Troubleshooting
How to Allow Camera Access in Firefox, Step by Step
Most of how to allow camera access in Firefox comes down to one prompt: when the site asks, pick your camera and microphone from its menus, tick Remember this decision, and click Allow. If you blocked it before, click the crossed-out camera icon next to the address, clear the block with the X, and reload.
Firefox handles permissions a little differently from Chrome and Safari. Its prompt is where you choose which camera to use, a block can be temporary or permanent, and a single checkbox in Settings can stop every site from asking. Here's each piece on desktop and Android. Labels may differ slightly by version.
Answer Firefox's camera prompt (and the checkbox that matters)
When a site requests your camera, a panel drops down from the left side of the address bar asking whether to allow the site to use your camera and microphone. It contains three things worth noticing:
- Device menus: dropdowns listing your cameras and microphones. Pick the ones you want before you click anything else.
- Remember this decision: a checkbox. Leave it unticked and your answer only lasts for now; tick it and Firefox saves it for the site.
- Allow and Block buttons.
| You click | Remember ticked? | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Allow | Yes | Saved: the site can use the camera on future visits without asking |
| Allow | No | Allowed for now; Firefox asks again later |
| Block | Yes | Saved block: the site can't ask again until you remove it |
| Block | No | Blocked Temporarily: lifts when you clear it or close the tab |
Firefox has no global setting for which webcam to use. The prompt is where you choose, so if you want to switch cameras later, clear the site's permission and reload to bring the prompt back.
Change one site from the address bar
Once a site has used or been refused the camera, small permission icons appear to the left of the address. A line through the camera icon means it's blocked.
- Click the permission icons (or the padlock) next to the address.
- Find Use the camera and Use the microphone. Each shows Allowed, Blocked or Blocked Temporarily.
- Click the X beside a blocked entry to remove it.
- Reload the page. Firefox asks again, this time with the prompt and its device menus.
Page Info for exact control
For a fixed choice without waiting for a prompt, open Page Info: press Ctrl+I on Windows and Linux or Cmd+I on Mac, or right-click the page and choose View Page Info. On the Permissions tab, find Use the Camera, untick Use Default, and choose Allow. Do the same for the microphone.
Manage camera exceptions for all sites in Settings
Paste about:preferences#privacy into the address bar, or open the menu (three lines) → Settings → Privacy & Security, then scroll down to Permissions.
- Next to Camera, click Settings….
- You'll see every site with a saved Allow or Block. Change a status from its dropdown, or select a site and click Remove Website.
- Look at the checkbox Block new requests asking to access your camera. If it's ticked, no new site can even show a prompt. Untick it.
- Click Save Changes.
- Repeat with the Settings… button next to Microphone.
Remove All Websites wipes every saved camera choice at once. That's fine as a fresh start, but you'll be asked again on every site you use.
Enable the webcam for Firefox in Windows, macOS and Linux
Firefox can only pass on a camera that the operating system lets it use.
- Windows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Camera → turn on Let desktop apps access your camera (Firefox is a desktop app), then the same under Microphone.
- macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera → switch on Firefox, then quit Firefox fully and reopen it.
- Linux: if Firefox came as a Snap or Flatpak, its sandbox may need camera access through your desktop's permission settings. Our guide to the webcam not working on Linux covers the details.
If Firefox never asks at all
No prompt and no icons usually means something switched requests off before they reach you. Check these, in order:
- The Block new requests checkbox from the Settings section above.
- A private window: permissions you grant there aren't kept after you close it, so expect to be asked again each time.
- Privacy tweaks: some hardening guides set media.navigator.enabled or media.peerconnection.enabled to false in about:config. That turns off camera access or video calls entirely; set them back to true, or click the reset arrow beside each one.
- Extensions that block WebRTC or the camera. Turn them off for the site, or test in a private window with add-ons disabled.
- Managed Firefox: a note that your browser is managed by your organization means policies are in force. Type about:policies to see them; only your IT team can change those.
Firefox for Android: allow the camera
- When the site asks, tap Allow.
- Android then asks whether Firefox may take pictures and record video. Choose While using the app, and do the same for audio.
- To change one site later, tap the padlock or site icon left of the address and switch the camera permission on.
- For all sites, tap ⋮ → Settings → Site permissions → Camera and choose Ask to allow. Under Exceptions, tap a site to change or clear its saved choice.
If Firefox itself was refused, open the phone's Settings → Apps → Firefox → Permissions → Camera and allow it while using the app. On iPhone and iPad, Firefox uses Apple's web engine, so turn on Camera under Settings → Apps → Firefox; the prompts then look much like Safari's camera permissions.
Firefox camera controls at a glance
| Where | What it controls | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| The prompt | Allow or block, plus which camera and mic | Choose devices and save your answer |
| Address-bar icons | This site's current permissions | Clear a block with the X |
| Page Info → Permissions | This site, set directly | Allow without waiting for a prompt |
| Settings → Permissions → Camera | Every saved site, plus the block-all checkbox | Review exceptions and re-enable prompts |
| Android Site permissions | Default and exceptions on your phone | Reset a site on mobile |
Everything allowed and the camera still won't show? Go to camera not working in Firefox for fixes beyond permissions. Once it works, the Firefox guide to random video chat shows how to use Omlet there, and you can always revoke camera access later. Also on Windows with Microsoft's browser? See allowing camera access in Edge.