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Tella needs camera and microphone permission before you can record in the web app or Chrome extension, even if you turn them off afterwards; screen sharing is granted separately by your browser and operating system each time you click Share screen.

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Why does Tella need camera and microphone permission?

Tella can’t start the recorder until your browser grants access to your camera and microphone, even if you don’t plan to use them. After granting access, you can turn either one off and still record your screen.

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How to enable permissions in the web app and Chrome extension

If you’re using Tella’s web app or Chrome extension, here’s how to enable the necessary permissions:
  1. When you open the web recorder for the first time, Tella shows Permission to record. Click Enable camera & microphone.
  2. In the Camera & microphone access dialog, click Allow access.
  3. Your web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) then shows its own prompt.
  4. Click Allow in the browser prompt to finish.
  5. Once permissions are granted, you can choose which microphone and camera you want to use. Click on the small arrow near the camera and microphone icons in the Tella recorder to select from available devices.
If you don’t want to use your camera or microphone, turn them off after this step. You’ll still be able to record your screen.

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If camera, mic, or screen buttons do nothing in the web app

If clicking camera or mic in the web recorder has no effect, Chrome’s site permissions for Tella may need to be reset:
  1. Click the tune icon (or lock icon in older Chrome versions) in the address bar next to the Tella URL.
  2. Set Camera and Microphone to Allow.
  3. Reload the page and try again.
Chrome does not have a persistent site permission for screen sharing. Clicking Share screen should open Chrome’s screen picker each time. If it doesn’t, reload the page and check your operating system’s screen sharing permissions below. For the Chrome extension, open the … menu, choose Settings, and click Browser settings instead. See If Tella is blocked in the Chrome extension below.

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Do I need to give Tella screen sharing permission?

Not in Tella itself. For screen sharing, you generally won’t need to provide separate permissions to Tella itself. Your web browser manages those permissions with your operating system.
  • If you’re using Google Chrome, it likely already has permission to share your screen. Just click Share screen in Tella, and you can select which screen or window to share.
  • If you encounter issues where you cannot share your screen or don’t see the option to select a screen, it’s possible that your browser doesn’t have screen-sharing permissions enabled.

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How to manually enable screen sharing permissions

If your browser doesn’t have screen-sharing permissions, you’ll need to manually adjust your settings in your computer’s operating system. On macOS:
  1. Open System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS) and go to Privacy & Security.
  2. Find the Screen & System Audio Recording section (called Screen Recording on older macOS).
  3. Ensure that the browser you’re using (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) is allowed to record your screen.
On Windows:
  1. Go to Settings, then open the Privacy section.
  2. Under App Permissions, find Screen Recording and make sure the browser you’re using is allowed access.
If these permissions are set up correctly, you’ll be able to share your screen in Tella.

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If Tella is blocked in the Chrome extension

If you’ve previously blocked camera or microphone access for the extension, opening Tella shows a “Tella is blocked” empty state with an Open Chrome settings button (it names whichever browser you’re in: Arc, Edge, Opera, or Brave). The button deep-links to your browser’s site-permissions page for the extension (Chrome, Arc, Edge, Opera, and Brave are detected automatically), where you can reset or re-grant camera and microphone access. You can also reach the same settings page any time from the popup: click the … menu in the top-right corner, choose Settings, then click Browser settings at the bottom of the panel.
When the permission prompt appears, choose “Allow while visiting the site” (or Allow on browsers that label it that way). Picking “Allow this time” only grants access for the current session, and you’ll be asked again the next time you open Tella.

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Mac app and Windows app permissions

If you’re using Tella’s macOS app, permissions are granted to Tella itself rather than to your browser. On first launch the app shows a First, permissions. screen with three buttons (Camera, Microphone, and Screen recording) and it won’t show the recorder until all three are granted. If you previously denied one, the button opens the matching pane in System Settings → Privacy & Security, where you can switch Tella on; quit and reopen Tella afterwards. See Can’t record on Mac? Check screen, camera, and mic permissions. The Windows app works the same way: camera and microphone access are Windows privacy settings for desktop apps. See Can’t record on Windows? Check camera and mic permissions.
Last modified on September 28, 2026