Switching between front and rear cameras
Start the test, then use the camera source list in the readout panel. Android devices expose every lens separately, so a phone with a wide, ultra-wide and telephoto rear camera will list several options. The Facing field shows whether the selected lens points at you or away.
If the camera fails in Chrome but works in the built-in camera app, see allowing camera access. Not every lens is available to browsers. Android restricts some, particularly depth and macro sensors, so the browser list can be shorter than what the built-in camera app offers.
Android has two layers of permission
This is the key difference from a desktop, and the cause of most failures.
- The app permission. Chrome itself needs camera access from Android. Go to Settings, Apps, Chrome, Permissions, Camera and set it to Allow. If this is off, no website can ever get a camera, and the browser prompt may not even appear.
- The site permission. Within Chrome, each site asks separately. Tap the icon at the left of the address bar, choose Permissions, and set Camera to Allow.
People frequently fix one and not the other, then conclude the camera is broken.
Check the notification shade. Android shows a small green dot in the corner of the status bar whenever a camera is in use. Swiping down reveals which app has it. That indicator comes from Android itself and is reliable.
Resolution on a phone
The resolution shown above is what the browser negotiated, not what your phone's camera is capable of. Browsers request a modest stream by default to save battery and bandwidth, so a phone with a 50 megapixel sensor will typically report something like 1280 by 720 here. That is normal and is what video calling apps use too.
Battery and thermal effects
Sustained camera use warms a phone, and Android reduces performance when a device gets hot, which shows up as a falling frame rate. On a long video call you may see the frame rate drop over time. Taking the phone out of a thick case and off a wireless charger both help, since charging while streaming video is the fastest way to trigger thermal throttling.
If the camera fails in Chrome but works in the camera app
That isolates it to a permission rather than hardware. Work through both layers above. If it still fails, clear Chrome's site settings for the page in question, since a remembered denial stops the prompt from ever appearing again.
Other browsers
Firefox, Edge, Samsung Internet and Opera all support camera access on Android and follow the same two-layer permission model. Testing in a second browser is a quick way to confirm whether the problem is Chrome-specific.
Common questions
How do I switch between front and rear cameras?
Start the test, then choose a different entry in the camera source list. Android exposes each lens separately, and the Facing field shows which way the selected one points.
The permission prompt never appears.
Chrome itself probably lacks camera permission from Android. Go to Settings, Apps, Chrome, Permissions, Camera and allow it, then reload the page.
Why is the resolution lower than my phone's camera?
Browsers request a modest stream by default to save battery and bandwidth. Video calling apps do the same, so this reflects real call quality.
Frame rate drops during long use.
Thermal throttling. Phones reduce performance as they warm up. Remove the case, stop charging while streaming, and the rate usually recovers.