The Instagram app on Android and iPhones, like so many other apps, asks for a variety of permissions. There’s the obvious Storage or Photos access that allows Instagram to access media files on local storage. There’s the Location permission for location tags and Contacts so Instagram can check if any of your contacts are using Instagram. Finally, there are Camera and Microphone permissions. Some users were wondering how to give camera access to Instagram, and we made sure to explain below.
Why can’t I enable my camera for Instagram on iOS?
1. Give Instagram camera permission on Android
Usually, you get asked about camera access permission for the first time you try to create stories or posts on Instagram. You’ll get a series of prompts asking for Camera, Microphone, Location, and Storage permissions. If you don’t grant these permissions initially, you should get the same prompts the next time.
Of course, if you don’t give camera access to Instagram, Instagram camera won’t work for you. The same applies for all other applicable permissions like Storage access.
However, some users report that the Instagram camera is crashing which led us to believe that the second prompt never happened. This can result in crashes.
So, to avoid this and fix possible issues, you need to navigate to system settings and grant Camera (and other) permissions to Instagram.
Here’s how to give Instagram camera permission on Android:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps. On some Android skins, you’ll need to expand All apps or open Manage apps.
- Open Instagram from the list of available apps.
- Tap Permissions.
- Grant all permissions to Instagram. To do so, open each category and select Allow only while using the app. Of course, the focus here is on the Camera and Microphone, but we suggest granting all permissions except Contacts if you don’t explicitly need to.
Most of the time, this will fix the problem. If not, clear app data, open Instagram and log in again, and then get back to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permissions and grant all permissions.
2. Enable camera access on Instagram for iOS
It’s a similar deal on iOS. An exception is that, besides the regular Camera, Microphone, Storage (Photos), and Contacts, Instagram on iOS also asks for permission to track you (Settings > Privacy > Tracking). Other than that, everything else is basically the same as on Android.
Here’s how to enable camera access on Instagram for iOS:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Instagram.
- Grant Camera, Microphone, and Storage permissions. Contacts are optional. If you want to allow Location access, open Settings > Privacy > Location services. Enable Location services and then open Instagram from the list. If you don’t see it, open the Instagram app (with Location services enabled) and choose to create a story or post. The prompt about Location permission should appear.
And, on that note, we can conclude this article. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in March 2022. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
