Troubleshooting
Camera Not Working in Your Android Browser? Fix It Fast
A camera not working in the browser on Android usually means one of two permissions is off: Android isn't letting the browser use the camera, or the browser isn't letting the website use it. In Chrome, tap the icon left of the address, turn Camera on and reload; if that doesn't help, check Chrome's app permissions in Android's settings.
These steps work on most Android phones and tablets. Menu names vary a little between makers such as Samsung, Google and Motorola, so look for similar wording if yours doesn't match exactly.
Three checks before you change anything
- Open the Camera app and switch to selfie mode. If you see yourself, the camera works and the problem is a permission.
- Pull down Quick Settings and look for a Camera access tile (Android 12 and later). If it's off, every app and website gets a blank picture.
- Look for the green dot in the top corner of the screen. Android shows it while an app is using the camera, and tapping it shows which app.
Fix 1: Allow the camera for the website in Chrome
- Open the site, tap the icon at the left of the address bar, then Permissions (or Site settings).
- Turn on Camera and Microphone, then reload the page.
- No toggle there? Tap ⋮ → Settings → Site settings → Camera. Make sure sites are allowed to ask, then open the site from the Blocked list and choose Allow.
How to tell it worked: Chrome asks for permission, or the page shows your face straight away. The same settings on computers are covered in how to allow camera access in Chrome.
Samsung Internet, Firefox and Edge for Android each keep their own site permissions in their settings menus. Allowing a site in Chrome does nothing for them.
Fix 2: Give Chrome camera permission in Android
If you tapped Don't allow when Android first asked whether Chrome could take pictures and record video, Chrome can't pass the camera to any website, however the site is set.
- Touch and hold the Chrome icon and tap App info (or the small i icon).
- Tap Permissions → Camera and choose Allow only while using the app or Ask every time.
- Go back and do the same for Microphone.
- Return to Chrome and reload the page.
How to tell it worked: Camera now sits in the Allowed part of Chrome's permission list. If a browser you rarely use keeps losing its permissions, Android may be removing them from unused apps; switch off the option to pause or remove permissions for unused apps on the same App info screen.
Fix 3: Turn Camera access back on in Quick Settings
Android 12 added system-wide privacy switches for the camera and microphone. When Camera access is off, apps and websites receive a black image instead of an error, which looks exactly like a broken camera.
- Swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open Quick Settings.
- Find Camera access (you may need to edit your tiles to add it) and tap it so it's on. Check Microphone access too.
- Reload the page.
The same switches are usually under Settings → Security & privacy → Privacy, though the wording varies. Android often offers an Unblock prompt when a site tries to use a blocked camera; tapping it does the same job.
Fix 4: Stop other apps and battery limits getting in the way
Android generally gives the camera to one app at a time and doesn't let apps in the background use it. That causes three common problems.
- Another app has the camera. Open Recents and swipe away video call apps, the Camera app, screen recorders and anything with camera filters. If one won't let go, use Force stop on its App info screen.
- You left the browser. Switching apps, opening a notification or letting the screen turn off pauses the camera. Return to the tab and reload if the preview stays black. Keeping your phone screen on during calls helps here.
- Strict battery settings. Battery saver and a Restricted battery setting for Chrome can close it in the background and make video stutter. While you chat, set Chrome's battery usage to Optimized or Unrestricted under Settings → Apps → Chrome → Battery.
Fix 5: Update Chrome, then clear site data as a last resort
Update Chrome from the Play Store and restart the phone. A restart frees a camera that's stuck after an app crashed, and updates fix browser bugs.
Only if nothing else works, clear the website's stored data: ⋮ → Settings → Site settings → All sites, pick the site and tap Clear & reset (wording varies). Its permissions are cleared too, so you'll be asked again on your next visit.
On Omlet, clearing site data also resets your device identifier and removes a country filter you paid for in that browser. Read how to clear site data for one website before you do it.
Android camera problems by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The website never asks for the camera | Site blocked in the browser | Fix 1 |
| A message that Chrome needs permission to use the camera | Android permission for Chrome is off | Fix 2 |
| Black image in websites and other apps | Camera access tile switched off | Fix 3 |
| Camera freezes when you leave the browser | Android stops background camera use | Fix 4 |
| Camera is busy message on Omlet | Another app is holding the camera | Fix 4 |
| Works in Chrome, not in Samsung Internet or Firefox | Each browser has its own permissions | Fixes 1 and 2 in that browser |
When the phone's front camera is the problem
If the selfie camera is black in the Camera app after a restart, with Camera access on, the issue is the phone rather than the browser. Install any system update (usually under Settings → System or Software update), and contact the phone's maker if it continues. Google's Android help pages cover general camera troubleshooting.
Once it works, our guide to random video chat on Android shows how to use Omlet in Chrome and add it to your Home screen with nothing to download. Using Firefox instead? See camera not working in Firefox. Got an iPhone too? It has its own Safari camera fixes.