Why are my device names showing as 'Unknown Device'?

Browsers hide real hardware names by default to protect your privacy. Click 'Unlock Device Names' and grant camera or mic permission to reveal the actual device labels like 'Logitech C920' or 'Blue Yeti'.

Can this tool fix a broken camera or microphone?

No. This tool simply lists what your browser sees. If a device is missing from the list, it means the operating system or browser doesn't recognize it — that points to a hardware or driver issue.

Why doesn't my new USB microphone appear?

Plug it in securely, wait a few seconds for your OS to assign a driver, then click Refresh in the tool. If it still doesn't appear, try a different USB port or restart your browser.

Does this tool require any permissions?

The basic device list loads without permissions, but device names will be hidden. Granting camera or mic access unlocks the real hardware labels.

Online Device Checker

What is the Online Device Checker?

The Online Device Checker queries your browser to show every media input and output it currently recognizes. It organizes the results into three groups: microphones (audio inputs), cameras (video inputs), and speakers or headphones (audio outputs).

This is useful for confirming that a specific device is seen by the system, for identifying which device ID corresponds to which piece of hardware, and for diagnosing situations where a device you just plugged in isn’t showing up in your recording software.

How to Use the Device Checker

Load the page — the tool automatically lists all recognized devices.
Unlock device names — click “Unlock Device Names” and grant camera or mic permission to see real hardware labels instead of “Unknown Device”.
Refresh — if you plug in a new USB microphone or webcam after loading the page, click Refresh to update the list.

Use Cases

Identifying the right device ID — recording software often asks you to select a specific input by name. This tool shows you exactly which names and IDs your browser has available, so you can pick the right one.

Confirming a USB device is connected — before troubleshooting a microphone that “isn’t working”, check whether it appears in the device list at all. If it doesn’t appear here, the problem is hardware or driver-level, not software.

Checking how many cameras are available — laptops with both a built-in and an external webcam can sometimes confuse video call software. This tool shows both devices clearly so you can identify which is which.

Post-update verification — after a Windows or macOS update that may have changed driver behavior, quickly confirm that all your audio and video hardware is still recognized.

Why Use This Tool

The browser’s navigator.mediaDevices.enumerateDevices() API provides this information natively — but reading it normally requires writing code or using developer tools. This tool puts a clean interface on top of that API so anyone can see their device list without opening a terminal or developer console.

Why Is a Device Missing?

If a device you’ve connected doesn’t appear:

Make sure it’s securely plugged in.
Wait 10–15 seconds for your OS to install basic drivers.
Try a different USB port.
Restart your browser and reload the page.
On Windows, check Device Manager to see if the device shows an error or is disabled.