I have been using Jami successfully with family and friends for a number of months now. I and others have used it on many different laptops and other devices and not had a major problem - until recently.
The issue I have come up against recently is that when Jami is installed on a new laptop running Windows 11 Jami is not detecting the integrated camera. The symptoms are:
The microphone is detected but in Jami video settings the ‘Device’ entry is greyed out with ‘No video device’ and all other entries greyed out.
If you use an external USB camera it is detected and works fine.
The Windows 11 privacy settings are set to ‘Let desktop apps access your camera’ but no access request is detected
I have tried it with the latest Jami build and also a previous build that works on an older laptop with integrated camera.
The problem occurs with and without security software installed
This has occurred on two different new laptops - one HP, one Samsung.
As I say, I and a number of others have been using Jami successfully on many different devices and only recently has this problem occurred.
Has anyone experienced similar issues?
Can anyone suggest any solutions or further troubleshooting steps?
hello im on linux so i can’t test on win11 i can provide a ChatGPT answer BUT keep in mind it can be wrong
This issue usually stems from a conflict between how Windows 11 handles “Media Foundation” (the modern camera driver framework) and how Jami (which relies on FFmpeg/DirectShow) tries to hook into the hardware. Since your external USB cameras work, Jami’s internal engine is fine; it just isn’t “seeing” the integrated bus.
Here is a focused troubleshooting guide to resolve the “No video device” error on your new HP and Samsung laptops.
1. Disable “Camera Privacy Mode” (OEM Software)
New laptops from HP and Samsung often come with pre-installed “Command Centers” or “Security” apps that hardware-block the camera at a level deeper than Windows Privacy settings.
HP: Look for HP Privacy Settings or a physical shutter/switch on the side of the laptop or a dedicated key on the keyboard (usually F10 or a camera icon).
Samsung: Open the Samsung Settings app, go to Privacy/Security, and ensure Block Camera & Mic is toggled OFF.
2. Update via Manufacturer, Not Windows Update
Windows 11 often installs a generic “USB Video Device” driver for integrated cameras that lacks the necessary hooks for Jami.
Go to the HP/Samsung support website.
Enter your Serial Number and download the specific Camera/Webcam Driver.
In Device Manager, right-click your camera > Update driver > Browse my computer > Let me pick and ensure you select the manufacturer-specific driver rather than the generic Microsoft one.
3. Change Jami’s Backend (Settings Tweak)
If Jami is struggling with the default video API, you can sometimes force a refresh:
In Jami, go to Settings > Audio/Video.
While on that screen, unplug any USB cameras.
If “No video device” persists, try toggling the Hardware Acceleration setting off and back on. Sometimes this triggers a re-scan of the hardware bus.
4. Check for “Media Foundation” vs “DirectShow”
Newer Windows 11 laptops use Media Foundation drivers exclusively. Jami’s underlying engine (FFmpeg) sometimes requires DirectShow compatibility.
Install OBS Studio (temporarily) to see if OBS can see the camera.
If OBS sees it, use the OBS Virtual Camera feature. If Jami detects the “OBS Virtual Camera,” it confirms that Jami cannot communicate with your specific hardware driver directly, and a driver rollback or update is required.
5. Reset Windows Camera Frame Server
Windows 11 uses a service to “share” the camera between apps. If this service hangs, Jami won’t see the device.
Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
Find Windows Camera Frame Server.
Right-click it and select Restart.
Relaunch Jami.
Summary Table for Quick Check
Step
Action
Why?
Physical
Check for a slider or F-key kill switch.
Hardware blocks bypass all software settings.
OEM App
Check Samsung Settings / HP Privacy.
These apps override Windows 11 permissions.
Driver
Install driver from HP/Samsung site.
Generic Microsoft drivers often lack legacy support.
The current status of the investigations into your suggestions is as follows:
1 Looked at the Samsung Privacy settings but the Disable Camera mode was off.
2 Did an Update via Samsung Update but all was up to date. However, I haven’t yet found the Samsung integrated camera driver itself so I haven’t done the manual driver update. I will continue to look.
3 Tried Toggling Hardware Acceleration - but no change
4 Installed OBS Studio. Camera worked OK. Enabled the OBS Virtual camera and Jami picked that up.
5 Tried resetting Windows Camera Frame Server - but no change.
So from all this do we infer that I need to get a driver for the camera that supports DirectShow?
WATCH OUT FOR THE 3RD SOLUTION AS IT COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS IT’S RISKY IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING :
Since OBS Studio sees the camera but Jami does not, we have a “smoking gun.”
You have correctly inferred the core of the problem: Jami’s engine (FFmpeg) is looking for a DirectShow-compatible interface, while the new Samsung driver is likely providing only a Media Foundation (UWP) interface. Modern Windows 11 “Integrated” cameras are often treated like mobile phone sensors rather than standard USB devices. Here is how to bridge that gap without just relying on OBS as a middleman:
1. The “Generic” Driver Force-Fix
Sometimes the official Samsung driver is too modern for Jami. Surprisingly, the generic Microsoft driver often includes the legacy DirectShow hooks Jami needs.
