If a website cannot use your webcam, Chrome may have blocked the camera permission for that site. You can allow it from the permission prompt, change it in the website’s settings, or review Chrome’s overall camera settings.
Start with the option that matches what you see. If the website is currently asking for access, use the prompt. If you dismissed or blocked it before, change the site’s permission directly.
Video Tutorial
Allow camera access from the Chrome prompt
Many websites ask for camera access the first time you open a feature that needs it. This may happen when you join a video call, open a meeting link, or use a web app that captures video.
- Open the website that needs to use your camera.
- Wait for Chrome’s camera permission box to appear.
- Select one of the Allow options in the box.
- If Chrome shows more than one camera, select the camera you want to use. For example, you can choose a connected webcam instead of your laptop’s built-in camera.
Once you allow access, the site can use your camera data. If the page does not begin using the camera right away, refresh the website after changing the permission.
Allow the camera for one specific website
If you closed the permission box, chose a blocking option earlier, or need to change an existing choice, update the permission from that website’s page. This affects the current site instead of changing camera behavior for every site in Chrome.
- Navigate to the website where the camera is blocked.
- Select the small menu button to the left of the web address.
- Select Site settings.
- Under Permissions, find Camera.
- Select the dropdown next to Camera, then choose Allow.
- Return to the website and refresh the page.
After refreshing, the site should be able to request and use the camera. This is useful when your camera works on other sites but not on the one you are currently trying to use.
Set Chrome’s default camera and permission behavior
Chrome also has browser-wide camera controls. Use these settings to choose which camera Chrome uses by default, control whether sites can ask for access, and review the websites you have already allowed or blocked.
- Select the three dots in the top-right corner of Chrome.
- Select Settings.
- In the left-side menu, select Privacy and security.
- Select Site settings.
- Under Permissions, select Camera.
At the top of the Camera settings, use the dropdown to select your default camera. This matters if your computer has more than one available camera. For example, select your plugged-in webcam if you want Chrome to use it instead of the built-in camera each time.
Next, check Default behavior. Select Sites can ask to use your camera if you want websites to show a permission request before using the camera. If it is set to Don’t allow, Chrome blocks camera access on every website and sites cannot ask for permission.
Review allowed and blocked websites
On the same Chrome Camera settings page, look for Customize behavior. This area lists sites where you have allowed camera access and sites where you have blocked it.
If a website is listed in the blocked section, you can remove it or select the arrow next to it to modify its settings. If a site is listed as allowed and you no longer want it to access your camera, you can manage it there as well.
This list is a quick way to check old permission choices. It can help when a website does not show the camera prompt because Chrome already has a saved setting for that site.
Quick checks if the camera still does not work
First, confirm that you allowed the correct website. Camera permissions are saved per site, so allowing one site does not automatically allow another one.
Then confirm that the right camera is selected. A connected webcam can appear alongside a built-in laptop camera, and Chrome may be set to a different device than the one you expect.
Finally, refresh the page after changing a permission. The website may not recognize the new camera setting until it reloads. If Chrome is set to Don’t allow under Default behavior, change it to Sites can ask to use your camera before trying the site again.
More Google Chrome Tutorials:
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