Camera not working in your browser? Photo booth fixes

If Shot after Shot shows an empty preview, press Enable camera and look for your browser's permission prompt. If it shows an error, read the message under Camera first. A blocked permission, an unavailable device, and a missing friend's video need different checks.

The words "Your camera preview" are a placeholder before access. They do not mean the camera is broken. The screenshot below shows that starting state on our actual camera-setup screen.

Change one thing, then retry and check whether your own preview moves. In a group, keep the room link and tell the host before reloading or restarting the browser so you can return to the same session.

Match the message to the next check

These are messages you may see in Shot after Shot. They point you toward a check; they do not prove a single cause.

What you see	Try this first
Enable camera and a placeholder	Press Enable camera, then answer the browser prompt
Waiting for browser permission…	Look for the open permission prompt and choose whether to allow this site
Camera access is blocked…	Check this site's permission and the device's permission for the browser
That camera is unavailable…	Check the connection or choose another available camera
The camera could not start…	Close other camera apps and tabs, then press Retry camera
The camera is paused…	Return to the booth tab and check the preview
The camera stopped…	Check access and the device connection, then retry

If there is no prompt, repeatedly pressing the button may not help. Start with the saved site permission. A browser can also leave a request pending while you have not answered it, as the MDN camera API reference explains.

Shot after Shot requests the camera without microphone audio. Microphone permission is not required to make this photo preview work.

Check this website's camera permission

A permission belongs to the site you are using. Allowing another video-call website does not grant access to Shot after Shot. Check the address and the saved Camera decision for this site.

In Chrome on a computer, open Settings, then Privacy and security, Site settings, and Camera. Find this site in the list of sites not allowed to use the camera and change its Camera permission if you want to allow access. Google's Chrome instructions also cover the default camera and permissions in computer settings.

In Edge, search Settings for Camera or open the site's permissions from the address bar. Check the camera decision for this domain. Microsoft's Edge troubleshooting guide distinguishes site permission, device permission, and camera availability.

In Firefox, open Settings, Privacy & Security, then the Camera settings in the Permissions section. Change the decision for this website or remove its saved entry so you can answer a new request. Save the change. Mozilla's permission guide shows both the settings route and the address-bar permission controls.

Return to the booth and press Retry camera. If the browser requires a reload, use the same room link afterward. You only need to change the decision for the site you intend to use.

Safari on Mac and iPhone

On Mac, open Safari Settings, Websites, then Camera and check the entry for this site. Apple's Mac camera guide covers the Safari website control as well as device-level access.

On iPhone in Safari, open the Page Menu, then Website Settings and check Camera for the current website. Apple's Safari privacy guide documents site exceptions and the Ask, Deny, and Allow choices. A saved Deny decision needs attention before the page can use the camera.

If you opened the room inside a messaging or social app, try opening that same link in your regular browser. This is a useful comparison when the embedded view cannot show a permission prompt. Keep the host informed before switching views.

Check the device permission too

An Allow choice on the website cannot override an operating-system block on the browser. These are separate checks.

On Windows 11, open Settings, Privacy & security, then Camera. Check Camera access and the option that lets desktop apps access the camera. A desktop browser may not appear among the individual Microsoft Store app switches. Microsoft's camera-permission guide explains the difference.

On Mac, open System Settings, Privacy & Security, then Camera and check the browser if it is listed. The list depends on apps that have requested access. A working built-in camera app does not by itself prove that your browser has permission, as Apple's camera guide explains.

Follow any prompt to restart the browser after changing device access. Keep the room link before quitting. On a school or work device, a locked setting may be controlled by an administrator; ask them about that setting rather than resetting the whole browser.

If the camera is unavailable or cannot start

Close other meeting apps, camera tools, and duplicate booth tabs that may be using the webcam. Then return to one booth tab and press Retry camera. The message "The camera could not start" can have more than one cause, so treat this as a check rather than a guaranteed fix.

For an external webcam, check its cable and connection. If it has a physical privacy shutter or a camera-disable switch, check that too. A closed shutter can leave an active camera showing a black picture.

You can test the device in your computer's camera app. If it fails there too, investigate the connection or device before changing more website settings. If it works, close that app before returning to the browser.

When camera choices are available, use the Camera menu in Shot after Shot to select the intended device. A laptop webcam, USB webcam, or virtual camera may produce different views. Check the result after selecting one.

Flip camera changes the direction of the preview. It does not choose a different physical camera, so use the Camera menu when you need another device.

If the same device works outside the browser but still cannot start in the booth, try the secure site in another current browser as a comparison. Note which browser works. That result helps narrow the problem without changing several settings at once.

If only a friend's video is missing

First check whether your own preview moves. If it does, camera access is working on your device at that moment.

Ask the friend with the missing picture to check their own preview and message. Each participant enables their own camera. A host's working camera cannot grant access on another person's device.

If both people can see their own moving previews but cannot see each other, investigate the room connection next. Check that you joined the same room link and that both devices have a working internet connection. Tell the host before rejoining through the same link.

That distinction matters. Repeatedly changing a working local camera permission will not identify a missing connection between participants. For a persistent problem, record which person can see which preview and include that information in the report.

Use the secure site and verify one capture

Open shotaftershot.com directly over HTTPS. Browser camera access requires a secure context; ordinary HTTP pages on other hosts may not be able to request it. The MDN reference documents this requirement.

Once your preview appears, move a hand to confirm that it is live. Check the crop, then complete a trial frame before starting a longer session. The how-to guide explains the capture controls.

If the picture moves but your face is dark or cut off, camera access is no longer the issue you are fixing. Use the lighting guide or framing guide for the next adjustment.

If it still fails, include your device, operating system, browser and version, the exact on-screen message, whether the system camera app worked, and whether your own preview or only a friend's video is missing. Send those details through Contact. A screenshot of the message is useful; keep other people's camera images out of it unless they agree.