How to enable Camera privacy indicator on Windows 11

Windows 11 hides a helpful Camera privacy indicator, and here's how to enable it.

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@Pureinfotech
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Windows 11 enable camera indicator
Windows 11 enable camera indicator

On Windows 11, you can enable a hidden Camera privacy indicator to receive notifications when the camera connected to your computer turns on or off. 

Although almost every camera includes an LED indicator as a security measure to let you know that the device is turned on and being accessed by an application, Windows 11 also includes a software indicator to notify you when the built-in camera or USB webcam is powered on or off. However, the feature is disabled by default, and you must enable it manually through the Registry (via Neowin) if you want an extra privacy warning.

This guide will teach you the steps to enable the camera software indicator on Windows 11.

Enable Camera indicator on Windows 11

To enable the Camera privacy indicator, use these steps:

Warning: It’s important to note that modifying the Windows Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It’s assumed you know what you’re doing and created a full backup of your system before proceeding.

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

  3. Browse the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OEM\Device\Capture

  4. Double-click the NoPhysicalCameraLED key and sets its value from 0 to 1.

    Camera indicator regedit enable

  5. Click the OK button.

  6. Restart your computer.

After you complete the steps, every time the Camera turns on or off, an “Camera” indicator will pop up to let you know the status of the peripheral.

If you want to undo the changes, you can use the same steps outlined above, but in step 4, change the value of the NoPhysicalCameraLED key from 1 to 0.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].