How to Force Windows 11 to Notify You When Someone Accesses Your Camera
Have you noticed your camera LED randomly lighting up? Are you worried that malicious software can access your camera at any time?
By default, Windows turns on the LED next to your webcam every time your camera is accessed. But if you’re in a well-lit environment or something is covering the LED, you might miss it. Also, the LED might be broken, so there’s no way of telling if your camera is on.
The good news is that it’s possible to have Windows 11 display a desktop notification to let you know whether your camera is turned on or off.
How to Turn On Camera On and Off Notifications
You need administrative rights to turn on camera notifications. So, if you’re using a local account, check outhow to switch to an account with administrative rights on Windows 11. Then, follow these steps to edit the Registry Editor:
If theNoPhysicalCameraLEDvalue is missing, you can create it. Right-click on the empty space in the right pane, and clickNew > Dword(32-bit) value. Set its name andValue datato1. Then, save the new changes and restart your computer for the changes to take place.
Changing the value to1doesn’t impact your camera LED. It will still light up every time you access the camera. If you want to revert the change, go through the above instructions again and setValue datato0.
Once your computer boots up access the camera and test if Windows is showing the camera notification.
How to Check Camera History
If you missed the notification, Windows 11 allows you to check which apps have accessed your camera. Launch Windows Settings and go toPrivacy & security > Camera. There, check theRecent activitysection.
Also, it might be worth it to take a look at your Privacy settings andcheck which apps can access your camera.
Know When Your Camera Starts on Windows
Now, every time an app accesses your camera, Windows 11 will let you know. But if you want to add an extra layer to your privacy, you should consider placing tape over the camera.
Don’t like the thought of a hacker watching you through your webcam? Then you might consider covering it up. But how? What should you use?
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