How to allow camera access on Chrome using mobile?

Camera access in mobile Chrome is controlled at two levels, and both must allow it. First, the operating system app permission: your phone has to grant the Chrome app access to the camera. Second, the Chrome site permission: Chrome has to allow the specific website to use the camera. If either layer blocks it, the website cannot see your camera, no matter how many times you tap Allow.

Quick steps (Android):

• Open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then go to Settings.
• Tap Site settings, then Camera, and set it to "Ask first / Allow".
• Reload the website, and tap Allow on the in-page prompt.
• On iPhone, open iOS Settings, tap Chrome, toggle Camera on, then tap Allow on the site prompt.

Why Chrome asks for camera permission on mobile

Modern websites such as video-call apps, KYC and ID-verification flows, online webcam tests, and QR or barcode scanners request your camera through a browser API called getUserMedia(), part of the WebRTC stack. When a page calls this API, Chrome does not silently hand over the camera. Instead it forwards the request through two gatekeepers.

The first gatekeeper is the operating system. Android and iOS treat Chrome like any other app: unless you have granted the Chrome app camera access at the OS level, Chrome itself has no camera to offer a website. The second gatekeeper is Chrome's per-site permission. Even when the OS trusts Chrome, Chrome still asks you, per website, whether that specific origin may use the camera. This two-layer model is why a camera can appear "blocked" even after you tapped Allow once.

One more requirement underpins all of this: camera APIs only work in a secure context. The page must be served over HTTPS (or be running on localhost during development). On a plain HTTP page, Chrome will not even surface the permission prompt.

Allow camera access on Chrome on Android

On Android you usually need to confirm both layers. Start with the operating system, then move to Chrome's site setting.

Step A - Grant the Chrome app camera permission (OS level)

• Open Android Settings and tap Apps (on some phones, Apps & notifications), then select Chrome.
• Tap Permissions, then Camera.
• Choose Allow only while using the app, which is the recommended default.
• If you also use Chrome for video calls, repeat the same for Microphone.

Step B - Allow the website in Chrome (site level)

• Open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then Settings.
• Scroll to Site settings, then tap Camera.
• Make sure Camera is set to Ask first (recommended). This tells Chrome to prompt you for each site rather than blocking silently.
• Open the website. When the in-page prompt appears, choose Allow this time, Allow while visiting the site, or Never allow.

Unblock a specific site you blocked earlier:

• In Chrome, go to Settings > Site settings > Camera.
• Expand the Blocked list, tap the site, and choose Allow.
• Alternatively, tap the lock or tune (info) icon to the left of the address bar, open Permissions > Camera, set it to Allow, then reload the page.

Allow camera access on Chrome on iPhone and iPad

On iOS the model is simpler but more restrictive, because Chrome on iPhone and iPad runs on Apple's WebKit engine rather than its own.

• Open iOS Settings and scroll down to tap Chrome.
• Under "Allow Chrome to Access", toggle Camera on (and Microphone for calls).
• Open the website in Chrome and tap Allow on the prompt.

Important iOS limitation: the Camera and Microphone toggles only appear in Settings > Chrome after a website has requested camera access at least once. If you do not see them yet, open a webcam-test page in Chrome first to trigger the request, then return to Settings. Also note that Chrome on iOS does not support per-site camera permissions; access is granted at the app level for all sites at once, which is a constraint imposed by iOS WebKit rather than by Chrome.

Troubleshooting - camera still blocked or "permission denied"

• "Permission denied" even after allowing: almost always the other layer is blocking. Re-check both the OS app permission (Step A) and the Chrome site setting (Step B) before assuming the site is broken.
• You accidentally tapped Block: Chrome caches that choice. Reset it from the address-bar lock or info icon under Permissions > Camera > Allow, or from Site settings > Camera > Blocked > [site] > Allow, then reload the page.
• Reset all permissions for a site: open Site settings for that specific site, tap Reset permissions (or clear and reset its data), then reload so Chrome prompts you fresh.
• Black screen or wrong camera: another app or browser tab may be holding the camera. Only the active tab can use it, so close other camera apps and tabs and reload.
• Works on one site but not another: site permission is per-origin on Android, so allow it specifically for the site that is failing.
• Page is not HTTPS: camera APIs require a secure context. The site must load over HTTPS or the prompt never appears.
• Managed work or school device: an administrator policy may disable the camera, in which case the setting appears greyed out and cannot be changed locally.
• Still failing: update Chrome, restart the phone, and try the same flow on a different device or browser to isolate whether the problem is the site or the device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Chrome say camera is blocked even though I gave permission?

Because permission has two layers, the OS app permission and Chrome's per-site permission. Allowing one but not the other still blocks the camera. On Android, check both Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions > Camera and Chrome > Settings > Site settings > Camera.

How do I unblock a site I accidentally blocked from using my camera?

Open Chrome > Settings > Site settings > Camera, expand the Blocked list, tap the site, and choose Allow, then reload the page. You can also tap the lock or info icon next to the address bar, open Permissions > Camera, and set it to Allow.

Can I allow the camera for just one website in Chrome on Android?

Yes. Android Chrome supports per-site camera permissions, so you can allow a single origin while keeping others blocked. Chrome on iOS does not offer per-site permissions; access is granted app-wide for all sites at once.

How do I allow camera access in Chrome on iPhone?

Open iOS Settings, scroll to Chrome, toggle Camera on, then open the site in Chrome and tap Allow on the prompt. The Camera toggle only appears in Settings > Chrome after a website has requested camera access at least once.

Why doesn't my camera work on Chrome mobile at all?

Likely the OS has not granted Chrome camera access (Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions), the page is not served over HTTPS, another app or tab is already using the camera, or a work or school policy blocks it. Check each of these in turn.

How do I reset camera permissions in Chrome?

Open Site settings for the site in Chrome and tap Reset permissions (or clear the site's data), then reload the page so Chrome prompts you again. On the next visit the in-page Allow prompt reappears.

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