Devices
Random Video Chat on Mac and MacBook
Random video chat on Mac works in any modern browser. Open omlet.site in Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox, allow the camera and microphone, confirm you're 18 or older, and press Start. No app to download, no account.
The one Mac-specific catch is that macOS can ask for permission twice: once for the browser as an app, and once for the website. Here's how both work, how to put Omlet in your Dock, and how to look your best on a MacBook camera.
Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox on macOS
All four work. Where you grant access and how you install differ a little. Names may differ slightly by macOS and browser version.
| Browser | macOS permission | Site permission | Keep Omlet handy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safari | Usually nothing to change; Safari handles camera access per website | Safari → Settings → Websites → Camera | File → Add to Dock on recent macOS |
| Chrome | Privacy & Security → Camera and Microphone: turn on Google Chrome | Icon left of the address → Site settings | Install icon in the address bar or the ⋮ menu |
| Edge | Same lists: turn on Microsoft Edge | Icon left of the address → Permissions for this site | Install icon or ⋯ → Apps |
| Firefox | Same lists: turn on Firefox | Permission icon in the address bar | Bookmark or pinned tab |
Give your browser camera and mic access in macOS
The first time Chrome, Edge or Firefox wants your camera, macOS shows its own prompt asking whether that app may use it. Click Allow, then allow omlet.site in the browser's prompt as well. If you clicked Don't Allow earlier:
- Open Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
- Turn on the switch next to your browser.
- Do the same under Privacy & Security → Microphone.
- Quit and reopen the browser when macOS asks, then reload Omlet.
On older macOS versions, the same lists live under System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy. To rule out the hardware, open Photo Booth or FaceTime: if your face shows up there, the camera is fine and the fix is in browser permissions. If the picture stays black everywhere, camera not working on Mac has the full checklist.
Pick the right microphone on a Mac
A Mac can have several inputs at once: the built-in mics, AirPods, a USB headset or a webcam's mic. If your partner can't hear you, the browser is often listening to the wrong one.
- System default: System Settings → Sound → Input. Select your mic and talk; the input level meter should move. Safari generally follows this setting.
- Chrome and Edge: choose the mic from the dropdown at chrome://settings/content/microphone or edge://settings/content/microphone, then reload Omlet.
- Firefox: pick the mic in the dropdown of Firefox's permission prompt when it appears.
- AirPods and other Bluetooth headsets switch to a call mode while the mic is in use, so music-quality sound drops. That's normal for Bluetooth.
Safari's website settings for Omlet
Safari remembers camera and microphone choices for each site. To check or change them:
- Choose Safari → Settings, then click the Websites tab.
- Select Camera in the sidebar and set omlet.site to Allow or Ask.
- Select Microphone and do the same.
- Close Settings and reload the page.
Leaving it on Ask is fine; Safari will simply prompt you each visit. How to allow camera access in Safari covers Mac and iPhone side by side.
Add Omlet to your Dock
On recent macOS versions, Safari can turn a site into a Dock app with its own window and icon:
- Open omlet.site in Safari.
- Choose File → Add to Dock. You can also find it in the Share menu.
- Keep or edit the name and click Add.
In Chrome or Edge, click the install icon at the right of the address bar, or use the install option in the browser menu. Firefox doesn't install web apps the same way, so a bookmark is the simple choice there. Full steps: how to install a web app on Windows or Mac.
A Safari Dock app can keep its own website data apart from Safari. Allow the camera inside it if asked, and unlock the country filter where you'll actually use it, since a purchase stays with that browser on that Mac.
Using an iPhone as your Mac's webcam
With a recent Mac and iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account, macOS can use the iPhone's camera as a webcam, a feature Apple calls Continuity Camera. When it's available, the iPhone shows up as another camera you can choose in your browser's camera settings.
Requirements depend on your macOS and iOS versions, so check Apple's support pages if it doesn't appear. Other options, including simply opening Omlet on the phone itself, are in how to use your phone as a webcam.
MacBook tips to talk to strangers with confidence
- Raise the MacBook on a stand or a few books so the camera in the lid is level with your eyes. A camera looking up from the desk is the least flattering angle there is.
- Watch the green light. It shows the camera is in use. On recent macOS versions, Control Center also shows which app is using the camera or microphone.
- Use the keyboard. → starts a chat or skips to the next person, and Esc stops.
- Wear headphones if your speakers are loud. MacBook speakers sit close to the mics, and high volume can create an echo for your partner.
- Plug in for long sessions. A video chat keeps the camera, screen and network busy and drains the battery faster than browsing.
For posture, light and other laptop setup details, see random video chat on a laptop.