How to Use My Monitor Camera? | Built-In And Add-On Options

For the full breakdown, see our best Cheap Camera Monitor guide.

If your monitor has a built-in webcam, that camera stays invisible to your computer until the monitor also sends data back. Most monitors need a separate USB upstream cable for that, though a full-function USB-C connection can carry both video and data in a single wire. Once the camera appears in Windows, you pick it in Zoom, Skype, Teams, or whatever app you use. The steps below cover built-in cameras, add-on webcams, and the settings that trip people up.

Connecting A Monitor With A Built-In Webcam

Start with the display signal. Connect the monitor to your computer with HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, or DVI. Video alone is never enough for the camera. You then connect the monitor’s USB upstream cable — usually a USB Type-B or USB-C cord — to a USB port on your computer, per Acer’s official setup guidance. Windows should detect the webcam automatically once both cables are in.

ASUS gives the same advice for its BE-series webcam monitors: hook up power and the display signal, then connect the upstream data cable so the microphone and camera function. On systems with a full-function USB-C input, a single USB-C cable can carry the video and data together. If your computer lacks that port, the separate upstream connection is required.

Selecting The Monitor Camera In Windows And Apps

The camera appears as a standard USB webcam once the data link is live. Verify it first in the Camera app — open Start and type “Camera,” then launch it. If Windows flags a missing driver, install the one listed for your monitor model and restart. ASUS also directs you to Settings > Privacy > Camera, where you turn on “Let apps use my camera” so conferencing software can see it.

In Zoom, Skype, or Teams, open Settings or Preferences, go to the Video or Camera section, and choose the monitor webcam from the dropdown list. Restart the app if the switch doesn’t take effect right away. If you’re on a laptop that has its own built-in camera, you can open Device Manager and disable the internal webcam so the monitor’s camera becomes the default.

Using A Separate Webcam Mounted On The Monitor

Monitors without a built-in camera need an external webcam. Most use a clip that grips the top edge of the screen and a USB cable to the computer. Dell’s setup guidance for the UltraSharp Webcam covers the basics: seat the clip securely on the monitor, angle the lens where you want it, and plug in the USB cable. Windows recognizes it as a camera, and you select it in your apps exactly as described above.

One adjustment matters more than the rest: position the webcam at roughly eye level and tilt it so your face fills the frame. A camera clipped high on a monitor often points down at your chin if you don’t angle it.

Why The Camera Won’t Show Up

Almost every failure traces to one of four causes. The USB upstream cable is unplugged or in the wrong port; the app hasn’t been set to use the camera; the Windows privacy toggle blocks access; or a needed driver is missing. Check the cable first because it’s the most common mistake — people assume HDMI alone powers the camera.

If your monitor lacks a built-in camera entirely, no cable will create one. A monitor-mounted webcam is the fix, and it follows the same connection and selection steps as any USB camera.

The monitor’s camera is just another USB device to the operating system. Treat the connection like you would any peripheral: cable first, driver if needed, then select it in the software. That sequence resolves nearly every setup. If a convenient work-from-home setup or a monitor-mounted camera for your desk is what you’re after, see our tested picks for the best cheap camera monitor options on the market.