How to Change Default Camera in Windows?

Some people like to use a third party camera instead of the internal ones that come in laptops, monitors, tablets, etc. However, this third party camera is sometimes overlooked by certain applications and they use the internal one instead. Therefore, in this article, we will teach you some methods by which you can configure Windows to use a specific camera for all applications.

How to Change Default Camera in Windows 10?

After receiving several requests of the inability of Windows to select a specific camera, we decided to look into the problem and came up with a few workarounds that can get the job done. Some of those methods are listed below.

Method 1: By Disabling Other Camera

One of the most common workarounds in the way of selecting a default camera is to disable the other camera. This way when prompted Windows will be forced to use the camera that you want every time. In order to disable the other cameras:

1. Press “Windows” + “X” keys simultaneously and select “Device Manager” from the list.

   

2. Double click on the “Imaging Devices” dropdown.
3. Right–click on the name of the internal webcam and select “Disable“.

   

   Note: It usually has the device manufacturer’s name.

4. Try to use an application and check to see if the issue persists.

Method 2: Selecting Drivers as Default

Another common method to tackle this problem is by selecting the device as default. This way you can configure Windows to open the third party camera instead of the internal one at default. In order to do that:

1. Press “Windows” + “S” to open the search option and type in “Control Panel”.

   

2. Select the first option and click on the “View Devices and Printers” under the “Hardware and Sound” option.

   

3. Check to see if the webcam is listed there.
4. If it is, right–click on the webcam and select “Set this device as Default“.
5. Check to see if the issue persists.