Block All Access to Your PC’s Webcam – Keep Your Privacy Safe

Web cameras serve an essential purpose in video calls, but attackers can also use them to spy on users. For those who either don’t use the camera or want to block other people from using it, you can disable the camera through the Windows registry. By default, Windows allows applications to access the webcam, but you can turn this setting off to prevent all access as an added boast of security.

Open the Registry Editor

You first need to open the Registry Editor — search for regedit in the taskbar search and click on the first result. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft

In the right panel, right-click, select New – Key, and name it Camera.

Create a New Entry

Select the Camera key and create a new entry to block access. Right-click in the right panel again, go to New – DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it AllowCamera.

Change the Value to Block Access

Double-click AllowCamera, set its value to 0, and confirm by pressing Enter. This change takes effect immediately without needing to restart Windows.

What Happens When Someone Tries to Use the Camera?

If someone tries to use the Camera app, a message will appear prompting them to change privacy settings. The options will be grayed out, blocking any changes.

How to Restore Access

To restore camera access, change the value to 1 or delete AllowCamera altogether.