How to Enable Camera Permissions for Chrome on Android

On Android, a website can only use your camera in Chrome if two separate layers allow it. Android must let the Chrome app use the camera, and Chrome must let that specific site use it. If either one blocks access, the page shows an error, a black preview or no prompt at all. This guide covers both layers and how to confirm the result.

Before you start

Make sure Chrome is installed and reasonably up to date, and open the site you want to use. Browsers only give camera access to pages loaded over a secure connection (HTTPS), so a page without it may never show a camera prompt.

Granting camera permission only lets the page read the camera on your device. What happens to the video afterwards depends on the site: it may be processed in the browser, or it may be sent to a server for a video call, recording or editing. Check the site's own privacy information rather than assuming either way.

• Close other apps that might be using the camera, such as video call or camera apps.
• If your phone is managed by an employer or school, policies may block camera access, and you may not be able to change them.
• Note your Android version: Android 12 and later include a system-wide camera access switch that overrides app permissions.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Allow the camera for Chrome in Android settings

Menu names differ between phone manufacturers and Android versions, so the labels below may not match your device exactly. Look for the closest equivalent.

• Open the Settings app.
• Go to Apps (it may be called Apps & notifications or Applications) and select Chrome. You can also long-press the Chrome icon and choose App info.
• Open Permissions, then Camera.
• Choose Allow only while using the app, or Ask every time if you prefer to confirm each use. Don't allow blocks every site in Chrome.

2. Check the camera privacy toggle

On Android 12 and later, a Camera access switch can turn off the camera for all apps, regardless of their individual permissions. Swipe down to open Quick Settings and look for a Camera access tile; if it isn't visible, it may need to be added through the edit option for tiles, or you can find the same switch in the privacy section of Settings. Make sure it is on.

3. Allow the camera for the site in Chrome

• Open the site and start the feature that needs the camera. Some sites only ask after you tap a button such as Start or Join.
• When Chrome shows the permission prompt, tap Allow.
• If you missed or declined the prompt, tap the icon to the left of the address bar (its appearance varies by Chrome version), open Permissions and switch Camera on.
• If the camera isn't listed there, open Site settings from the same panel and set Camera to Allow.
• Reload the page so the site can request the camera again.

4. Review Chrome's default camera setting

• Tap the three-dot menu and open Settings, then Site settings, then Camera.
• Make sure sites are allowed to ask for the camera. The exact wording of this switch depends on your Chrome version.
• Check the Blocked list. If the site appears there, tap it and change the camera permission to Allow.

These changes are reversible: you can return to the same screens to block the camera again. A site's own settings page also offers an option to clear and reset it, which removes its saved permissions; read the confirmation message first, because it can also delete data that site has stored.

Check the output

After reloading, the page should show a live preview or confirm that the camera is active. On Android 12 and later, a green indicator appears in the status bar while an app is using the camera, which confirms access at the system level. A webcam test page is a simple way to check the camera on its own before joining a call.

• Selected camera: the site decides whether to use the front or rear camera. Many video tools include a switch button; if yours doesn't, check the site's own settings.
• Resolution: the site requests a resolution and the hardware limits what is delivered, so the browser image may be smaller than what the built-in camera app can capture.
• Frame rate: the site and device settle on the frame rate. In dim conditions, cameras can reduce the frame rate to allow a longer exposure.
• Lighting: poor or backlit lighting causes noise, blur and dark faces. Face a light source instead of a window to improve the image without changing any setting.

Common problems and next steps

No permission prompt appears

The site may have been blocked earlier, the page may not be using a secure connection, or the site may not request the camera until you start a specific feature. Check the site's permissions from the address bar as described in step 3, and remove it from the Blocked list if needed.

Camera is allowed but the preview is black

Confirm the Camera access privacy switch is on, then close any other app that might be using the camera. If the preview is still black, close Chrome fully and reopen it, or restart the phone.

The setting is greyed out or keeps resetting

A greyed-out option usually means a device policy controls it, so the administrator will need to change it. If Chrome asks again on each visit, check whether Android is set to Ask every time, whether you chose a one-time option at the prompt, or whether you are in an Incognito tab, where permissions don't persist after the tabs are closed.

Still not working

Update Chrome from the Play Store, then open the built-in camera app. If the camera fails there too, the problem lies with the device rather than Chrome. If it works in the camera app and in another browser but not in Chrome, review the Chrome app permission and site settings again.