What to do when your webcam disconnects or will not reconnect in the makeup mirror

If your webcam disconnects, first reconnect the device or reopen the laptop lid, then reload the page and choose the camera again. On this site, the camera also stops when the tab is hidden, so returning from another app or a locked screen can require a fresh start.

Know the difference between a true disconnect and a paused session

A real disconnect happens when a USB webcam is unplugged, a dock resets, a laptop wakes from sleep, or the operating system drops the device. A paused session can look similar: the preview disappears after the tab is hidden because this site stops the camera and clears temporary frame data from memory. The fix is slightly different. For a paused session, reload or select the camera again. For a hardware drop, reconnect the webcam first and then refresh the page.

If you unplugged a USB webcam, plug it back in before reloading.
If your phone or laptop locked, return to the page and restart the camera.
If you changed docks or monitors, wait for the system to finish reconnecting devices.
If several cameras exist, the browser may switch device order after reconnection.

Reconnect the camera in the browser

Browsers do not always recover a lost camera stream by themselves. After the camera comes back at the system level, the page may still hold an old device entry or a dead stream. The quickest path is to reload the page, then select the webcam from the device menu. If the browser still shows no picture, check the site camera permission and the operating system camera access setting. The help button on the site points you to those browser controls.

Reload the page after the webcam is physically back.
Open the camera selector and choose the webcam again.
Review the site camera permission if the browser asks again.
Test with another browser only if the webcam works elsewhere on the same device.

Watch for conflicts with other apps

Video meeting apps and camera utilities can take over the webcam, especially after sleep or wake. If the mirror cannot reconnect, quit those apps fully and try again. This is common with external webcams attached through hubs, where one app may reopen the device before the browser can. Because this website does not use a microphone, audio settings are not part of the fix here.

Quit Zoom, Teams, Meet, OBS, and your system camera app.
Reconnect the webcam directly instead of through a loose hub if possible.
Try a different USB port if the device keeps dropping.
On Windows, confirm camera access is allowed in system privacy settings.

How the mirror tools behave after reconnecting

Once the camera is back, the mirror returns to live view and you can use the normal controls again. Space freezes or resumes the image. The freeze timer can capture after 0, 3, 5, or 10 seconds. The pin overlay can be dragged and resized for reference, and P toggles pin placement. Escape stops the camera. Keyboard shortcuts do not fire while a text field or other form field has focus. If you export a PNG after reconnecting, the save location still depends on browser download rules or the file picker on your system.

The digital crop goes from 1x to 3x and may need resetting after a fresh start.
The grid can be turned back on if you use it for alignment.
A frozen frame is stored only in memory during your session.
Export starts only when you trigger it.

Reconnect the webcam or wake the device fully, then wait a few seconds.
Reload the mirror page and choose the camera again from the device list.
Check site camera permission in the browser if the preview does not return.
Close other camera apps and retry with the webcam plugged directly into the device.

Why does my camera disappear from the list after unplugging it?

The browser may remove a device that is no longer present. Plug it back in, wait for the system to recognize it, then reload the page so the list can refresh.

Will the mirror work offline after I installed it?

App files can be cached after one successful visit, but camera access while offline depends on the browser. It should not be promised on every setup.

Does reconnecting change where my PNG saves?

No. File location is still controlled by your browser download setting or the save picker from your operating system.

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