How to turn on the camera in your browser

A video chat needs your browser to use the camera and microphone. If the other person cannot see or hear you, follow the steps for your device below — usually it takes a minute.

Check the camera first

The webcam test works without connecting to the chat and tells you what is wrong: access denied, no camera found or the camera busy. The site has one permission for the test and the chat: if the test shows your picture, the chat will too.

Webcam test

iPhone and iPad

When a site asks for the camera, Safari shows a prompt: tap Allow. If you tapped Don’t Allow, change it here:

In Safari, tap the page menu in the address bar (the aA or ⋯ button), open Website Settings and set Camera and Microphone to Allow or Ask.
For all sites: Settings → Apps → Safari → Camera and Microphone (on iOS 17 and earlier: Settings → Safari).
Chrome and other browsers need the permission of iOS itself: Settings → Apps → Chrome (or your browser) → turn on Camera and Microphone.
Screen Time can turn the camera off: Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps & Features — Camera must be on.

Android

Chrome asks when a site wants the camera: tap Allow or Allow this time. If you blocked it:

On the page, tap the icon to the left of the address → Permissions, and turn on Camera and Microphone.
For all sites: Chrome → ⋮ → Settings → Site settings → Camera and Microphone.
Android must allow the browser itself: Settings → Apps → Chrome → Permissions → Camera and Microphone → Allow only while using the app.
On Android 12 and newer, the camera can be turned off for every app: swipe down from the top of the screen and check the Camera access and Microphone access tiles.
In Samsung Internet and other browsers, look for site permissions in the browser’s own settings. The names of the menus may differ from phone to phone.

Chrome, Edge and Firefox on a computer

The browser asks the first time a site wants the camera. If you clicked Block, it remembers that for the site:

Chrome and Edge: click the icon to the left of the address, turn on Camera and Microphone and reload the page.
Firefox: click the crossed-out camera icon in the address bar and remove the block, or open Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Camera.
If you have several cameras or microphones, choose the right one in the browser’s camera and microphone settings or in the menu of the webcam test.

Windows

Windows can turn the camera off for all programs — then no browser gets a picture, even with the site allowed.

Windows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Camera. Turn on Camera access, Let apps access your camera and Let desktop apps access your camera. Do the same under Microphone.
Windows 10: Settings → Privacy → Camera, with the same switches.
Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Cameras (Windows 11) shows whether the camera is connected and turned on.
Antivirus programs often have webcam protection: if it blocks the camera, allow it for your browser.

Mac

macOS asks once whether a browser may use the camera. If access was refused, the browser shows a black picture or no camera at all.

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera: turn on your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge and others). Do the same under Microphone, then quit the browser and open it again.
Safari: Safari → Settings → Websites → Camera and Microphone, and set this site to Allow.
On older versions of macOS: System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy.

The camera is allowed, but the picture is black

Another program is using the camera: close video calls, recording programs and other tabs that use it.
Laptops often have a shutter or a key that turns the camera off: look for a slider above the screen or a key with a camera icon.
An external camera: try another USB port or cable.
Update the browser, restart it, and if that does not help, restart the device.

The link opened inside an app

Links in Telegram, Instagram, TikTok and other apps often open in a built-in browser that cannot use the camera or forgets the permission. Open the page in your usual browser: in the app’s menu (⋮ or ⋯), choose Open in browser.

You see yourself, but the other person does not

If the camera works but the conversation does not connect or the video freezes, the network is usually to blame: some office, school and public Wi-Fi networks block video calls. Try another network or mobile data, or try without a VPN.

If the other person cannot hear you, check that the microphone is not muted on the device and that the browser uses the right microphone.