To let Chrome use the camera on an iPhone, open the iPhone Settings app, tap Apps > Chrome, and turn on Camera. Then open the website in Chrome and, when it asks for your camera, choose Allow while visiting the site or Allow this time. If you blocked that site earlier, tap the Camera icon on the left of the address bar and turn its permission back on.
The steps below follow Google’s help page Use your camera and microphone in Chrome (iPhone & iPad) and Apple’s iPhone User Guide page Control access to hardware features on iPhone.
What You Need Before You Start
- A supported iPhone. Google says the current Chrome app works with iOS 18 and up. The menu names in this guide come from Google’s and Apple’s current help pages, so an older iPhone may show slightly different labels.
- An up-to-date Chrome app. The three-choice camera prompt described here is what Google documents for the current app.
- A site that actually asks for the camera. Chrome does not hand the camera to websites in advance. A video call page, an ID check, or a scanner page has to request it first.
- Your own device settings. On a work or school iPhone, Google says an administrator can set Chrome’s camera and microphone settings, and you may not be able to change them.
Why There Are Two Camera Permissions
Camera access for Chrome on an iPhone is decided in two places, and both have to say yes.
The first is the iPhone itself. Apple requires every app to ask before it uses the camera, and it keeps a switch for each app in the Settings app. This switch covers Chrome as a whole app.
The second is the site permission, which is Chrome’s record of your answer for one website. Each site asks separately, so allowing one site does not allow the next one.
This is why the camera can stay blocked after you tap Allow on a website. Google notes that when camera access for Chrome is turned off on the device, you may not get a permission prompt at all when you visit a site.
Step 1: Turn On Camera Access for Chrome in iPhone Settings
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap Apps. This opens the list of apps installed on the iPhone.
- Tap Chrome. Use the search field at the top of the list if you have a lot of apps.
- Turn on Camera. The switch turns green when it is on.
- If the site also needs sound, such as a video call, turn on Microphone on the same screen.
Nothing starts recording when you turn these switches on. They only let Chrome ask for the camera when a site or a Chrome feature needs it.
Another route: Privacy & Security
Apple documents a second path to the same switch. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. The list shows the apps that have requested camera access, and you can turn access on or off for any app on it, including Chrome.
This screen is handy when you want to review every app at once. The same switch exists for games and other apps, as shown in our guide to turning camera permission on or off for Pokémon GO.
Step 2: Allow the Website When Chrome Asks
- Open Chrome on your iPhone.
- Go to the site that wants to use your camera, and start the feature that needs it, such as joining the call or tapping the scan button.
- When the prompt appears, pick one of the three choices in the table below.
- If you tapped the wrong one, tap Edit right away. Google says this lets you change your preference immediately.
| Choice in the prompt | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Allow while visiting the site | A site you trust and plan to keep using during this visit, such as a long video meeting. |
| Allow this time | A one-off task, such as a single ID photo or a quick scan. |
| Never allow | A site that has no good reason to see your camera. |
Google lists these three choices but does not spell out exactly how long each one lasts, so expect a site to ask again on a later visit. If a site asks for the microphone as well, you will answer for that too.
How to Change Camera Access for One Site
Use this when you chose Never allow by mistake, or when you want to take access away from a site you allowed.
- Open the site in Chrome.
- Look at the left side of the address bar and tap the Camera icon. For sound, tap the Microphone icon instead.
- Turn the permission on or off.
The change applies to that site only. Google notes that these icons only appear if you previously changed your camera or microphone permissions for the site, so you will not see them on a site that has never asked.
If the permission is on for the site but the camera still does not start, reload the page and try the camera feature again so the site sends a fresh request.
How to Confirm the Camera Is Working
- You see yourself. The site’s preview window or call screen shows the camera picture.
- A green indicator appears. Apple says a green indicator shows whenever an app uses the camera, including when the camera and microphone are used together. An orange indicator means the microphone is in use without the camera.
- Control Center names the app. Apple says a message appears at the top of Control Center when an app has recently used the camera or microphone.
If the green indicator is on but the site shows a black box, the iPhone side is working and the problem is more likely with the site. Reload the page or check the site’s own camera button.
How to Turn Camera Access Off Again
You can undo either permission at any time, and neither change deletes anything.
- One site: open the site, tap the Camera icon on the left of the address bar, and turn the permission off.
- All of Chrome: go to Settings > Apps > Chrome and turn off Camera, or use Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera.
Before you turn off the iPhone switch: it blocks the camera for every website in Chrome and for Chrome’s own camera features. Sites may stop showing a prompt, so a video call page can look broken until you turn the switch back on.
Troubleshooting: Chrome Still Can’t Use the Camera
- No prompt appears. Check the iPhone switch first. Google says that if camera access for Chrome is off on the device, you may not find a permission prompt when you visit a site. Turn on Camera in Settings > Apps > Chrome, then reload the page.
- You chose Never allow. Tap the Camera icon on the left of the address bar and turn the permission on.
- There is no Camera icon in the address bar. That is expected on a site where you have not changed the permission. Start the site’s camera feature so it asks you.
- There is no Camera switch on the Chrome settings screen. Apple’s privacy lists show apps that have requested access, so the switch may be missing if Chrome has never asked for the camera on this iPhone. Open a site that needs the camera in Chrome, answer the request, then check Settings again.
- You can’t find Apps in Settings. Use Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera instead, or update your iPhone. Menu layouts on older iOS versions can differ from the current help pages.
- The switch is grayed out or keeps turning off. On a work or school device, Google says your administrator can set the camera and microphone settings. Ask the person who manages the device.
- The picture works but nobody can hear you. Turn on Microphone for Chrome in Settings > Apps > Chrome, and allow the microphone when the site asks.
- Chrome is out of date. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture at the top right, scroll to Available Updates, and tap Update next to Chrome if it is listed. Google explains this in Update Google Chrome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Chrome use the camera for on an iPhone?
Google says you can use the camera and microphone in Chrome for sites and features like video chatting, and for Chrome features such as Voice Search and the QR code scanner. A website only gets the camera after you answer its prompt.
Can I allow one site and block all the others?
Yes. Leave Camera turned on for Chrome in iPhone Settings, choose an Allow option for the site you trust, and choose Never allow when any other site asks. Each site’s answer is stored separately.
Is there a camera setting inside Chrome’s own Settings menu?
Google’s iPhone help page for site permissions lists only pop-ups, default apps, and default site view under More > Settings > Content Settings. Camera is not on that list. On an iPhone, camera access is handled by the prompt, the address bar icon, and the iPhone Settings app.
Do I need to turn on Microphone too?
Only when the site needs sound. Video calls usually need both. Google adds that for voice features such as Voice Search, you may also need to turn on Speech Recognition and Microphone for Chrome in Settings > Apps > Chrome.
Does this change camera access in Safari?
No. The Chrome switch only affects the Chrome app. Safari has its own website camera settings, which are covered in Can websites access your iPhone camera?
How do I know if a site is using my camera right now?
Look for the green indicator at the top of the screen. Apple says it appears whenever an app uses the camera. You can also open Control Center to see which app used the camera or microphone recently.
Next Steps
Once the camera works, go back to Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera every so often and turn off any app that no longer needs it. These Chrome guides may help next:
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.