Point your webcam at your face and flip through more than 80 effects, from kaleidoscope to X-ray to old movie. Snap a photo, save it, laugh, repeat. Nothing gets stored unless you choose to share.
What it is
Webcam Toy is a photo booth for your webcam. The front page says it plainly: take selfies with over 80 fun effects. Behind the pink start button is, the site says, a camera view you can run through a long list of filters, from Fisheye and Kaleidoscope to X-Ray, Old Movie, Thermal and Night Vision, then snap a photo and save it to your computer. The page states that photos are not stored online unless you choose to share them.
How to play
Press the button, then give the page permission to use your camera when the browser asks. From there, the site says, you flip through the effects, pose, and snap. The page's own status messages mention saving each shot as a file and posting a picture to a social account after a sign-in, which is the only place a sign-in appears. The effect list in the page runs to Normal plus 81 named filters: distortions (Bulge, Pinch, Stretch, Twist), looks (Retro, Vintage, Pop Art, Sketch, Watercolor), five mirrors and gimmicks (Spy Cam, Snow, Fire, Upside-Down).
What makes it different
The list of effects is bigger than most camera apps bother with, and there is nothing to install. The booth feel is the point: it is built for a group leaning into one laptop, not for retouching, and the mirror and quad effects suit more than one face.
Why it is on Bored
Point a webcam at a face, add a silly filter, and a room laughs. That is the oldest trick going, and this page does it without an app, with more than eighty effects to flip through and a save button at the end. The art you make is your own face pulled into a shape it should not go, which is why it works best with a group leaning into one laptop rather than one person retouching alone.
Tips
- Good light in front of you makes every effect better
- Try the mirror effects with two people in frame
- Kaleidoscope and Spiral want movement, so wave something
- Save the photo to your computer rather than posting, it is quicker
FAQ
Is Webcam Toy free?
Yes. Taking and saving photos costs nothing and needs no account. It carries ads, with a banner above the booth, and before anything else a cookie popup names 210 partners.
Does it work on a phone?
It should. The page is sized for a phone screen and asks for the camera through the browser.
Does it need my camera?
Yes. It cannot do anything without one, and the browser asks before the camera turns on. The page says photos stay on your device unless you share them.
Do I need an account?
No. Taking and saving photos needs nothing. Sign-in strings only appear for posting a photo to a social account.
Does it end?
No. Snap as many as you like.
Reviewed on
Fun
Bored