Key note: Snapshot will interface with your web browser and will attempt to ask for permissions to your camera. If the camera is not shown, even if it prompts to be allowed and is allowed, it is almost always due to local, system specific settings.
Try the Snapshot site on multiple devices and browsers
This is one of the most sure fire ways to see if you are having issues with permissions on your main device. As well, Snapshot works great across a myriad of devices, so feel free to try them on your phone or tablet as well!
Determine whether or not camera access has been enabled in your respective browser:
Internet Explorer is not supported. Please use Microsoft Edge or another browser
Trying Snapshot in an "Incognito" or "Private" window:
If none of those options have fixed the issue, try using Snapshot in an Incognito or Private window. This starts the user with a fresh cache and will also allow for the website to ask for permissions again.
This can generally be achieved by pressing a series of keys at the same time or by going to File → New Incognito Window while in your browser:
Mac: "Command" + "Shift" + "N"
Windows: "Ctrl" + "Shift" + "N"
Ensure your camera is enabled in your system settings:
Turn off any VPNs and Ad Blockers
Some of the biggest culprits that cause issues with the camera are VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and Ad Blockers. These both can block websites from asking for certain permissions or can block activity that they may deem unsafe, even if the site you are visiting is safe to visit.
If possible, please turn off any VPN or Ad Blocker that you may have on your device or in your browser.Determine if any other application that has access to the camera is taking priority over Snapshot:
A common issue, especially on Microsoft devices, is that an application that has camera access (i.e. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc.) is open in the background and is taking priority for camera access. Snapshot works best if the browser you are using is the only program attempting to use the camera.
One of the best ways to determine if there are any issues is to use WebRTC's own permissions tester!*This tester will tell you if there are conflicts regarding the usage of your camera. Although it will not tell you which apps are using your camera, if it fails, it means there are multiple programs attempting to use camera permissions.
*Snapshot uses WebRTC in order to stream the camera's feed to the screen. WebRTC is a sort of next evolution from the likes of Adobe Flash and thus works differently on most devices since nothing has to be installed locally.
Determine which apps are open and close apps that have camera permissions:
Windows: check the system tray to see if any apps are open even if they don't show up on the desktop. You can use task manager to see all apps that are open and quit them from there.
To use Task Manager:
Press the windows key on your keyboard and search "Task Manager" or press "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "Del" at the same time and select Task Manager at the bottom of the list.
To close an app from the Desktop:
On the taskbar, click the up arrow/carrot icon to see which apps are open in the background
Right click on an icon for an application that may be using the camera and click "Exit"
Mac: Right click on each application's icon on your taskbar that could have camera permissions and select "Quit"
If an application won't close, ensure that all apps that could be using the camera are not open using Force Quit
Ensure 3rd party camera Apps are not active or (in some cases) installed
Many users have adopted third party Web Cams and many, if not all, new Web Cams come with their own applications and installers. Often times these webcam programs act as your camera when interfacing with other applications like a web browser causing issues with Snapshot as well as other programs.
If you see a logo that looks similar to this in Snapshot, it may signal that you need to follow the below steps:Ensure that you are not running any other applications like Logi Capture or another web cam specific program.
If you are, you may need to fully uninstall the program and restart your computer. Restarting ensures that the program has been fully removed from your computer and resets your default camera.
Check which camera is your default in your system settings as well as your browser settings and ensure it is a physical camera and not a piece of software like Logi Capture.