iOS Camera permissions doesn't appear under settings in some devices

Question

I'm having some issues trying to use the camera. The problem is that some devices show me the Camera entry under settings, and some others don't. In those devices where the Camera switch doesn't appear, I'm not able to use the camera, since it doesn't have permissions, and it also doesn't appear under settings to enable them.

This is how it looks on a device that works:

And this is how it looks in devices that doesn't work.

When I took those screenshots, the application should've asked for permissions already, but it didn't.

I also verified that those devices doesn't have Restrictions enabled.

Any ideas?

UPDATE 1: Added code

This is the code I'm using to show the camera (it's under a custom view, not the native camera view controller)

self.captureSession = [[AVCaptureSession alloc] init];
AVCaptureDevice *videoCaptureDevice = [AVCaptureDevice defaultDeviceWithMediaType:AVMediaTypeVideo];
NSError *error = nil;
AVCaptureDeviceInput *videoInput = [AVCaptureDeviceInput deviceInputWithDevice:videoCaptureDevice error:&error];
if(videoInput)
{
    [self.captureSession addInput:videoInput];
}
else
{
    NSLog(@"Error: %@", error);
}

AVCaptureMetadataOutput *metadataOutput = [[AVCaptureMetadataOutput alloc] init];
[self.captureSession addOutput:metadataOutput];
[metadataOutput setMetadataObjectsDelegate:self
                                     queue:dispatch_get_main_queue()];
[metadataOutput setMetadataObjectTypes:@[AVMetadataObjectTypeCode39Code, AVMetadataObjectTypeQRCode]];

AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer *previewLayer = [[AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer alloc] initWithSession:self.captureSession];
previewLayer.frame = self.view.layer.bounds;
UIView * previewView = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:self.view.frame];
[previewView.layer addSublayer:previewLayer];
[self.view addSubview:previewView];
[self.view sendSubviewToBack:previewView];

[self.captureSession startRunning];

Blavatsky

Camera will only appear there once your app requests permission. Can you show the code you're using to request permission? – Panter

Added. Doesn't that code ask automatically for permissions when I start the capture session? There's other place in the app where I'm using a UIImagePickerController to take photos. Maybe I'm not handling permissions correctly, but if I opened the UIImagePickerController before, then permissions are enabled? – Blavatsky

I'm having the same issue and very desperate for a solution. Please let me know if you've found a way to solve this...! – Ratepayer

Aaron's answer worked for me. – Blavatsky

Please try this solution stackoverflow.com/a/34526211 It worked for me. – Rhombohedron

I also have similar issue (#59999487) related to Multi camera iPhone with iOS13.3 where new classes are introduce to handle multi camera. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc19/225 – Peridotite

Answer 1

You need to request permission before opening a session. Use

[AVCaptureDevice requestAccessForMediaType:completionHandler:]

Panter

No this is not true. "Note that the authorization dialog will automatically be shown if the status is AVAuthorizationStatusNotDetermined when creating an AVCaptureDeviceInput." and it does exactly that if you don't manually ask for permission and also you do get asked when manually done. However I'm having the same issue with lucaslt89. Even after resetting location & privacy, the app doesn't request permission and the same result when manually called [AVCaptureDevice requestAccessForMediaType:completionHandler:]. This happens with some devices but with some others no such issue occurs. WHY?!! – Ratepayer

I am also having the same issue.the app doesn't request permission .Have you corrected it? – Transmogrify

Can you guys help to confirm this issue is happening on multi camera iPhones with iOS 13 ??? – Peridotite

Answer 2

Step 1: Give a proper camera message access message on your info.plist using the following key (without quotes)

"Privacy - Camera Usage Description"

Step 2 : For objective-C/SWIFT you need to request a camera access permission

OBJECTIVE-C

[AVCaptureDevice requestAccessForMediaType:AVMediaTypeVideo completionHandler:^(BOOL granted)
        {
            if (granted == true)
            {
                //[self presentViewController           : picker animated:YES completion:NULL];
               //Do your stuff

            }
            else
            {
                UIAlertView *cameraAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc]initWithTitle:STR_APPLICATION_TITLE
                                                                     message:STR_ALERT_CAMERA_DENIED_MESSAGE
                                                                    delegate:self
                                                           cancelButtonTitle:@"OK"
                                                           otherButtonTitles:nil,nil];
                [cameraAlert show];

                NSLog(@"denied");
            }

        }];

SWIFT

AVCaptureDevice.requestAccessForMediaType(AVMediaTypeVideo, completionHandler: { (videoGranted: Bool) -> Void in
        if (videoGranted) {
             //Do Your stuff here

        } else {
            // Rejected Camera
        }
    })

Stephanistephania

Answer 3

I need the camera to user ARKit. Every time the vc with sceneView is shown I run the checkCameraPermission() in viewWillAppear. If the user doesn't allow access an alert will show with a settingsButton. Once they press that button they will be taken to Settings and the camera icon with the toggle switch will always be there.

override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(animated)

    checkCameraPermission()
}

func checkCameraPermission() {

    let authorizationStatus = AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: AVMediaType.video)
    switch authorizationStatus {

    case .notDetermined:
        AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: AVMediaType.video) { [weak self](granted) in
            if granted {
                print("access granted")
                DispatchQueue.main.async { [weak self] in
                    self?.startSceneViewSession()
                }

            } else {
                print("access denied")
                DispatchQueue.main.async { [weak self] in
                    self?.alertUserCameraPermissionMustBeEnabled()
                }
            }
        }

    case .authorized:
        print("Access authorized")
        startSceneViewSession()

    case .denied, .restricted:
        print("restricted")
        alertUserCameraPermissionMustBeEnabled()

    @unknown default:
        fatalError()
    }
}

func alertUserCameraPermissionMustBeEnabled() {

    let message = "Camera access is necessary to use Augemented Reality for this app.\n\nPlease go to Settings to allow access to the Camera.\n Please switch the button to the green color."

    let alert = UIAlertController (title: "Camera Access Required", message: message, preferredStyle: .alert)

    let settingsAction = UIAlertAction(title: "Settings", style: .default, handler: { (action) in

        guard let settingsUrl = URL(string: UIApplication.openSettingsURLString) else { return }

        if UIApplication.shared.canOpenURL(settingsUrl) {
            UIApplication.shared.open(settingsUrl, completionHandler: { (_) in
            })
        }
    })

    alert.addAction(settingsAction)

    present(alert, animated: true, completion: nil)
}

// this is for ARKit
func startSceneViewSession() {
    sceneView.session.run(configuration)
    sceneView.isPlaying = true
}

Dissociable

Answer 4

I had the same problem until I changed my camera type to wide:

   let deviceDiscoverySession = AVCaptureDevice.DiscoverySession(deviceTypes: [.builtInWideAngleCamera], mediaType: AVMediaType.video, position: .back)

Longfaced

Answer 5

If the above solutions didn't work you may consider checking this setting on iOS device.

Peridotite