Google Chrome is getting a real-time camera and mic preview feature in Windows 11

The feature is currently buried inside an experimental flag

3 min. read

Published onApril 14, 2024

published onApril 14, 2024

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Google is now updating Chrome with a new camera and mic preview feature. The feature allows you to preview video and audio before letting websites like Zoom or Skype access it. Earlier, the company updated Chrome with a feature that allows you toscroll and zoom shared tabs in video calls.

Windows Latestfirst spotted the feature and shared the findings in arecent report. It added thatmultiple Chromium Gerrit postsand Google Documentation mentions it. Notably, the new Chrome feature is similar to the preview video and audio feature on Microsoft Teams.

You can access Google Chrome’s new audio and video preview feature by enabling an experimental flag

Google’s decision to supercharge Chrome with a camera and mic preview feature is a big deal. You can block unwanted camera or audio devices’ access from within the browser. This feature might be handy for regular Google Meet, Teams, or Zoom users in the coming days.

The real-time preview video and audio feature is not accessible immediately in the current version of Google Chrome. You’ll have to turn on an experimental flagchrome://flags#camera-mic-previewand relaunch the Chrome browser to access it. Once enabled, Chrome lets you choose the camera and the audio device before allowing you to access the website.

That’s not all, we also got our hands on apublicly available support documentthat details Chrome’s new camera and mic preview feature. Not to forget, we saw the attached document in theFeature: Media Previews opt-outpage of the Chrome Platform Status. The support document reads:

Chrome will provide real-time previews of camera and microphone input at the time camera and microphone permissions are requested by websites. These will also be available from the site’s pageinfo.

In addition, users with multiple devices will be able to select a camera or microphone at the time permissions are requested, unless the site has requested a specific device through getUserMedia().

For those uninitiated, thegetUserMedia()function enables websites to request access to certain hardware including web cameras and audio devices like microphones.

Here’s what Chrome’s camera and mic preview feature looks like in Windows 11

As far as camera preview is concerned, you can see your video appearing inside the rounded rectangle. That’s not all, the microphone preview section has two overlapping cylindrical rectangles on top of each other that show two values.

One displays the maximum possible audio level and the other gives the idea of the current audio level.The audio levels update every fifth of the second to provide a more steady feed, says Google in the support document.

All in all, the camera and mic preview feature coming to Chrome will make it easier to manage your settings. It will further cater to users who worry too much about how they look or sound before joining e-meetings.

What do you think about this feature? Did you try it? Please share your thoughts with our readers in the comments below.

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Google Chrome is getting a real-time camera and mic preview feature in Windows 11#

You can access Google Chrome’s new audio and video preview feature by enabling an experimental flag#

Here’s what Chrome’s camera and mic preview feature looks like in Windows 11#

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Google Chrome is getting a real-time camera and mic preview feature in Windows 11

You can access Google Chrome’s new audio and video preview feature by enabling an experimental flag

Here’s what Chrome’s camera and mic preview feature looks like in Windows 11