Premiere and Turning on Camera without Permission

[LaFleurSauvage]

Did a new update in Premiere Pro turn on the camera and if so how do I make it stop. I have disconnected my webcam because I have seen nothing in the software or other places where I can turn it off. I am not comfortable with a program turning my camera on without my consent, but it is also being done in such a way that I am wondering if this is actually premeire doing it.

[R Neil Haugen]

I've worked with Premiere for what, since CS6 ... across I think four laptops now, and never had it activate the camera. It doesn't have any use for the camera, and no way to do so. It can't even use the camera in "capture" process. I've never heard of it activating a webcam.

So I think it could be something else activating that camera.

Neil

[Generic Name]

My camera is activated everyrime I open Premier Pro ... so there goes your theory.

[LaFleurSauvage · Accepted solution]

I solved the problem... there is a big long chain of events that occured for it:
My work laptop, the one that was had the camera issue (My render hog, and my desktop PC did not have these issues.) is an Acer. That is important.

Acer has an audio program simulates 3d sound when using 2.1 speaker systems. It does this by using the web cam to track head movements, and "adjust" the sound accordingly. The reason the issue never presented itself until recently, was I had a VR setup (this is also important) attaced to my laptop. I just moved the VR stuff to my desktop because I upgraded, and wanted the more powerful machine running it.

Premeire liked to initilaize my VR for some of its functionality. This turned on the Acer software, as it was setting up 3d sound. When the VR headset was plugged in, that device was used to track head movement. Once I disconnected it, and the software went to open up the VR, there was none there, but that query triggered the sound software, which failing to detect the VR, turned the camera on instead.

I have since disabled the head tracking functionality in the sound program and all is well.

[R Neil Haugen]

Fascinating how our gear and software strive to make our lives better, isn't it? Ahem ... lol.

Great sleuthing there!

Neil

[Par1xs]

I don't have a vr headset tho...

[Par1xs]

Oh oops nevermind forgot my webcam had a microphone 💀

[S1gnMast3r]

I have the same issue since the last update but the answer provided has nothing to do with why the camera only turns on when I am in Premiere Pro. So far I have found no answer for this in preferences. Any thoughts?

[trapdoorchanneling]

Your webcam likely has a microphone built in. Premiere is not accessing your camera, it's accessing that microphone. Tap the windows key, then type 'privacy settings', then click on microphone. Scroll down to see if PPro was using your webcam audio.

You can also check it in PPro: go to Preferences -> Audio Hardware. You'll see the default input. It'll likely be the system default, which in this case is your webcam. Either change it to your preferred mic or just select 'No input.'

Finally, you can change the system default microphone in windows by tapping the windows key, then typing Sound settings, then selecting the correct mic under 'Input.'

[JustinEditsYuh]

Now THAT was super helpful! Thank you!

[Alexis312591626pt6]

Thank you! That worked!

[Tums Razor]

This worked for me as well. Thank you!

For reference, I'm on PP 25.1.0 (build 73) on Windows 11.

[gben01]

And me in July 2025...
Q: "Why is my webcam activating in Premiere Pro"
A: Privacy settings.
Thanks!