, or if you know a better solution, please help us to improve this guide.
Follow us