# Camera and tracking problems > Fix a camera that will not start, a face Cephable cannot see, and head or face controls that trigger when they should not. Source: https://help.cephable.com/docs/troubleshooting/camera-tracking --- Camera controls run inside the **Cephable Panel**, the window you use to control Cephable. Every fix on this page starts there. :::callout type="tip" title="Can't see the Panel?" Press **Alt+P** on Windows or **Option+P** on a Mac. Or use the Cephable icon: right-click it in the system tray at the bottom right of the screen on Windows (it may be hidden under the **^** arrow), or click it in the menu bar at the top right on a Mac. Then choose **Toggle Panel**. ::: ## Turn the camera on Camera Controls is an extension, so it stays off until you turn it on. Open the Cephable Workspace first: right-click the Cephable icon in the system tray (Windows) or click it in the menu bar (Mac), and choose **Show Workspace**. Then use either route. **From the Workspace home page** 1. Choose **Workspace** at the top of the sidebar. 2. Under **Control**, click **Camera controls**. Cephable opens the Panel and starts the camera. **From Extensions** — use this if there is no **Camera controls** card on the home page 1. In the sidebar, choose **Extensions**, then **Cephable features**. 2. On the **Camera Controls** card, turn the **Enable** switch on. 3. Click the camera icon that now appears at the top of the Panel, or go back to the Workspace home page and click **Camera controls**. ![The Extensions page in the Cephable Workspace on the Cephable features tab, with the Camera Controls card and its Enable switch under Input and Control](https://help.cephable.com/screenshots/desktop-extensions-cephable-features.png) _Extensions → Cephable features → Camera Controls_ ## Where the camera controls are | To do this | Use this | | --- | --- | | Turn the camera on or off | The **camera icon** at the top of the Panel, left of the microphone. While the camera is on, the icon has a line through it. The icon only appears once Camera Controls is turned on. | | Pause camera controls but keep the camera on | The **pause** button on the camera picture | | Set your resting position (your baseline) | The **baseline** button on the camera picture, with two arrows. Its tooltip reads "Click to update your baseline to your current resting position." | | Show or hide the tracking lines | The **face lines** button on the camera picture | | Choose a different camera | The gear icon at the top of the Panel, then **Camera**. If you have more than one camera, a switch button also appears on the camera picture. | | Change sensitivity, mouse movement, and auto-start | In the Cephable Workspace, **Settings → Extension: Camera** | The buttons sit at the bottom right of the camera picture. Move the pointer over the picture if you cannot see them. ![The Cephable Panel with the camera on, showing a LIVE badge, face lines over the user's face, and the baseline, face lines, and pause buttons at the bottom right of the picture](https://help.cephable.com/screenshots/desktop-camera-window.png) _The camera picture in the Panel, with its buttons at the bottom right_ ### Restart the camera When a step below says **restart the camera**, it means: 1. Click the **camera icon** at the top of the Panel. The camera picture closes. 2. Wait two or three seconds, then click the same icon again. The Panel shows **Loading Camera Controls...** while it reloads face tracking, then the picture comes back with a **LIVE** badge in its top-left corner. You do not need to quit Cephable or restart your computer for this. ## The camera will not start Work through these in order. Stop as soon as the camera picture appears with a **LIVE** badge. :::steps :::step title="Check Camera Controls is turned on" If there is no camera icon at the top of the Panel, Camera Controls is turned off. Follow [Turn the camera on](#turn-the-camera-on) above. ::: :::step title="Start the camera" Click the camera icon at the top of the Panel, or click **Camera controls** on the Workspace home page. **Loading Camera Controls...** appears while Cephable loads face tracking, and then the camera picture appears. The first time, Cephable downloads its face-tracking models, so make sure you are online and give it a little longer. ::: :::step title="If you see “No camera access”" Cephable does not have permission to use your camera. Follow [Allow camera access](#allow-camera-access) below, then restart the camera. ::: :::step title="If it stays on “Loading Camera Controls...”" You may also see **Unexpected error loading camera controls** for a few seconds. Cephable could not open the camera. - **Close other apps that use the camera**, such as Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, the Camera app, or a browser tab on a video call. - **Check the camera itself.** Open its privacy shutter if it has one. If it is a USB camera, unplug it and plug it back in. - Then [restart the camera](#restart-the-camera). ::: :::step title="Quit and reopen Cephable" If the camera still will not start, [quit Cephable fully and open it again](/docs/troubleshooting/overview#quit-and-reopen-cephable). ::: ::: :::callout type="tip" title="Have the camera start by itself" In the Cephable Workspace, open **Settings → Extension: Camera** and turn on **Autostart Camera and Head/Expression Controls?