Chrome 116 to introduce ‘One-time permissions’ for greater control over websites

Starting with Chrome 116, Google will add an “Allow this time” option to permission prompts. This option will be available for Chrome on the desktop for some of the common permissions such as Geolocation, Camera, and Microphone.

One-time permissions in Chrome on desktop

Until now, when you visit a website that requests access to your location, Chrome provides “Allow”, “Deny” and “x” (close) options in Site Controls.

With the new Permissions UI in place in Chrome 116, you’ll be presented with the following options:

• Allow this time
• Allow on every visit
• Don’t allow.
• x option to dismiss or close dialog.

Users may never want to give persistent permission to websites. They are choosy and think before giving permission based on what they get in return. The one-time allow option is a- brainer and is a less risky option to grant permission to sites.

While “Allow this time” is temporary, “Allow on every visit” is permanent.

After Firefox 115 and Safari 116, Chrome is getting one-time permissions on the desktop, here is how to enable it.

Enable One-time Permissions for websites in Google Chrome

1. Launch Chome 116 or newer
2. visit chrome://flags
3. Search for “One-time permission”, and enable it

   

4. Relaunch browser.

To get a hands-on demo of the feature in Chrome,

1. Visit https://permission.site/one-time
2. Click on “Geolocation” and check the one-time permission prompt
3. Select “Allow this time”,
4. Click on the tuning icon to open site controls that say the location permission can be used only this time, you can click on the arrow next to the location switch to manage permission prompts.
5. Close the https://permission.site/one-time tab. Open a new one with the same address, open “Site controls”, and visit “Site settings
   to notice, “Location” access is set to “Ask(default)”

It’s worth noting that, permissions that continue to run when the tab is in the background have a “tab strip indicator”. For example, Camera and Microphone have a tab strip indicator. Geolocation doesn’t require one, because geolocation becomes paused as soon as the page is in the background.

Example:

For instance, when the user gives one-time location permission to a website and switches to another tab, then the website is in the background tab, and Geolocation access is paused. But one-time permission is still valid. If the user returns to the website within 5 minutes, the page can resume geolocation access, and one-time permission get reset. Otherwise, the one-time permission expires, and Geolocation access is restored back to always ask.

Chrome doesn’t allow geolocation access when the page is in the background, whereas Chrome does allow Camera/Microphone access in the background.

However, to keep the user informed, it keeps showing the tab strip indicator for the camera/microphone. When at some point, the site stops camera/microphone access, the 5-minute expiry timer starts, after 5 minutes without camera access the one-time permission expires.

What’s your take new “Allow this time” permission option in Chrome? Let us know in the comments below.

In case you don’t know, after Android, Chrome on dekstop automatically removes permissions from unused websites.

Final words: Chrome 116 for desktop will come with new Permissions UI that includes “Allow this time” one-time permission grant option. The one-time permissions to be initially available for Geolocation, Camera, and Microphone.