TenSecondCheck

Camera not working in your browser?

Press “Start camera” below. What happens next shows whether the browser, the system or the camera is at fault.

Runs in your browser only

What the result tells you

It works here

Your camera and this browser are fine. If one particular site still shows no picture, that site has no permission or has picked another camera: allow the camera for that site and choose the same camera in its settings.

It does not work here

Read the message the test shows. If access was blocked, the fix is in the browser or system permissions. If the camera was not found or is busy, check the cable, the shutter and other apps. Steps for each case are below.

Check in this order

A camera that works in other apps but not in the browser is almost always blocked by a permission. A camera that works nowhere is a hardware or driver matter. The test above tells you which case you are in, and the steps below go from the most likely cause to the least.

  1. Run the test and read the message. If the browser asked and the picture appeared, the camera and the browser are fine. If you see a message that access was denied, the browser or the system is blocking it. If the camera was not found or could not start, it is disconnected, switched off or busy. The webcam test page explains every message in detail.
  2. Permission for the site. Each site needs its own permission. A small camera icon with a cross in the address bar means the site is blocked. Click it, allow the camera and reload the page.
  3. Permission for the browser. Windows, macOS, Android and iOS also decide whether the browser as a whole may use the camera. If this is off, the browser shows an error without ever asking you. The sections below show where the switch is.
  4. The camera is busy. Close video-call apps, recording software and other browsers. On many computers only one program can use the camera at a time, and it stays busy even when the app is minimised.
  5. Covers and keys. Many laptops have a sliding shutter above the screen or a key with a crossed-out camera symbol. A black picture with the camera light off often means the camera is switched off this way.
  6. Extensions. Privacy and ad-blocking extensions can block the camera on some sites. Open the page in a private window, where most extensions do not run, and try again.

In each browser

Chrome and Edge. Click the icon at the left of the address bar, open the site settings and set the camera to Allow. The full list of sites that are allowed or blocked is in the browser settings under site permissions; search the settings for “camera”. The same applies to other browsers built on Chromium, such as Opera, Brave and Vivaldi.

Firefox. A crossed-out camera icon appears in the address bar when a site is blocked; click it to clear the block. The complete list is in Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Camera.

Safari on a Mac. Open Safari → Settings → Websites → Camera and choose Allow or Ask for the site.

On Windows

Open Settings → Privacy & security → Camera. Camera access must be on, and further down, desktop apps must be allowed to use the camera. Browsers are desktop apps, so this switch applies to Chrome, Edge and Firefox. In Windows 10 look under Settings → Privacy → Camera. If the camera is missing in every app, check Device Manager for a disabled or failing camera, and try another USB port for an external webcam.

On a Mac

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and switch your browser on. Quit the browser completely and open it again; the change applies only to a fresh start. The green light next to the camera shows when something is using it.

On Android

In Chrome, tap the icon at the left of the address bar, open permissions and allow the camera for the site. Then check the phone’s own settings: apps, your browser, permissions, camera. Menu names vary between phone makers. On Android 12 and newer, make sure camera access is on in the quick settings panel.

On iPhone and iPad

Open Settings → Safari (under Apps in recent iOS versions) and set Camera to Ask or Allow. Chrome and other browsers have their own camera switch in their page of the Settings app. If the camera is missing everywhere, check Screen Time: Content & Privacy Restrictions can turn it off for the whole device.

Once the picture is back, check the sound as well with the microphone test. If the camera works but Zoom does not hear you, see microphone not working in Zoom.

If it does not work

On your system

  1. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Camera and make sure camera access is on for apps and for your browser.
  2. Many laptops have a physical shutter or a key with a crossed-out camera — check it is open.
  3. Close any call app that may be holding the camera; Windows only lets one program use it at a time.
  4. If the image is black but the light is on, a privacy cover or a driver problem is the usual cause.
  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and switch your browser on.
  2. Quit the browser completely and reopen it — the change only applies to a fresh start.
  3. Check the green light next to the camera: if it is on but the picture is black, another app has the camera.
  1. Open Settings → Apps → your browser → Permissions and allow the camera.
  2. Close the camera app and any video-call app running in the background.
  3. If only one of the two cameras works, try the front and back buttons above — some phones expose them separately.
  1. Open Settings → Safari (or your browser) and check the camera entry.
  2. Check Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions, where the camera can be switched off for the whole device.
  3. Close other apps that use the camera, because iOS hands it to one app at a time.

Allowing access in your browser

  1. Click the icon at the left end of the address bar, next to the site address.
  2. Find the camera or microphone entry and set it to allow.
  3. Reload the page — the permission only takes effect on a fresh load.
  4. If the entry is missing, open chrome://settings/content/microphone or chrome://settings/content/camera and remove this site from the blocked list.
  1. Click the icon at the left end of the address bar, next to the site address.
  2. Set the camera or microphone to allow, then reload the page.
  3. If the site is blocked, open edge://settings/content/microphone or edge://settings/content/camera and remove it from the blocked list.
  1. Click the icon at the left end of the address bar and remove the blocked permission.
  2. Reload the page and answer the permission prompt again.
  3. Permissions for every site live in Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions.
  1. On a Mac: Safari menu → Settings → Websites → Camera or Microphone, then set this site to Allow.
  2. On an iPhone or iPad: tap the page settings button at the left of the address bar and check the camera and microphone entries.
  3. Also check Settings → Safari on the device, where camera and microphone access can be blocked for every site at once.

Questions and answers

The camera works in the Camera app but not on websites. Why?
Websites get the camera through the browser, and the browser needs two permissions: one from the system for the browser as an app, and one from you for each site. The Camera app does not need either, so it can work while the browser is still blocked.
I clicked Block by mistake. How do I undo it?
Open the site information panel from the icon at the left of the address bar and set the camera back to Allow or Ask, then reload the page. In Safari on a Mac use Safari → Settings → Websites → Camera instead.
The light next to the camera is on, but the picture is black.
Something is receiving the camera signal, but the image is covered or empty. Check the privacy shutter first. If there is none, another program or a virtual camera may be selected; choose the physical camera from the list in the test.
Does it matter that the site uses HTTPS?
Yes. Browsers only give the camera to pages opened over a secure connection. A site that opens with plain http cannot ask for the camera at all, whatever your settings are.