Open Device Manager.
Expand Cameras.
Right-click your integrated camera > Update driver.
Select Browse my computer for drivers.
Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
Look for “USB Video Device” (even if it’s integrated, it often runs on the USB bus). Select that and install it.
Restart Jami and check if the device is now selectable.
2. Verify with “GraphStudioNext” (Technical Confirmation)
If you want to prove the DirectShow theory:
Download a tiny portable tool called GraphStudioNext.
Go to Graph > Insert Filter.
Under Video Capture Sources, see if the Samsung camera appears.
If it is not there, the driver does not support DirectShow. If it is there, Jami has a bug/permission issue.
3. The Registry “Frame Server” Workaround
Windows 11 sometimes hides the camera from Win32 apps (like Jami) to prioritize UWP apps. You can force it to share the stream:
Press Win + R, type regedit.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform
Right-click the folder > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name it EnableFrameServerMode.
Set the value to 0 (or 1 if it already exists as 0).
Reboot the laptop.
4. Why the “OBS Virtual Camera” worked
OBS is designed to be a bridge; it takes the modern “Media Foundation” stream and creates a “Virtual DirectShow” output. If Jami sees the OBS camera, it confirms Jami’s backend is functional but simply cannot “talk” to the specific protocol Samsung is using.
Recommendation to the User
If the Registry fix and the Generic Driver don’t work, the user should:
Contact Jami developers (via Gerrit or their GitLab) and report that the Samsung Integrated Camera (Media Foundation) is not being enumerated.
In the meantime, use SplitCam or ManyCam (lighter alternatives to OBS) to act as a permanent bridge.
Would you like me to draft a technical bug report that they can post on the Jami GitLab?
2 GraphStudioNext showed an entry for the camera in the ‘Video Capture Sources’ list . Does this suggest a bug then?
3 Created the registry entry EnableFrameServerMode and set it to 0. This did not help.
4 SplitCam seemed to work fine as a bridge. However, I think that raising a bug report would be a useful thing to do.
Any help you can give in drafting this would be much appreciated - thanks
Since GraphStudioNext actually listed the camera under Video Capture Sources, we have confirmed that a DirectShow filter exists. This means the driver is technically compatible, but Jami is failing to enumerate or “handshake” with it.
This points directly to a bug in Jami’s device discovery logic on Windows 11, specifically with modern integrated ISP (Image Signal Processor) sensors found in newer HP and Samsung hardware.
Here is a technical draft you can provide to the user. It is formatted to give the Jami developers exactly what they need to reproduce the issue.
Drafted Bug Report for Jami
Title: Integrated Camera not detected on Windows 11 (HP/Samsung) despite DirectShow availability
Description:
On newer Windows 11 laptops (specifically HP and Samsung models), Jami fails to detect the integrated camera. The “Device” dropdown in Audio/Video settings is greyed out with “No video device.” However, the camera is functional in other applications (OBS, Windows Camera App) and is correctly enumerated in DirectShow diagnostic tools.
Hardware/Environment:
OS: Windows 11 (Latest Build)
Devices tested: New HP and Samsung Integrated Laptops
Jami Version: [Insert Version Here, e.g., 20240125]
Camera Type: Integrated ISP Camera
Troubleshooting Performed:
Privacy Settings: “Let desktop apps access your camera” is enabled.
Drivers: Updated via manufacturer (Samsung Update/HP Support Assistant). Also tested with generic “USB Video Device” drivers; no change.
Registry:EnableFrameServerMode DWORD added to Windows Media Foundation\Platform; no change.
Verification:GraphStudioNext confirms the camera appears under “Video Capture Sources” (DirectShow).
Workaround:OBS Virtual Camera and SplitCam are detected and work perfectly in Jami, suggesting the issue lies in Jami’s direct hardware enumeration.
Expected Behavior:
Jami should list the integrated camera in the Device selection dropdown since a DirectShow filter is present.
Actual Behavior:
Device entry is greyed out with “No video device” displayed.
Advice for the User:
When they post this to the Jami GitLab, they should also attach a Debug Log:
Open Jami.
Go to Settings > General.
Enable “Enable debug console”.
Restart Jami, go to the Video settings where it fails, then copy the output from the console.
Look specifically for lines containing avfoundation, dshow, or video_device_monitor_win32.cpp.
One last thing. I tried to open a Jami GitLab account and got the message: “Sign-ups are currently disabled. Please contact a GitLab administrator if you need an account.”
There is no contact link to the administrators - do you know how best to contact an administrator?
Thanks.
Update: I added the bug report using a GitHub account.