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Webcam telemetry

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Recommendation

Situational

Disable for privacy: the task only collects a list of devices, while capture and app access to the camera do not depend on it.

When diagnosing device compatibility or selecting drivers, restore the original state.

Primary effect
Disabling device inventory
FPS and memory
See the research

What changes

Section titled “What changes”

The setting’s name is historical. According to the visible description in BoosterX, the task (the Device Census process) periodically inventories connected devices — monitors, cameras, printers and other peripherals — and sends their identifiers to Microsoft so that Windows can predict driver compatibility and update needs. The frequency is roughly once a day. The task does not regulate app access to the camera: permissions are configured separately in Windows, and the camera itself keeps working.

Exceptions and differences

Section titled “Exceptions and differences”

Disabling does not forbid apps from using the camera: the list of permissions is “Settings” → “Privacy” → “Camera”. Discovery of new devices (Plug and Play) keeps working. The inventory covers all peripherals, not only the camera: the name is a legacy, not the scope. The related setting “Inventory Collector” disables inventory collection entirely.

How to verify the result

Section titled “How to verify the result”

Launch the “Camera” app or a video call and make a test recording: the camera should work unchanged — the setting does not take away permissions.

How to change and revert

Section titled “How to change and revert”

Open “Optimization” → “Privacy” → “Scheduler and background tasks” → “Webcam telemetry”, move the toggle to the “Enabled” position: BoosterX will apply the disabling of the device inventory task. Click “Apply”. If “Instant apply” is enabled, a separate button is not required. To revert, move the toggle to the “Disabled” position and apply the change again: BoosterX will return Windows to its default state with the inventory task running.

Confirmation

Section titled “Confirmation”

Last verified: 2026-09-19.