After installing my new MacBook Pro M1, I had an issue where Google Chrome would ask me to give permission to a site for using a camera and microphone, but would then show them as inaccessible.
First level googling suggested going to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Camera and tick the box next to Google Chrome. Just one problem – Google Chrome was not listed and there doesn’t seem to be a way to add a program to that list manually.
Another hit suggested upgrading Chrome and macOS – both were upgraded already.
I googled some more and found this report of the same problem with comments closed and no answer.
I tried a bunch of things in Chrome and had no success – settings, other sites, disabling/enabling camera… nothing worked.
So I gave up and opened Safari to see if I can at least use the camera there. It worked out of the box, the camera and mic turned on and I was in the meeting. I then opened System Preferences and Safari is not listed there at all – I guess that’s what you get when you work in the same building as the OS guys. Went back to Chrome to see if it works now and Chrome asked me for permissions again – only this time, it also appeared in Privacy list, where I could now allow access to Camera and Microphone.
I had a feeling using Safari first might trigger this, but it was more of a Hail Mary then anything else really. The other option – removing Chrome with all the profiles and trying from scratch – did not sound appealing at all.