How to Block the Webcam in Windows 10 and Avoid Spying

One of the biggest concerns that we can have when using the webcam with our computer is privacy , especially in those that are incorporated, such as laptops. The presence of this built-in camera can represent a significant security breach in our device, negatively affecting our privacy, so you should know how it is possible to block them in Windows 10.

Today, there are all kinds of techniques and malware that can cause control of our webcam without our consent, so it is advisable to take measures so that no one can spy on us through it. Sometimes we can unknowingly give permission to some applications to activate it and put both our privacy and security at risk. There are also viruses that can cause any hacker to access our webcam remotely. To avoid any problems, you can follow all or some of these recommendations.

Block the Webcam in Windows 10

Camera permissions in Windows 10

The first of the recommendations is related to Windows 10 camera permissions. With this, we can configure which applications can access our camera. To do this, we must access the Windows 10 Configuration menu, pressing the keyboard shortcut “Windows + I”. Here we must select “Privacy“. Now in the left bar we move to the option of “Application Permission” and select the “Camera” function.

Here we must keep going to the option of “Allow applications to access the camera” . If we keep it activated, we can choose which applications can access the camera.

Opciones de cámara en Windows 10

If we go down the page we will find the option “Choose which Microsoft Store applications can access the camera” . From here, we can activate or deactivate which applications can or cannot access the camera. If we do not use the camera frequently we can choose to deactivate them all, and activate them individually when we are going to use it, in this way we avoid that anyone can use them remotely without our consent.

Permitir aplicaciones escritorio usen la cámara

If we continue scrolling down, we will see the option of “Allow desktop applications to access the camera . If we want to disable this function, we will prevent some applications or Windows features from being accessed.

Deactivate your team’s webcam

We can also choose to disable the webcam of our team so that it is useless and nothing and nobody can access it. It would be something similar to unplugging it permanently. It is an ideal option but we usually never use the webcam and it is more a decorative element of our computer.

In order to carry out this operation we can do it from the “Device Manager” or by using some third-party applications developed for this purpose such as WebCam On-Off.

Windows 10 Device Manager

To access here we must write “Device Manager” in the Windows 10 start menu and click on the option that appears. From here, we will go to the “Cameras” section and double click on our model. Next, a new window will appear, where we will have to choose the “Disable device” option. In this way, the camera will be unusable. When we want to use it again, all we have to do is follow the same steps, but this time check the “Enable device” box.

WebCam On-Off

With this application we can disable and enable our webcam completely for free. It is the safest way to protect our privacy. To do this we just have to download it from its official website . As it is a portable application, it will not be necessary to install it, just run the “WebCam.exe” file.

WebCam On-Off para apagar y encender la cámara

Next, the program screen will appear with the camera it has detected on our device. The rest is a simple task, since we only have to select it and click on “Disable” in case we want to disable it or “Enable” when we want to re-enable it for use. Using the “Webcam” option, we can check if the camera is disabled or not, showing us everything it is capturing if it is enabled.

Cap the webcam lens

Another option to improve our security is to cover the lens of the webcam. For this there are covers that fit the upper frame of our laptop where the webcam is located and allow us to cover it when we are not going to use it.

We can choose clips from the REY brand with slider design that adheres to our webcam with a double-sided adhesive tape, which we can easily stick and take off. The cover is very thin, with less than 1 mm, as well as thin and light, being able to open or close with just one finger. It is not only valid for laptops, but we can also use it on our mobile or tablet, and they include 5 units .

You can also choose the iVolver brand webcam covers . It has a pack of 3 units with a cover of only 0.7 mm, so that we will ensure that the screen can be closed completely. It is a light, discreet and very easy to mount cover. It is very easy to use, since we will only have to align the camera, attach and press. With its sliding tab we can cover and uncover the webcam lens in a simple way, being compatible with any front camera of a laptop.