Over time, Google Chrome builds a massive database of how you interact with specific websites. It remembers which sites are allowed to access your microphone, which sites can send you desktop notifications, and which sites have been granted permission to access your geographic location. These are known as “Site Settings.”
If you accidentally clicked “Allow” on a shady website that is now spamming you with pop-up notifications, or if your webcam refuses to work on a Zoom call because you previously clicked “Block,” you must erase your saved Site Settings. While you can hunt down individual website permissions one by one, the fastest way to fix widespread permission errors is to perform a global reset.
How to Completely Erase Chrome Site Settings
You can force Chrome to forget all previously granted permissions, resetting every website back to a “Ask First” default state.
- Open the Google Chrome browser.
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on the section labeled Clear browsing data. (A pop-up box will appear).
- At the top of this pop-up box, click the Advanced tab.
- Click the “Time range” drop-down menu and select All time.
- Now, carefully look at the long list of checkboxes. Uncheck everything (Browsing history, Download history, Cookies, Passwords) EXCEPT for the box labeled Site Settings.
- Ensure Site Settings is the only box with a blue checkmark.
- Click the blue Clear data button.
The entire permission database will be wiped instantly. The next time you visit any website—even a site you use every single day—Chrome will treat it as a brand-new visit. If that site wants to use your camera, microphone, or send notifications, it will be forced to display the standard “Allow / Block” pop-up prompt again.