**. ::: ### Allow camera access :::tabs labels="Mac, Windows" :::tab :::steps :::step title="Open the camera privacy settings" Click **Open Settings** under the **No camera access** message in the Panel. System Settings opens at **Privacy & Security → Camera**. ::: :::step title="Turn Cephable on" Find **Cephable** in the list and turn its switch on. ::: :::step title="Restart the camera" Back in the Panel, [restart the camera](#restart-the-camera). If **No camera access** is still showing, [quit Cephable fully and open it again](/docs/troubleshooting/overview#quit-and-reopen-cephable). ::: ::: ::: :::tab The message in the Panel says **System Settings**, which is the Mac name. On Windows there is no button, so go there yourself: :::steps :::step title="Open the camera privacy settings" Open **Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Camera**. ::: :::step title="Turn on both switches" **Camera access** and **Let desktop apps access your camera** must both be on. The second one is further down the page and easy to miss. ::: :::step title="Restart the camera" Back in the Panel, [restart the camera](#restart-the-camera). ::: ::: ::: ::: ## Cephable says "No Face Detected" The message appears for a few seconds when Cephable loses sight of your face, and **Face Detected.** appears when it finds you again. Camera controls do nothing in between. :::steps :::step title="Look at the camera picture" Open the Panel and look at the picture. Your whole face, from forehead to chin, needs to be in it. If you cannot see your face clearly, neither can Cephable. ::: :::step title="Light your face, not your back" A bright window or lamp behind you is the most common cause. Face the window, close the blinds behind you, or put a lamp in front of you. ::: :::step title="Move the camera to eye level" Place it at or slightly above eye level, pointing straight at you. ::: :::step title="Keep one face in the picture" Cephable tracks one face at a time, so ask anyone behind you to move out of the shot. ::: :::step title="Check the face lines" Face lines are a mesh drawn over your face, and they are on by default. If you do not see them, move the pointer over the camera picture and click the face lines button. Lines that sit steadily on your face mean Cephable can see you. ::: :::step title="Update your baseline" Once the lines are steady, sit the way you normally sit, look at the screen, and click the **baseline** button on the camera picture. **Baseline Updated** confirms it. ::: ::: ## Other camera problems :::faq :::question title="Controls trigger when I did not move." Either your baseline no longer matches how you are sitting, or that movement is set too sensitive. :::steps :::step title="Find out which control is firing" Each time a camera control fires, Cephable briefly shows **Detected:** and its name, for example **Detected: Tilt Head Left**. Note the name. ::: :::step title="Update your baseline" Sit the way you normally sit, look at the screen, and click the **baseline** button on the camera picture. ::: :::step title="Lower the sensitivity for that movement" In the Cephable Workspace, open **Settings → Extension: Camera**. Find the slider for that movement — **Tilt Left Sensitivity** for Tilt Head Left, for example — and drag it a little to the **left**. Every slider starts at **50% Medium**. Lower values need a bigger movement before the control fires. The change saves when you let go of the slider. ::: :::step title="Test it" Sit naturally for a minute. If it still fires, lower it a little more. ::: ::: ::: :::question title="Controls do not trigger when I do move." :::steps :::step title="Check camera controls are not paused" If **Camera paused** covers the camera picture, click the resume button at its bottom right. ::: :::step title="Raise the sensitivity for that movement" In the Cephable Workspace, open **Settings → Extension: Camera**, find the slider for that movement, and drag it a little to the **right**. Higher values mean a smaller movement triggers the control. ::: :::step title="Try the movement again" Watch for **Detected:** and the control's name. When you see it, the movement is being picked up. ::: ::: ::: :::question title="Expressions fire while I am talking." Speaking moves your mouth and eyebrows all the time, so mouth and eyebrow controls are easy to set off. - **Pause while you talk.** Click the **pause** button on the camera picture. **Camera paused** covers the picture and nothing fires. The camera stays on, so clicking resume works instantly. - **Lower the face sensitivity.** In **Settings → Extension: Camera → Face Expression Sensitivity**, drag **Open Mouth**, **Smile**, and **Raise Eyebrow Sensitivity** to the left. Test while you are talking, not in silence. - **Use head movements** for anything you need during a conversation. ::: :::question title="The pointer drifts or moves on its own." The pointer moves whenever your head is away from your baseline position. If it moves while you sit still, your baseline is out of date. - **Update your baseline.** Sit normally and click the **baseline** button on the camera picture. - **If it is too fast or twitchy**, open **Settings → Extension: Camera → Head Movement for Mouse Controls** and lower **Mouse Speed**. With **Speed Boost** or **Dynamic Glide**, lower **Maximum Mouse Speed** as well. - **To stop your head moving the pointer**, set **Mouse Move Mode** to **Off**. ::: :::question title="Cephable is using the wrong camera." :::steps :::step title="Start the camera" The camera list appears only while the camera is on. ::: :::step title="Pick the camera" Click the **gear** icon at the top of the Panel and choose your camera from the **Camera** list. If you have more than one camera, you can also click the switch button on the camera picture to move to the next one. ::: :::step title="Update your baseline" Switching cameras clears your baseline. Sit normally and click the **baseline** button. ::: ::: Cephable remembers the camera you chose. ::: :::question title="Tracking is slow or laggy." Face tracking analyses the camera picture continuously on your own computer. Close other apps that use the camera or a lot of graphics, and on a laptop plug in or turn off battery saver, which can slow the processor down. ::: ::: ## Still stuck? [Before you contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/overview#before-you-contact-support) lists what to have ready so we can help on the first reply.