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Operating System Guide

Test Your Android Camera in the Browser

Run the test below in Chrome, then use the Android fixes underneath. Android layers permission twice — Chrome needs camera access from the system, and each site needs permission from Chrome — so a working camera app does not guarantee a working browser camera.

Camera off

Live Readout

What Your Camera Is Actually Delivering

  • Camera:—
  • Resolution:—
  • Frame Rate:—
  • Aspect Ratio:—
  • Microphone Detected:—

These are the values your browser negotiated with the camera just now, not the numbers on the box. A difference between the two is exactly what the guidance below is for.

The two permission layers on Android

System permission for the browser appGo to Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions > Camera and set it to Allow. If Chrome itself lacks camera permission, no website will ever get access regardless of site settings.
Site permission inside ChromeTap the icon left of the address bar, choose Permissions, and set Camera to Allow. Alternatively open chrome://settings/content/camera to review every site at once.
Check "Allow only while using the app"Android's per-app camera permission has several modes. For browser use, allowing access while the app is in use is sufficient and is the recommended setting.

Switching lenses on Android

Chrome can expose several camerasUnlike iOS, Android often presents front, rear and sometimes ultra-wide lenses as separate devices to the browser, so a site with a camera selector can switch between them.
The browser still cannot force itWhich camera you get is decided by the page, not by an Android setting. A page without a selector will use whichever device the system offers first, normally the front lens.
Resolution varies widelyAndroid devices differ enormously in what resolution they expose to a browser, and it is often well below the camera's native capability. A lower figure than the phone's advertised megapixels is normal.

Manufacturer layers and common blocks

Vendor privacy featuresSamsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and others add their own privacy dashboards on top of Android. Look for a camera toggle in the manufacturer's own security or privacy settings if the standard Android permission looks correct but access still fails.
Samsung One UISettings → Security and privacy → Permission manager → Camera, then check each app individually. Unlike the microphone, One UI has no single quick-panel toggle that blocks the camera for every app at once — each app is allowed or blocked separately.
Xiaomi HyperOSSettings → Privacy → Privacy dashboard for a per-app view, but also check the quick-panel Camera toggle reachable by swiping down from the top of the screen. That toggle blocks camera access system-wide on HyperOS 2, even for apps you've already granted permission to — it's the first thing to check if every app suddenly loses camera access at once.
Battery optimisationAggressive battery saving on some devices restricts background camera and media access. Excluding your browser from battery optimisation can resolve intermittent faults.
Another app holding the cameraClose the camera app and any video-calling app fully — Android does not always release the camera when an app is merely backgrounded.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I give Chrome camera permission on Android?Go to Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions > Camera and set it to Allow. Then, inside Chrome, tap the icon left of the address bar, choose Permissions, and allow Camera for the specific site.
Why does my Android camera work in the camera app but not in the browser?They use separate permissions. The camera app has its own grant; Chrome needs a system-level camera permission, and each website then needs permission from Chrome on top of that.
Can I switch to the rear camera in a mobile browser?Only if the website offers a camera selector. Android usually exposes front and rear lenses as separate devices, but the choice is made by the page rather than by any Android or Chrome setting.
Why is my phone's browser camera resolution so low?Browsers are typically offered a much lower resolution than the phone's native camera hardware supports. A figure well below the advertised megapixel count is expected behaviour, not a fault.

Supported Browsers on Android

Camera access depends on WebRTC support, which varies by browser even on the same device.

Browser compatibility for camera access on Android
BrowserSupportNotes
ChromeFull supportDefault browser on most Android devices, full WebRTC support
FirefoxFull supportFull WebRTC support
EdgeFull supportChromium-based
SafariNot availableApple does not offer Safari for Android

Camera behavior can also vary meaningfully between Android manufacturers even at the same Android version, since phone makers frequently customize the underlying Camera2 API implementation and add their own image-processing layer on top of it. If a camera test looks or performs noticeably differently on two phones running the same Chrome version, the manufacturer's own camera stack, not the browser, is usually why.

Related Testing Tools

Once the camera is working, these check the things a basic preview cannot: the full diagnostics bench, microphone and room acoustics, and a ranked fix plan built from your results.

Other platforms: Windows 11 · Windows 10 · Mac · a Chromebook · iPhone Camera · Linux · iPad Camera