How to Enable Camera Permissions in Chrome on Android

Before you start

Camera access is controlled in two places: the Chrome app on the phone and the Android system settings. A site can ask for permission only if Chrome itself is allowed to use the camera. Check both levels when access fails.

The permission prompt appears for the current site only. Granting access to one page does not allow every site to use the camera. The selected camera follows the device choice made by the phone or the page.

Step-by-step instructions

First make sure Android is not blocking Chrome from the camera. Open the phone settings, select Apps, then Chrome, and choose Permissions. If Camera is listed as denied, set it to allowed or ask every time.

Then open the site in Chrome. When a page requests camera access, Chrome shows a prompt near the address bar. Select Allow to give the current site permission. The browser may show Live, Camera or a similar indicator depending on the version.

If the site was blocked earlier, open the Chrome menu, go to Settings and then Site settings. Select Camera and find the site in the blocked list. Change its setting to Allow or Ask, then reload the page and answer the prompt again.

The site may also offer an in-page camera button or settings panel. Use that control only after the browser permission has been granted. Reversing the change is done from the same Site settings list by setting the site back to Block or Ask.

Check the output

Reload the page after changing a permission. A successful result should show a preview from the camera or a clear selection control in place of the previous blocked message. If the page offers a camera list, choose the intended front or rear camera and check that the preview appears.

Quality varies with the hardware and page. The browser may support different resolutions or frame rates, but not every site exposes those choices. Lighting and distance affect the image more than these settings on most phones.

Common problems and next steps

No prompt appears when the page tries to open the camera. Check the camera permission in Phone settings, Apps, Chrome, Permissions. If the Android permission is denied, the browser cannot show the site prompt.

The site reports that permission is blocked after a recent Android update. Open the Site settings camera list in Chrome and remove the old entry for the site, then visit the page again to get a fresh prompt.

The preview is black or the wrong camera is used. Close other apps that may be using the camera, reload the page, and check whether the site has its own camera selector. If another camera app still fails, the problem may be in the operating-system permissions rather than the site setting.

Do not assume a blocked page means the camera is faulty. Test the camera in the phone's built-in camera app before changing more browser settings. If the built-in app works, the issue is usually a site permission or browser setting.