How to Block Website Notifications and Camera Access in Google Chrome

Modern web browsers are incredibly powerful, allowing websites to request access to your computer’s hardware, including your webcam, microphone, and location. They also frequently bombard you with requests to “Send Notifications” the exact second you open an article. While these features are essential for video conferencing apps like Zoom or Google Meet, they are deeply annoying and potentially invasive when abused by random news sites and online stores.

Rather than clicking “Block” on every single pop-up you encounter, you can dig into Google Chrome’s settings to manage site permissions globally, permanently blocking these requests before they even appear on your screen.

How to Access Global Site Settings

Google Chrome centralizes all hardware and notification permissions in a single security menu.

1. Open Google Chrome on your computer.
2. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser window.
3. From the drop-down menu, select Settings.
4. In the left-hand sidebar menu, click on Privacy and security.
5. In the main window, click on Site settings.

You are now in the command center for your browser’s permissions. Scroll down to the Permissions section to see individual categories like Location, Camera, Microphone, and Notifications.

How to Permanently Block Annoying Notification Requests

If you are tired of websites constantly asking to send you desktop alerts, you can silence them forever.

1. Click on Notifications in the Permissions list.
2. Look for the section labeled “Default behavior.”
3. Select the radio button next to Don’t allow sites to send notifications.

By selecting this option, Chrome will automatically deny every notification request in the background. You will never see the irritating pop-up asking for permission again. If you have a few specific sites (like Slack or WhatsApp Web) that you want to receive notifications from, you can manually add their URLs to the “Allowed to send notifications” list further down the page.

How to Secure Your Camera and Microphone

For privacy and security, it is critical to know exactly which websites have access to your audiovisual hardware.

1. Go back to the main Site settings menu.
2. Click on Camera.
3. Ensure the default behavior is set to Sites can ask to use your camera. (Do not select “Don’t allow” unless you never plan to use video conferencing in your browser).
4. Scroll down to the “Allowed to use your camera” section. This is a list of every website you have ever granted access to.
5. If you see a website on this list that you do not recognize, or no longer trust, click the Trash can icon next to it to immediately revoke its access.

Repeat this exact same process in the Microphone section to ensure only trusted applications can hear your audio.

How to Quickly Manage Permissions for a Single Site

If you only want to change the permissions for the exact website you are currently looking at, you do not need to navigate through the main settings menu.

Look at the address bar at the top of your Chrome window. To the immediate left of the website’s URL, you will see a small Settings icon (it looks like two horizontal sliders). Click this icon. A quick-access menu will drop down, showing only the specific permissions (Camera, Mic, Notifications) that the current website has requested. You can use the toggle switches here to instantly grant or revoke access on the fly.