Zoom calls are unreliable, and ChromeOS now has universal microphone and camera toggles

Google is soon enabling all users to universally restrict access to their video cameras and microphones, making Chromebooks a better venue to conduct audio huddles and video calls.

Tony Ureche, head of security, identity, and privacy at ChromeOS, writes that Chromebooks will have a spot in Settings for toggling camera and microphone access as part of a larger announcement of business data and security upgrades. Your mic will be muted by your system settings if an app tries to contact either device when it launches or after you hit a button, and you’ll be given the option to click the button to learn more if you want to know why (at least in Google Meet). The location will be revealed “later this year.”

A default-off setting for Chromebooks adds security to a platform that is already quite secure due to its architecture and obscurity. Users will also benefit from it because it’s better to remember whether or not you previously granted permission to Zoom, Meet, Slack, Skype, Teams, GoToMeeting, WebEx, Discord, or other apps than to have to explicitly enable a camera every time it wants to turn on.

It puts ChromeOS in some ways ahead of Windows and macOS, both of which rely on specific app permissions without a global setting. It’s not a real death switch, but it’s as close as you can get without washi tape, screen-protecting webcam coverings, or just never attending meetings. But, it will probably result in quite a few “I can hear you, can you hear me?” moments.

In another section of Google’s statement, ChromeOS brags a little bit about how well its platform adheres to the “Secure by Design, Secure by Default” set of new rules released by CISA, NSA, and FBI. According to Google, Chrome is kept secure through a verified boot process, the executable design, and the fact that Chromebooks are simple gateways to data that is primarily stored on online servers. Managed Chromebooks offer data restrictions, such as copy/paste and screenshot controls, that restrict access to files and data. Google’s most important statistic is that “zero reported ransomware assaults” have occurred on ChromeOS devices.