Hello Switcher

Hello Switcher is a small software utility designed to allow the quick switching between Windows Hello cameras on Windows 10 machines.   The application addresses an issue that Windows 10 users are facing, regarding computers equipped with Windows Hello cameras. A PC that comes with a built-in Windows Hello camera cannot use a secondary USB camera with Windows Hello capability.

This is due to the fact that Windows 10 does not allow this type of hardware management for Windows Hello cameras at the moment. Hello Switcher comes to find a solution to this problem, allowing you to conveniently switch between the two devices via the system tray.

In order to use this application, you must first install the Windows Driver Kit, which includes Devcon.exe. This executable file must be placed in Hello Switcher’s folder. Next, you need to find the device IDs of the Windows Hello cameras in the Device Manager of Windows (the hardware ID in a camera’s properties). Devcon.exe must be then executed with the hwids =camera arguments.

The next step requires you to edit the BuiltinCameraId and the UsbCameraId fields in the camera.txt file included in the archive. Once you done so, Hello Switcher is ready to go.

The application does not require installation, meaning you just have to unzip the downloaded archive and launch the installer to have it ready for action. Once you start it, you should notice the presence of a new icon in the system tray area.

Right-clicking on the tray icon reveals a menu that allows you to quickly re-check the connected USB camera or enable and disable the built-in camera. Practically, to be able to use the Windows Hello authentication function of the USB camera, Hello Switcher automatically detaches the built-in camera. Also, if the USB camera is disconnected, the built-in camera in enabled, so that you can use it instead.