How to Check Browser Permissions in Brave
If you need to see which websites can use your camera, microphone, location, or notifications, Brave makes it easy to review those settings.
This guide shows exactly how to check browser permissions in Brave and understand the controls that affect your privacy and site behavior.
Why browser permissions matter in Brave
Browser permissions determine what a website can access on your device.
In Brave, these settings help you balance privacy with functionality, since many sites need permission for features such as video calls, maps, file uploads, or push alerts.
Brave is built on Chromium, so its permission controls are familiar to Chrome users, but Brave adds privacy-focused defaults and Shields protections.
That means it is worth checking both site-specific permissions and the browser-wide defaults if something is not working as expected.
How to check browser permissions in Brave from the address bar
The fastest way to inspect permissions for a specific website is through the lock or site info icon in the address bar.
- Open the website you want to inspect.
- Click the lock icon or site information icon to the left of the web address.
- Look for Site settings or Permissions.
- Review access for camera, microphone, location, notifications, pop-ups, JavaScript, and other available controls.
This view shows permissions only for the current site.
It is the best place to check whether Brave is blocking a feature for one website while allowing it for others.
How to check browser permissions in Brave through Settings
To review broader permission rules across all sites, use Brave’s main Settings menu.
- Open Brave and click the three-line or three-dot menu in the top-right corner, depending on your platform.
- Select Settings.
- Go to Privacy and security or Site and Shields Settings.
- Open the relevant permission category, such as Camera, Microphone, Location, or Notifications.
From there, you can see which sites are allowed, blocked, or set to ask before access is granted.
This is the most efficient way to audit permissions across multiple websites at once.
What permission categories should you check?
When reviewing permissions in Brave, focus on the categories that most often affect day-to-day browsing.
- Camera: Required for video conferencing, online ID verification, and live streaming tools.
- Microphone: Needed for voice calls, recording tools, and conferencing platforms.
- Location: Used by maps, weather services, delivery sites, and local search tools.
- Notifications: Controls whether websites can send alerts to your desktop.
- Pop-ups and redirects: Important for login flows, payment pages, and some document tools.
- Automatic downloads: Useful to inspect if a site is trying to save files without prompting.
- JavaScript: Usually required for modern websites, though disabling it can improve privacy in certain cases.
Not every site needs every permission.
If a page fails to work, check whether the required access has been blocked at the site level or browser level.
How to change permissions for a specific site
Once you find the site you want to adjust, Brave lets you change the permission immediately.
- Open the site.
- Click the lock icon in the address bar.
- Choose Site settings.
- Change the permission from Block to Allow, or from Allow to Block.
Many permissions also offer a middle option: Ask.
This is often the safest practical setting because it gives you control each time the site requests access.
How to check browser permissions in Brave on desktop versus mobile
The general process is similar across devices, but the menus are not identical.
On desktop
Desktop Brave gives you the most detailed permission controls.
You can review site access from the address bar, then open browser settings to edit global defaults and stored exceptions.
On Android or iPhone
On mobile, permissions may also depend on the operating system.
For example, Brave can request camera access, but Android or iOS may also need to approve that access in the device settings.
If a website is not detecting your camera or microphone, check both Brave’s site settings and your phone’s system permissions.
How Brave Shields affects site permissions
Brave Shields can block trackers, scripts, cookies, and other content that websites rely on.
In some cases, a feature may not work even when the site permission is set correctly.
If a page seems broken, look at the Brave Shields lion icon in the address bar.
You may need to temporarily lower Shields for that site, or adjust cookie and script settings, before the permission you checked will actually take effect.
This is especially relevant for:
- Embedded video calls
- Payment and login pages
- Map-based services
- Web apps with third-party authentication
How to review permissions for all sites at once
If you want a full audit, use the site permissions section inside Brave settings.
This lets you scan categories one by one and see every website that has requested access.
A good review process is to check the following list:
- Sites allowed to use your camera
- Sites allowed to use your microphone
- Sites allowed to track your location
- Sites permitted to send notifications
- Sites blocked from pop-ups or redirects
- Sites granted access to clipboard or USB devices, if applicable
Removing stale permissions is a smart privacy habit, especially for sites you no longer use.
Why a site may still not work after you allow permission
Sometimes the correct permission is set, but the site still fails.
That usually means another setting is interfering.
- Brave Shields may be blocking scripts or third-party resources.
- Cookies may be disabled, preventing sign-in or session persistence.
- Device permissions at the operating system level may be denied.
- Extensions may block media, scripts, or forms.
- Cached site data may be outdated or corrupted.
In those cases, refresh the page after changing settings, then test again.
If needed, try the site in a private window to rule out extension conflicts and stale data.
Best practices for managing permissions in Brave
Brave works best when you allow only the permissions a site truly needs.
That approach reduces tracking risk while keeping essential features available.
- Use Ask instead of Allow when possible.
- Review permissions after using a new web app.
- Remove access for sites you no longer trust.
- Check both Brave settings and your device settings when troubleshooting.
- Revisit Shields if a feature fails after you change a permission.
For privacy-sensitive categories such as location, camera, and microphone, it is wise to grant access only when the site is actively in use.
When to reset site permissions in Brave
If your permission list has become cluttered, or if a website keeps behaving inconsistently, resetting permissions can help.
This clears saved exceptions so you can start fresh with cleaner defaults.
Resetting is useful after major site updates, browser changes, or repeated troubleshooting.
It is also helpful if you have allowed a permission by mistake and want to return to a more restrictive setup.
After a reset, revisit the site and re-enable only the permissions that are required for the task at hand.