This app needs your permission to use your camera on Windows

You may run into this issue where, when you open your Camera application on your Windows 11/10 computer you may get to see this error message: This app needs your permission to use your camera – You can change this in the app’s settings. If that is the case, then this post will interest you.

This app needs your permission to use your camera

The main reason why this could happen is that the app permission was either denied in the first place or it was never asked for. For example, a Travel app might use your location to help identify interesting landmarks near you, a Photo app may use your picture library to create a slide show, or an Instant Messaging app may use the webcam connected to your PC for video chats. So if the application fails to prompt or you deny it when asked for the first time, it stays blocked until you manually unblock it i.e., manually set the app permission.

In Windows 11, to change the Camera app’s setting, follow these steps:

Right-click on the Start Button and select Settings.
Select Privacy & Security from the left side.
Scroll down the Privacy & Security page till you find the App permissions section.
Now click Camera and turn on the button next to Camera access (available on the top right side).
Scroll down and turn on the toggle button next to the Camera app which is requesting permission.

In Windows 10, you will get the settings here – Settings > Privacy > Camera. Toggle the switch to the On or Off position as required.

In Windows 8.1, to manually set or grant permission for Camera application, take these steps:

Open your Camera application
Press Win + C to open the Charms
Click on Settings
Click on Permissions – that’s where we’ll give permission for the Camera app to use our Webcam & Microphone.
Change the Webcam and microphone toggle from Off to On
Now close the Camera application and open it again.
You should have your camera application working fine now. Remember this holds for any other application that uses your Camera or Microphone.

I hope you find this article helpful. In case of any issues, please respond in our comments section. We’ll be glad to help you.

Why is my Camera permission not working?

If you find that, despite changing the Camera permissions in Windows Settings, it is not working, then you need to take a look at your third-party security software and check if it is blocking access.

TIP: This post The Camera app can’t be used with this version of Windows may also interest you.

ShyamS@TWC

Shyam aka “Captain Jack” is a Microsoft MVP alumnus and a Windows Enthusiast with an interest in Advanced Windows troubleshooting. Suggestions made and opinions expressed by him here are his personal ones and not of his current employers.

Comments

Emado says

July 4, 2013 at 5:26 PM

Thanks
Nitin says

August 30, 2013 at 4:29 AM

I am trying to write a app which use camera. when I click to capture picture using camera. when I clock on settings->permissions, I don’t get an option to select permissions for camera.
Virginia says

October 6, 2013 at 8:15 PM

SO Helpful, thank you!!
Anne says

February 23, 2014 at 4:27 AM

Thank you.
Aparajit says

February 23, 2014 at 3:54 PM

Thanks…
Must need to open camera app. first..!!!
Fran says

February 24, 2014 at 4:49 AM

When I try to open camera I get the message “Something happened and Camera Stopped” all the time. I don’t even see it listed in the settings anymore.
Anand Khanse says

February 24, 2014 at 8:31 AM

Try this: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/camera-app-cant-be-used-this-version-windows
akash jain says

March 24, 2014 at 11:45 AM

thanks seriously..simple and easy to understand…..so helpful
Adam says

March 27, 2014 at 8:11 AM

No one, not even Windows themselves explained that this needed to be done from within the camera app itself. A very simple step that they omitted. Thank you for explaining it so simply.
jack d modisa says

April 16, 2014 at 4:51 PM

thanks very much
student says

August 2, 2014 at 12:04 AM

Thanks
Happy says

October 20, 2014 at 12:42 PM

thanks our web cam is started
Mayur P. Badhe says

October 28, 2014 at 11:57 PM

thanxs,,,its workinkg
ujjwal kumar says

November 4, 2014 at 2:53 PM

THANK YOU….
SIMPLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND THROUGH PICTURE….
maria andrecencu says

February 7, 2015 at 1:07 PM

Many thanks !
Rackycz says

March 20, 2015 at 12:40 PM

Hi all.

I spent many hours searching for answer to question: “Why I cannot see any permissions in the Charm Bar”? I felt that my application (that I wrote in VS 2013 Express for Windows) needs to register the camera and microphone permission. But all manuals I found only repeat still the same again and again without further ideas or solutions: “Open Charm Bar and set YES”

But in my charm bar there were no possibilities to allow it. Then I found following article and it finally mentioned the word. “Manifest”. This was the most important information for me.

So if you are writing an application that should use for example camera (in VS 2013) open your “Solution Explorer” and find the file that contains word “manifest”. In my case it was Package.appxmanifest.

You won’t see any source codes, but a page with settings. Go to tab Capabilities and on the left side check check-boxes “WebCam” and “Microphone”. You can select any other permission if you want.

That is the magic.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/dn376408.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396
tic tac Toe says

March 27, 2016 at 2:48 AM

i dont see any permission option in setting. Infact it shows personlization control panel PC infro and Help tabs. Please help. Os- Win8