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.
Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
Browse the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOEMDeviceCapture
Double-click the NoPhysicalCameraLED key and sets its value from 0 to 1.
Click the OK button.
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.
