Fix webcam not working in Google Chrome
Troubleshoot a webcam that will not work in Chrome by checking camera selection, site permissions, operating system access and competing apps.
To fix a webcam that is not working in Google Chrome, check that the camera is available, allow camera access for the affected website and select the correct camera in that website’s video settings. If access is blocked by your operating system or an administrator, changing Chrome’s site permission alone will not resolve it.
Start with the camera and the affected website
Open any physical privacy shutter and check for a camera-disable switch or keyboard key on your device. For an external webcam, check its connection; if it is missing from the available cameras, reconnect it and try a direct connection instead of a hub. A closed shutter can hide the picture even when the camera is detected and permission is allowed.
In the affected website, turn video on and open its camera or video settings. If several cameras are listed, select the webcam you intend to use. Device detection, permission and input selection are separate: seeing a camera in a list does not establish that the website can capture video from it.
After each change, retry the website’s video preview or the action that originally failed. A working preview confirms capture in that website at that moment. If other people still cannot see you in a call, check the meeting’s video controls and connection status; the preview alone does not test video delivery to another participant.
Check Chrome’s camera permission
With the affected website open, select the site controls icon beside the address bar and inspect its camera permission. Allow access if you trust the website and want it to use your camera. Reload the page, then start the camera again. Allowing access permits the website to request video; it does not necessarily turn video on.
You can also open Chrome’s Settings, then Privacy and security, Site settings and Camera. Check whether sites can ask to use the camera and whether the affected website has been blocked. Review the selected camera where that option is available. Menu labels can vary by Chrome version and device, and the website may have its own camera selector.
If the permission is locked or marked as managed, an organization’s policy may control it. On a work or school device, contact the administrator with the website name and the exact message shown.
Check operating system access
On Windows 11, open Settings, then Privacy & security and Camera. On Windows 10, open Settings, then Privacy and Camera. Check the camera-access controls, including access for desktop apps, which applies to desktop Chrome. A website’s Allow setting cannot override a Windows camera restriction.
On recent macOS versions, open System Settings, then Privacy & Security and Camera. Allow Google Chrome if it appears there. Follow any prompt to quit and reopen Chrome, then retry the website. Older macOS versions use System Preferences and may label the controls differently.
On Android or iPhone and iPad, check Chrome’s camera permission in the device’s Settings app as well as the website’s permission in Chrome. The location and availability of these controls depend on the operating system version.
Use comparison checks to narrow down the failure
Close other apps and browser tabs that may be using the webcam, then retry the affected page. Camera sharing varies by device and software. If this resolves the problem, competing camera use is a possible explanation; it does not establish a hardware fault.
Try the same camera in another trusted website in Chrome. If it works there, focus next on the original website’s permission, camera selection and video controls. This comparison shows that Chrome can capture from that camera in at least one context; it does not verify the original website’s configuration.
Try the camera in your operating system’s camera app or another trusted camera application. A working picture shows that the camera can capture video in that application, but does not test Chrome’s permissions. If it fails there too, check device-level access, physical controls and connections before investigating Chrome further. Failure in both places alone does not prove the webcam is broken.
If the webcam still does not work
Save unfinished work before quitting and reopening Chrome, then repeat the original test. If the camera works on another Chrome website but the affected site still fails, contact that site’s support. If it fails across applications after the relevant access and connection checks, contact your device administrator or webcam manufacturer.
Provide your operating system and Chrome versions, camera model, exact error message and the results of the comparison checks. Without those details, the cause remains uncertain. Driver, firmware or reset instructions require guidance specific to your device and operating system; these checks do not establish that any such action is needed.
Stop troubleshooting when the intended camera works in the original website. If the picture works but sound does not, troubleshoot the microphone separately: camera access and a successful video preview do not verify microphone permission, audio input selection or sound capture.