Do Laptops Have Webcams? Know This Before You Buy

Do laptops have webcams? If you're browsing any of the best premium laptops or best budget budget laptops, you've likely asked yourself the same question.

Webcams are now becoming more important than ever, with more of us working remotely and trying to stay connected in challenging times.

Here, we'll answer the question first, then go little deeper as to what types of webcams you can come across on your laptop search.

Do Laptops Have Webcams

The short answer is yes, for the most part. Most laptops, even in the more budget region tend to have webcams of some sort built-in the screen itself, typically into the bezel area.

However, these webcams can vary in quality vastly, and that has become increasingly apparent with more people using video-calls more frequently.

So just how high quality are webcams on laptops? As expected, the more you spend, the higher the quality...up to a point that is.

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The three resolutions you'll encounter are standard definition (1280 x 720 pixels), full high definition (1920 x 1080p) and ultra high definition or 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels).

Most laptops have either 720p or 1080p webcams, with 1080p often being found on more premium level laptops.

Does A Laptop Need A Built In Webcam?

If you're planning on using a webcam often, they can be a good solution, but in most cases they are quite lacklustre when compared to a separate webcam.

Since the built in webcams on laptops are very small and not kitted out with a number of features you'd come to expect with even phone cameras (like low light recording), you can encounter some fairly underwhelming recording quality.

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The real question should be - do you need to use the built in webcam?

And we'd say if you can stretch to it and are using a webcam often for work, invest in one that you can attach separately.

These webcams are designed for higher resolutions and much high picture quality. This Logitech C920, for instance, is 1080p at 30fps, and has HD Light Correction too.

They're also not that expensive either, but can make all the difference especially if you want to make a good impression with interviews, meetings, or vlogging.

Are Laptop Webcams Safe?

With privacy becoming a must-have in today's world, it's a very valid question to ask. Webcams can be hacked, unfortunately, but there are some ways to reduce the chances and keep your privacy intake.

While making sure that your anti-virus is up to date is an obvious one, practically speaking there are some quick and easy ways to ensure you're privacy isn't being invaded.

These include blocking off the camera itself, which can be done with a piece of tape, a privacy shutter add-on, or via a built-in shutter if your laptop has one.