Navigator: getUserMedia() method
Deprecated: This feature is no longer recommended. Though some browsers might still support it, it may have already been removed from the relevant web standards, may be in the process of being dropped, or may only be kept for compatibility purposes. Avoid using it, and update existing code if possible; see the compatibility table at the bottom of this page to guide your decision. Be aware that this feature may cease to work at any time.
Secure context: This feature is available only in secure contexts (HTTPS), in some or all supporting browsers.
The deprecated Navigator.getUserMedia()
method prompts the user for permission to use up to one video input device (such as a camera or shared screen) and up to one audio input device (such as a microphone) as the source for a MediaStream
.
If permission is granted, a MediaStream
whose video and/or audio tracks come from those devices is delivered to the specified success callback.
If permission is denied, no compatible input devices exist, or any other error condition occurs, the error callback is executed with an object describing what went wrong.
If the user instead doesn't make a choice at all, neither callback is executed.
Note: This is a legacy method.
Please use the newer navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia()
instead.
While technically not deprecated, this old callback version is marked as such, since the specification strongly encourages using the newer promise returning version.
Syntax
getUserMedia(constraints, successCallback, errorCallback)
Parameters
constraints
-
An object specifying the types of media to request, along with any requirements for each type. For details, see the constraints section under the modern
MediaDevices.getUserMedia()
method, as well as the article Capabilities, constraints, and settings. successCallback
-
A function which is invoked when the request for media access is approved. The function is called with one parameter: the
MediaStream
object that contains the media stream. Your callback can then assign the stream to the desired object (such as an<audio>
or<video>
element), as shown in the following example:jsfunction successCallback(stream) { const video = document.querySelector("video"); video.srcObject = stream; video.onloadedmetadata = (e) => { // Do something with the video here. }; }
errorCallback
-
When the call fails, the function specified in the
errorCallback
is invoked with an object as its sole argument; this object is modeled onDOMException
.
Return value
None (undefined
).
Examples
Width and height
Here's an example of using getUserMedia()
, including code to cope with
various browsers' prefixes. Note that this is the deprecated way of doing it: See the
Examples section
under the MediaDevices.getUserMedia()
for modern examples.
navigator.getUserMedia =
navigator.getUserMedia ||
navigator.webkitGetUserMedia ||
navigator.mozGetUserMedia;
if (navigator.getUserMedia) {
navigator.getUserMedia(
{ audio: true, video: { width: 1280, height: 720 } },
(stream) => {
const video = document.querySelector("video");
video.srcObject = stream;
video.onloadedmetadata = (e) => {
video.play();
};
},
(err) => {
console.error(`The following error occurred: ${err.name}`);
},
);
} else {
console.log("getUserMedia not supported");
}
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser
Warning: New code should use MediaDevices.getUserMedia
instead.
See also
MediaDevices.getUserMedia()
that replaces this deprecated method.- WebRTC - the introductory page to the API
- Media Capture and Streams API - the API for the media stream objects
-
Taking webcam photos - a
tutorial on using
getUserMedia()
for taking photos rather than video.