Google Chrome Camera not working in Windows 11: How to Fix

Sadique Hassan•Updated Dec 18, 2021

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11. This offering from the Silicon Valley giant has always been the go-to choice for wider audiences. Its deep integration with the Google ecosystem as well as being able to checkmark most of the prerequisites that one could have asked for from an app belonging to this domain are just some of the reasons why people are inclined towards it.

However, Chrome seems to be giving a tough time when it comes to webcam access on the latest iteration of the OS. With work from home becoming the new norm, video and conference calls are seeing an incremental rise in their usage like never before. However, the users who are trying out the web clients of these apps are having a tough time as of late. Many have voiced their concern that they are unable to use the camera inside the Chrome browser running on their Windows 11 PC.

Moreover, the issue seems to be just within this browser ecosystem because as soon as the browser window is closed, the webcam seems to be working well and good again. So if you are also getting bugged with this issue, then this guide shall help you out. In this tutorial, we will make you aware of various methods to fix the issue of the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11. Follow along.

Table of Contents

Google Chrome Camera not working in Windows 11

Do note that there’s no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and see which one works best in your favor. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Try Basic Troubleshootings

First and foremost, consider restarting your PC. In many instances, a simple reboot is all that is needed to rectify the underlying, So give your PC a much-needed restart and then check out the results.
Likewise, also verify that none of the other apps are currently using your PC’s webcam. If an app is currently having access to the camera, then close it right away and then verify if the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11 has been fixed or not.

FIX 2: Enable Camera Permission

Next up, you should also verify that Google Chrome is allowed to have access to your PC’s webcam. If that is not the case, then grant it the said permission using the instructions given below:

Bring up the Settings menu via Windows+I shortcut keys.
Then select Privacy & Security from the left menu bar and go to the Camera section.
After that, enable the toggle next to Let Apps Access your Camera.
Next up, scroll down and enable Let Desktop Apps Access your Camera.
Now check if it fixes the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11.

FIX 3: Verify Site’s Permission use Camera

Not just for the browser, you will also have to grant access to the camera to each individual site as well. By default, none of the sites are allowed to access your PC’s webcam due to security concerns. So refer to the below instruction steps and enable the camera permission for the site of your choice.

Open the Chrome browser on your PC.
Then copy-paste the below location in the address bar and hit Enter:
```
chrome://settings/content/camera
```
Now scroll to the Not allowed to use your camera section.
Then hit the Delete button next to the website of your choice.
Check if it fixes the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11.

FIX 4: Disable Extension

In some instances, a third-party extension might conflict with the normal functionality of the browser. First off, let’s verify if that is the case or not, and if the culprit is indeed an add-on, then it’s better to disable it. Here’s how all of them could be carried out:

To begin with, launch the Chrome browser on your PC.
Then open a new Incognito tab via Windows+Shift+N shortcut keys.
Now check if the site is able to access the camera or not.
If it is able to access the camera, then the issue is indeed with an extension. So either disable or uninstall it.
For that, open a new (normal) window and head over to the below location:
```
chrome://extensions/
```
Now disable the extensions, one at a time, until you are able to recreate this issue.
As soon as the issue re-appears, the last enabled extension would be the culprit.
So hit the Remove button next to that extension and then restart your browser.
Check if it manages to fix the issue of the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11.

FIX 5: Delete Cache and Cookies

If a lot of temporary data gets accrued over the due course of time, or if the stored data gets corrupted, then it could spell out trouble for the entire browser. Therefore you should consider deleting these data and then let the browser re-populate the same from scratch. Here’s how:

Open Chrome and head over to the below location:
```
chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
```
After that, checkmark Cookies and Other Site Data and Cached Images and Files.
Then click on the Clear Data button and wait for the process to complete.
Once done, verify if the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11 has been fixed or not.

FIX 6: Run Camera Troubleshooter

Windows comes with quite a few troubleshooter apps and one of them focuses specifically on camera-related issues. So let’s put it to the test right away.

Open the Settings menu via the Windows+I shortcut keys combinations.
Then select Troubleshooter followed by Other Troubleshooter.
Now scroll to the Camera section and hit Run next to it.
Windows will now scan for underlying camera issues and shall bring in the associated fixes as well.
Just click on that fix to implement it and then restart your PC for the changes to be implemented.
Verify if it fixes the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11.

FIX 7: Update Camera Drivers

An old or outdated camera driver software would not only be a cause of concern for your webcam but also for all the apps that are dependent on it, which, as of now, includes Chrome as well. So check for a pending update for these drivers, and if available, download and install them right away, using the instructions given below:

Use the Windows+X shortcut and select Device Manager from the menu that appears.
Then expand the Camera section, right-click on your webcam, and select Update Drivers.
After that, select Search automatically for drivers.
Windows will now search online for the latest drivers and would download and subsequently install them.
Once done, restart your PC and then check if the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11 has been fixed or not.

FIX 8: Re-Enable Camera

You could also consider disabling and re-enabling the camera drivers. Doing so will give the webcam a fresh instance to work upon and this, in turn, might rectify the underlying issue as well.

So right-click on the Windows icon and select Device Manager.
After that, expand the Camera section, right-click on your webcam, and select Disable Device.
Then click Disable in the confirmation dialog box.
Now, wait for a minute or two, right-click on your camera, and select Enable Device.
Check if it fixes the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11.

FIX 9: Disable Antivirus

In some instances, the Firewall or an anti-virus app might prevent the third-party apps from accessing your PC’s webcam. To verify if that is the case or not, you should consider temporarily disabling the antivirus app and then check out the results. The below steps are for Windows Defender, if you are using any other app, then check out their Settings page for the disable rule.

Head over to Start Menu, search Windows Security, and open it.
After that, select Virus and Threat Protection.
Then scroll to the Virus and Threat Protection Settings and click on Manage Settings.
Now disable the toggle next to Real-Time Protection.
Verify if it fixes the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11.
if the issue is still there, then make sure to re-enable Real-Time Protection before moving over to the next fix.

FIX 10: Reset Browser

If none of the aforementioned methods managed to work out for you, then you should consider resetting the browser to its factory default state. Doing so will remove all the customizations, tweaks, delete cache cookies and history and disable all the extensions as well. So make sure to sync all the browser data with your Google account beforehand before proceeding with the below steps:

Launch Chrome and head over to the below location
```
chrome://settings/reset
```
Then click on Restore Settings to their original default.
After that, click Reset Settings in the confirmation dialog box.
Once done, restart the browser and sign in with your Google account.
Now try using the webcam, you shouldn’t face any issues.

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the issue of the Google Chrome camera not working in Windows 11. We have listed ten different methods for the same. Do let us know in the comments which one spelled out success for you. Likewise, all your queries are welcomed in the comments section below.

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