How to Manage Camera Permissions in Firefox

Before you start

Camera access in Firefox is controlled by two layers: the permission you give to a website in Firefox and the camera access allowed by your operating system. Firefox does not turn on the camera on its own. A site must first ask for camera permission, and you can approve or block that request. You can change the decision later in browser settings without using a separate account or online service.

Make sure the camera is connected and not physically covered. If the operating system has blocked camera access for Firefox, the browser cannot offer a usable picture even when the site permission is allowed.

Step-by-step instructions

Allow or block a camera request

Open the page that wants to use the camera, such as a video call or webcam test page. When Firefox asks whether the site may use your camera, choose a camera from the list if more than one is available, then select Allow or Block. To make the choice temporary, leave the option to remember the decision unchecked.

If the permission prompt does not appear, the site may have been blocked earlier or the browser may be set to deny new requests. The permission can still be changed manually in site settings.

Change permissions in the address bar

Open the site in Firefox and select the permissions icon at the left end of the address bar. Next to Camera, choose Allow, Block, or the default setting that asks each time. The exact wording can differ between Firefox versions, but the camera control is shown in the same site permissions panel.

Change permissions from browser settings

Open the Firefox menu and go to Settings, then Privacy & Security. Find the Permissions section and select Settings next to Camera. The dialog lists remembered sites and their current permission. Select a site, change its status to Allow or Block, or remove it so Firefox asks again on the next visit.

The dialog also has an option to block new requests asking to access your camera. If that option is enabled, new sites are denied automatically and permission must be granted from this list or the address bar.

Choose the selected camera

When multiple cameras are connected, Firefox may keep using the camera chosen in an earlier prompt. Open the site permissions panel from the address bar and look for the camera selection control. If the site offers its own device menu, choose the preferred camera there because that choice is handled by the page, not by Firefox.

Check the output

Reload the page after changing a permission and start its camera preview or call. If permission is allowed, the site should show a live picture from the selected camera. If permission is blocked, the page is expected to show an error or a blank preview instead of a picture.

Use the page controls to confirm that the correct camera is active. The available resolution and frame rate depend on the camera and the site, not on the Firefox permission setting. Firefox can allow or deny access, but it does not independently set resolution or frame rate for a site.

Common problems and next steps

Camera is blocked at the operating-system level

If the browser setting is set to Allow but no picture appears, check the camera permission for Firefox in the operating system. Desktop and mobile systems have separate privacy controls that can block the browser from using any camera. After changing that setting, fully quit and reopen Firefox, then test the site again.

The wrong camera is being used

Disconnect cameras you do not need and reload the page. If the site has its own device list, select the intended camera there. Some pages remember their own choice, so changing the browser-level permission alone may not switch the active camera.

Another application is using the camera

Close other video, meeting or capture applications and reload the page. Some cameras can be used by only one application at a time, and Firefox may show a black frame or an error until the other application releases the device.

The preview is too dark

Improve lighting in front of you and avoid a bright window or lamp directly behind the subject. Check whether the camera application or the site exposes brightness controls. Firefox does not control exposure, so lighting adjustments are made through the camera or the page.

The permission prompt keeps appearing

When the setting is configured to ask each time, Firefox may prompt again on later visits. Choose Allow or Block and enable the option to remember the decision, or change the site status in camera permissions so Firefox keeps the same choice.