Do smart TVs have cameras?

Last checked: 14 Oct 2026

Most don't. We didn't find a current UK or US smart TV from LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL or Amazon with a camera built into the screen. To make video calls, you buy a separate camera that clips onto the top of the TV and plugs into a USB port. Each one we found has a cover or switch to block the lens.

Cameras you can add, by brand

Brand	Camera	Lens cover
LG	LG Smart Cam (VC23GA), sold separately. LG's manuals also list some Logitech and Amcrest webcams.	"Privacy slider"
Samsung	Slim Fit Cam (VG-STCBU2K), sold separately. Samsung UK says it came in the box with the QN95C and QN95D.	Samsung US lists a "Privacy Cover"
Sony	BRAVIA Cam, in the box with the Z9K, A95K and A95L, and an optional extra for many other BRAVIA models	"Camera cover switch"
TCL	Full HD USB Camera, for TCL's Google TV and Android TV models	"Privacy camera cover"
Amazon Fire TV	Any compatible USB webcam, on Fire TV Omni and Ember TVs and the Fire TV Cube. Amazon says the webcam isn't included.	Depends on the webcam

Sony says information from the BRAVIA Cam's sensing features "isn't transmitted beyond the TV". Its light stays on even with the cover closed, because the TV still recognises the camera is plugged in.

How to check your TV

Look at the top edge of the screen. A clip-on camera is easy to see, and you can unplug it.
Check the spec sheet. LG's "USB Camera Compatible" and Samsung's "Webcam Support" (for example on the LG C6 and Samsung S95F) mean you can add a camera, not that one is built in.
"Camera" in the TV's menus often means viewing your home security cameras on the TV, not a camera in the TV. Samsung's SmartThings camera view and the Roku Cameras app work this way.
A presence sensor isn't a camera. TCL says the sensor on its QM9K uses radar and "does not capture images, video, or sound".

Older TVs that did have one

Some TVs from the early 2010s had a built-in camera for gesture and face recognition. Samsung's own support page (for India) says its 2013 F-series 7, 8 and 9 models had a pop-up camera that you push back in when not using it. We haven't confirmed which UK or US models had one. If your TV is from that period, check the top edge for a camera that pops up.

Sky Glass had an optional camera, Sky Live. Sky stopped the service on 4 December 2025.

Camera and microphone permissions

On LG TVs from 2024 onwards (webOS 24, 25 and 26), you can choose which apps can use a connected camera or the microphone: All Settings → Support → Privacy & Terms → App Permissions We haven't found an equivalent setting documented for the other brands.

TVs are more likely to have a microphone than a camera. See Is my TV listening?

Sources

This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing to report a correction.