Modern websites often require video calls to be used to pass identification, participate in online conferences, or simply create avatars. Xiaomi Redmi and Poco smartphone owners running on the MIUI or HyperOS shell may encounter a situation where the site requests access to the camera, but the system blocks this action. This is not a bug, but a built-in security mechanism that requires manual confirmation by the user.
If you're trying to log into a banking application through a browser or go through video verification on government services, the lack of video streaming can be a serious problem. Android system permissions are designed so that even if you have permissions from the browser itself, a particular site can be blocked separately, and understanding the logic of these restrictions will help quickly establish the work of video communication.
In this article, we’ll look at all the possible reasons why the camera isn’t working on the site, and provide step-by-step troubleshooting instructions. We’ll look at the settings both inside the browser itself and in the smartphone’s system menu to rule out any software conflicts.
Checking permissions in Android settings
The first step should always be to check the basic operating system settings. The browser is just an intermediary that requests resources from Android. If the Chrome, Yandex or Samsung Internet application itself does not have the right to use the lens, the site will not get anything. On Xiaomi devices, the path to these settings may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell.
You go to the main settings menu and find the section responsible for managing applications, which displays the full list of installed programs and their current privileges, and it is important to make sure that the switch opposite your browser is activated, otherwise all further actions will be useless.
Sometimes the system can reset permissions after a major upgrade or memory cleanup, so if everything worked before and now it stopped, it's worth checking it again, and physical access to the hardware is controlled at this level.
- 📱 Open “Settings” and go to the “Applications” section».
- 🔍 Find your browser in the list (for example, Google Chrome).
- 🔒 Click on App Permissions and select Camera».
- ✅ Set the value of “always allow” or “always allow».
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If the Camera item is not in the restriction list, try removing the browser cache through the Memory menu in the same app settings.
Configure access directly in the browser
Once the system permissions are verified, you have to configure the browser itself. Modern versions of Chrome and other popular browsers allow you to manage access flexibly for each specific domain, which means you can allow access to one site and deny access to another.
To do this, you need to go to the page that requires a video link. URL-The address, usually displays a lock icon or a settings slider, and clicking on it opens a pop-up menu with security options for the current resource.
If you block your camera from this menu, you can't start a video stream even if everything is allowed on the system, local settings take priority for a specific domain, and you should also check if there's a switch in the "Block" position.
☑️ Checking site settings
⚠️ Note: Some sites may use non-standard ports or protocols, which may cause the browser to consider the connection unsafe and lock the camera automatically.
Features of the MIUI and HyperOS shell
Xiaomi smartphones are known for their aggressive privacy policies: MIUI 12, 13, 14 shells and the new HyperOS have additional layers of protection that can overlap standard Android settings. In particular, there is a Privacy Protection feature that can hide a real image or block access.
Newer versions of firmware have added a feature called “Data masking” or “Empty permissions.” If you previously chose “Allow only while in use” or “Empty resolution,” the browser will think the camera is working, but it will actually get a black screen or an error, this is done to protect against surveillance, but it interferes with legitimate sites.
You should also look at the Permissions Manager in the privacy settings, where you can see your search history and your blocking history, and if you see red icons next to your browser, it means that the system is blocking your access attempt in real time.
What is "Empty Permission"?
Table: Comparison of settings in different browsers
Different web browsers may interpret website queries and system policies differently. Below is a table that will help you navigate where to look for settings in popular Android browsers.
| browser | The Way to Setting Up the Site | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | The lock in the address bar → Permissions | Synchronization with Google account |
| Yandex Browser | Three points → Settings → Sites → Camera | Built-in Turbo mode can block |
| Samsung Internet | Menu → Website settings → Permissions | Separate list of locks |
| Mozilla Firefox | Three points → Settings → Delete site data | Requires resetting permissions for changes |
As you can see from the table, the logic is similar everywhere, but the layout of the menu can confuse the inexperienced user. If you can not configure access in one browser, it makes sense to try an alternative option, for example, Firefox or the built-in MIUI browser.
Solving video communication problems on websites
There are situations where all permissions are right, but the video stream does not appear, in which case the problem may be a conflict of software versions or cached data. The old cache of the site may contain information that access was previously denied, and the browser simply reproduces this state.
Try opening your site in Incognito mode, which is a mode where the extensions are disabled and the cache is not used. If the incognito camera is running, you should clean the main browser profile data, and check if the antivirus or the built-in Safe Browsing is blocking access.
Another common reason is simultaneous access: If Zoom, Telegram or another app that uses a camera is running in the background, the browser will not be able to access it.
- 🔄 Close all apps that can use the camera.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache and data of the problematic browser.
- 🌐 Try to navigate to a website via a mobile network, not Wi-Fi (sometimes the provider blocks ports).
- 📲 Make sure that the screen does not have a system window “Allow access” that is blocked by another window.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to the most popular questions of Xiaomi Redmi users related to setting up video conferencing in the browser.
Why does the site say “Camera is busy” when I don’t include anything?
Can I only give access during the conversation?
Why is the browser black, even though the camera works?
Does the Android version affect camera access?
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The main reason for the problems is the conflict between MIUI system permissions and the settings of a particular site in the browser.
Compliance with these recommendations will allow you to quickly adjust the work of video communication on any resource. MIUI/HyperOS, As manufacturers are constantly improving compatibility with web standards.