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# getUserMedia() Camera & Microphone Initialization Times
- URL: https://blog.addpipe.com/getusermedia-camera-microphone-initialization-times/
- Published: 2019-05-09T11:54:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-21T08:19:06.000Z
- Author: Octavian
- Tags: getUserMedia, Technology, #Import 2026-05-22 13:18

After [using the Permissions API to accurately measure how users interact with the camera & microhone permissions dialog](https://blog.addpipe.com/using-permissions-api-to-detect-getusermedia-responses/) we realised we could measure more.

The Permissions API data allows us to filter those `getUserMedia()` requests which will not show a permission dialog because of a previous *granted* permission. With the human interaction removed we can accurately measure the time it takes to initialize the camera and microphone devices.

The chart below plots the time passed since executing `getUserMedia()` until a *successful* promise is returned. Time slots are in milliseconds.

![This chart plots the time passed since executing getUserMedia() until a successful promise is returned (Chrome only).](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2019/02/Camera---microphone-intialization-times--Chrome--1.png)

This chart plots the time passed since executing `getUserMedia()` until a successful promise is returned (Chrome only).

The chart relies on Chrome data only because:

1. it is the only major browser to support the *camera* and *microphone* permissions with the [Permissions API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Permissions%5FAPI)
2. on Chrome the *granted* permission is persistent. On Firefox it is not, users get the prompt again after a refresh.

What I take from the above chart is that:

- instantly responding cameras & microphones are just a myth, the time hardware takes to initialize differs and it varies quite a bit BUT
- **80% of times the hardware initializes in under 1 second**
- **95% of times in under 2 seconds.**

The chart above is based on roughly 100k `getUserMedia()` calls made through our [Pipe video recording platform](https://addpipe.com/).