SOVLED! “It Looks Like Another App Is Using The Camera…”

About “it looks like another app is using the camera…”, the message usually means that the camera is in use. To be able to use the camera, you have to locate the app that is using the camera then close it. Depending on the situation, it’s wise to reset Camera, uninstall and reinstall Camera, update the camera driver, etc. Spare a bit of your time to check out this article to get back the use of the camera and put it to good use. 

Overview

Like everything on Windows computers, the camera could experience a wide range of issues in the course of operation. Still, once it comes to “it looks like another app is using the camera…”, the list of suspects comprises:

• App
• Bugs
• Corruption
• Driver 

Ways To Dismiss The Message

Close The App 

Regarding “it looks like another app is using the camera…”, you should listen to the suggestion in the message: close the app that is using the camera. For ease of convenience, you must consider using Task Manager here. 

• Step 1: Right-click an empty space on the taskbar then pick Task Manager.
• Step 2: In Processes tab, locate apps that could be using the camera, select each of them and choose End task.
• Step 3: Test out the camera. 

Reset Camera

While Camera works well in most of the cases, it’s still an app and apps could act up out of the blue. By resetting Camera, you could bring it back to normal. 

• Step 1:  Press Windows + I to open Settings then go to Apps. 
• Step 2: In Apps & features, select Camera and choose Advanced options.
• Step 3: Scroll down, hit Reset and let the process go all the way.
• Step 4: Restart your computer.
• Step 5: When the screen comes back on, give the camera one more go. 

Uninstall And Reinstall Camera

• Step 1: Go to Search bar, type PowerShell and hit Run as administrator.
• Step 2: In PowerShell (Admin), run the command Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsCamera | Remove-AppxPackage to uninstall Camera.
• Step 3: Proceed to run the command Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.WindowsCamera | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} in PowerShell (Admin) to reinstall the camera.
• Step 4: Restart your computer.
• Step 5: See how things turn out.

Update Driver

• Step 1: Go to Search bar, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Device Manager.
• Step 2: Expand Cameras, right-click your camera device and pick Update driver. 
• Step 3: Hit Search automatically for updated driver software
• Step 4: The moment the update completes, restart your computer.
• Step 5: Determine whether the issue persists. 

Note: You recently updated the driver of your camera device? In that case, it’s a good idea you roll back the driver to a previous version. 

• Step 1: Go to Search bar, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Device Manager.
• Step 2: Expand Cameras, right-click your camera device and pick Properties. 
• Step 3: Go to the Driver tab, hit Roll Back Driver and follow onscreen instructions.
• Step 4: When the process wraps up, restart your computer. 

Similar Questions Regarding Camera

How can I get the most out of my camera?

While using the camera, you should orient the camera toward the brightest source of light. Furthermore, if you use artificial lights, pay attention to intensity to avoid harsh shadows. On occasions, it’s wise to invest in an external camera for crisp images.

Which webcams work best for laptops at the moment?

Different Windows users have different ideas about what could be called the best laptop webcam nowadays. However, if you care about quality, pay attention to Logitech HD Webcam C920, Insta360 Link, Dell UltraSharp, Razer Kiyo, etc. 

Does resetting the camera clear my photos?

Resetting your camera app only clears the cached data so all your pictures should remain intact.