Manage App Permissions in Windows: Camera, Microphone, and Location

Control which apps are allowed to use your camera, microphone, and location — and switch off the ones that shouldn’t have access.

Why: Windows groups privacy controls under Settings → Privacy & security. Each sensitive feature (camera, microphone, location, and more) has a master switch that turns it on or off for the whole device, a “Let apps access…” switch for Microsoft Store apps, then per-app toggles. There’s also a separate switch for traditional desktop programs. Knowing which layer to flip is the whole trick.

Step 1: Manage camera access

1. Select Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Camera.
2. Camera access — the master switch. Off means no app on the device can use the camera.
3. Let apps access your camera — turn on to allow Store apps, then use the per-app toggles below to allow only the ones you want.
4. Let desktop apps access your camera — controls older desktop programs (often grouped under things like Edge or Teams). Per-app toggles aren’t available here; it’s all-or-nothing for desktop apps.

Note: if you sign in with Windows Hello facial recognition, sign-in still works even with Camera access turned off — that’s by design, so you don’t lock yourself out.

Step 2: Manage microphone access

1. Select Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone.
2. Microphone access — the device-wide master switch.
3. Let apps access your microphone — on for Store apps, then set the per-app toggles.
4. Let desktop apps access your microphone — for desktop programs like Zoom or Teams.

Step 3: Manage location access

1. Select Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Location.
2. Location services — the master switch for the whole device.
3. Let apps access your location — on or off for Store apps, then the per-app toggles to pick which ones.
4. You can also clear the stored location history from this page.

Step 4: Check recent activity

Under each of these pages, look for the Recent activity section. It shows which apps used that sensor and roughly when — a quick way to spot an app accessing your camera or mic more than you expected. If you see something you don’t want, turn off its per-app toggle.

FAQ

I turned off “Let apps access my camera” but a program still works — why? It’s probably a desktop app, which is governed by Let desktop apps access your camera, not the Store-app switch. Adjust that one instead.

Does turning off the master switch stop everything? Yes — turning off Camera access (or the microphone/location master switch) blocks all apps device-wide. The one documented exception is Windows Hello sign-in for the camera.

An app isn’t in the per-app list. Where is it? Per-app toggles only list Store apps. Desktop programs aren’t listed individually — they’re covered by the single “Let desktop apps access…” switch.

Sources: Microsoft Support — Manage app permissions for a camera in Windows, Microsoft Support — Turn on app permissions for your microphone in Windows, Microsoft Support — App permissions