Microsoft’s mission to improve Windows 11 actually pays off with improved webcam tools -

Windows 11 (Build 26120.2702) is currently being tested
One new feature is support for multiple apps accessing the webcam at once
More webcam settings are coming

Microsoft continues to tinker with Windows 11, but this time it looks like it’s added a feature many of us had been asking for (rather than shoving yet more ads into the Start menu): support for multiple apps to access the webcam at once.

As Windows Central reports, an early version of Windows 11 (Build 26120.2702) is currently being tested by people signed up to the Windows Insider program, and it includes a new multi-app camera feature.

At the moment, you can only use one camera app at a time in Windows 11, so if you’re on a video call using Google Meet, for example, and also want to stream on Twitch at the same time, you won’t be able to – you need to pick which app has access to the camera.

New advanced camera configuration: “Allows multiple applications to access the camera stream simultaneously” https://t.co/N4KJvg1nHnDecember 13, 2024

This new feature will mean you don’t have to pick one app at a time to access your webcam – multiple apps will be able to access it at the same time. I’m not sure if there’s a limit to the amount of apps you can run at once with access to the webcam, but using a lot could have a big impact on your PC’s performance.

A welcome accessibility addition

While there are plenty of scenarios where you would want two or more apps to access your webcam at the same time, Microsoft highlighted the accessibility benefits of this new feature, especially with the hard-of-hearing community.

Since the pandemic, more people than ever rely on webcams to keep in touch with friends, family and coworkers, so any additional features like this could prove popular. Windows Central also claims that Microsoft is working on further webcam settings that will allow you to control the resolution, frame rate and media type of your footage as well.

It’s certainly a welcome addition, and a nice change from Microsoft forcing features into Windows 11 that no one wants. More updates like this, and fewer of the kind that tries to add more adverts or force us to use AI features, would do wonders for Windows 11’s reputation.

Hopefully the feature proves successful during testing and will be included in an official Windows 11 update soon.

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