Browser Permissions & WebRTC Diagnostics
How to Clear Saved Camera Choices in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge remembers which specific camera you selected for each site you've granted access to, the same underlying behavior as Chrome since both share the same browser engine. Clear a single saved device choice, or every saved camera permission at once, from edge://settings/content/camera — Edge's direct equivalent of Chrome's own site-settings page.
Managing Saved Device Preferences in Edge
When more than one camera is connected to your system, Edge remembers not just whether a site is allowed to use the camera, but specifically which camera it should default to for that site — genuinely useful once configured correctly, but a source of confusion if an old, no-longer-preferred device stays selected after you've since switched to a different camera.
This saved device preference persists independently of the basic allow/block decision, meaning resetting only the permission (allow vs. block) doesn't necessarily reset which specific device was remembered — both may need attention depending on exactly what you're trying to fix.
Step-by-Step Guide to Reset Edge Camera Permissions
Step 1: Go to
edge://settings/content/camera.
Step 2: Review the site list
Under both "Allow" and "Block" sections.
Step 3: Click a specific site's entry
To see and change its remembered device, or click the trash icon to remove the saved decision entirely.
Step 4: For a full reset, remove every entry in the list
One at a time, or use Edge's broader "Clear browsing data" → Site permissions option for a complete wipe across every permission type at once.
Step 5: Revisit the site.
Edge will prompt fresh, letting you choose your currently preferred camera. ↑ Confirm your selection with the widget above.
A Useful Habit After Adding a New Camera
Whenever you connect a new external webcam or start using a different virtual camera source, it's worth deliberately revisiting edge://settings/content/camera for any site where the old device is still remembered as the default — Edge doesn't automatically detect that your preference has meaningfully changed just because a new, better device is now available, and will keep defaulting to whatever was previously selected until you explicitly update it.
This same settings page also shows sites where camera access was explicitly blocked, which is worth a periodic glance if you're troubleshooting a site that seems to never even ask for permission — a much older block, from months or years earlier, is easy to forget about entirely.
If you sync Edge across multiple devices using a Microsoft account, be aware that camera permissions are generally not included in that sync — each device maintains its own independent set of saved camera decisions, so clearing them on your desktop has no effect on a laptop signed into the same account.
This is different from bookmarks, browsing history, and saved passwords, which Edge does sync by default across devices when signed in — camera and microphone permissions are deliberately excluded from that sync specifically because device availability itself varies so much machine to machine, since a permission that made sense on a desktop with a specific external webcam wouldn't necessarily make sense applied automatically to a laptop with entirely different connected hardware.
A Few More Things to Check on Windows
How do I reset the Windows Camera app itself?
Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Camera, open its three-dot menu, and choose Advanced options → Reset. This clears the built-in Camera app’s own cache and settings without uninstalling it, which can fix a stuck, frozen, or permanently black preview even when the underlying device and driver are both working correctly. It only resets that one app — not your camera driver, and not other applications that use the camera.
Could my antivirus be silently blocking my camera?
Many third-party security suites — Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, and ESET among others — include their own webcam-protection feature that runs independently of Windows’ own privacy settings. That means Windows can show camera access as fully permitted while the antivirus software blocks it anyway, at a layer Windows has no visibility into. Check the antivirus program’s own settings, usually under a Privacy, Webcam Protection, or similarly named section, and confirm your browser or conferencing app is on its allow-list.
How do I re-enable my camera in Device Manager if it's disabled?
Right-click the Start button → Device Manager, expand Cameras or Imaging devices, and look for a greyed-out icon or a small down-arrow badge. Right-click that entry and choose Enable device. This is a different action from updating a driver — a disabled device won’t respond to any other fix until it’s explicitly re-enabled here first, so it’s worth checking before assuming the problem is a driver or a permission.
Is Windows' own camera privacy toggle blocking access, separately from anything else?
Windows keeps a system-level camera permission at Settings → Privacy & security → Camera, completely separate from Device Manager, the Camera app, and any antivirus software. This one screen has a master Camera access switch plus a per-app list beneath it — both need to be on. It’s worth checking directly, since a camera can show as fully enabled and working in Device Manager while this toggle silently blocks every app from reaching it.
Once you’ve changed the setting, the webcam test tool is the quickest way to confirm it actually took effect.