How to Activate a Webcam on Skype

By Paul Betters

Get your webcam ready for video chat.
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With Skype, you can video chat over the Internet for free. Of course, to video chat, you need a computer-compatible video camera, commonly known as a webcam.

Attaching your webcam - if it is not already built in to your computer -- will differ depending on what kind of camera you have, but setting up the camera to work with Skype is the same for any model.

Step 1

Attach the webcam to your computer.

Step 2

Run Skype. Close the Welcome Screen if it pops up.

Step 3

Open the Tools menu at the top of the window. Click "Options..." to open the Options window.

Step 4

Click the General button on the left side of the Options window. The button has a light switch icon next to it.

Step 5

Click Video Settings.

Step 6

Click the "Select webcam" drop-down menu. You will see a list of available webcams attached to your computer. Select the one you would like to use.

Step 7

Click the "Webcam settings" button. Adjust the contrast, brightness, and contrast settings to produce a clearer picture.

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