All websites regularly loose permissions
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MichaIng last edited bySince a long time (1 year or so), all websites regularly loose permissions to show notifications, access microphone and camera etc. This by times happens while the website is used, e.g. in the middle of a WebRTC video call.
I use a portable instance, and this happened already when I used the developer version until some months ago. I installed Opera stable completely freshly, did not migrate my profile, setting or any such, and after some days/weeks of usage, the issue reappeared.
Maybe others face the same, maybe it is an issue with portable instances in general?
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MichaIng last edited by MichaIng
I found a similar report here: https://forums.opera.com/topic/69795
Checked a bit further:
- These permissions are stored in the portable apps dir profile/data/Default/Preferences file.
- When I grant permissions, either via settings, or from the prompt when the site asks, it appears in the media_stream_camera and media_stream_mic keys for camera and microphone access.
- These entries persist at first, also throughout Opera and system restarts. The whole profile is on the system drive, persistent. Right now I see still permissions granted yesterday during a video chat.
- But at some random point, those keys are emptied entirely, as said usually at least once in the middle of a video chat session, at once for all permissions of this site, probably all sites: notifications, camera, microphone, all at once.
I will monitor the file and those keys a little, to see at which point this happens again, whether the site needs to be open for this, or whether they are lost without any related tab open, and whether if really affects all permissions for all websites, or only all permissions for one website.
Write permissions or volatile storage or any such are hence not the issue. Probably there is a max in-memory Preferences size, after which certain keys are not processed anymore and practically handled and stored back as empty.
The file also contains a permission_actions key, which seems to store past permission prompts with timestamps and the action done. The number of actions stored in the camera and microphone subkeys is low, like 10-20, but it seems to contain timestamps of prompts from before the media_stream_* keys became empty yesterday. But I will monitor this as well.
Another explanation would be a hidden timeout for permissions, i.e. that this is an annoying and buggy feature, not a bug in general. Though I would expect more reports in this case, especially with the mid-usage permissions loss. But if timestamps wouldn't play a role, what for are those prompt actions with timestamps stored at all?
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MichaIng last edited by MichaIng
Now that is interesting:
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The entries in media_stream_camera and media_stream_mic for the two relevant websites remained, but the permissions were lost regardless.
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I had the Preferences file opened in notepad++ which informs me and reloads each time the file gets changed on disk, which happened at least every minute or so. I kept focus on mentioned two JSON keys, which remained there with the timestamps and "setting":1.
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Despite that, when accessing the two websites today, all permissions were practically lost and prompted again: notifications, cam, micro.
A fixed TTL of granted permissions can be ruled out, since they were still intact yesterday, at least half a day after I granted them last. While on the other hand, for one website permissions were lost ~2 hours after I granted them, during a WebRTC video call for which I granted camera and microphone access at start of meeting.
Hence they are somehow lost in-memory?
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MichaIng last edited by MichaIng
@leocg Opera One latest stable version. Removing permissions from unused sites is disabled already. And of course it should never remove permissions within hours, even while using the site:
Permissions are btw again lost since my last post. I recognized that they did not appear in "Recent activity" of the Site settings. I enabled the permissions via settings now (instead of prompt), can see this in "Recent activity", and will check whether they disappear in both places at the same time.
Might this enhanced privacy protection setting be related?
But AFAIK I have this issue already since before this setting even existed.
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Moved from Opera for Windows by leocg
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Pearlkitty last edited by
I'm using opera gx and I definitely still get this. It's really annoying because I can hop into a google meet call with someone, and it would prompt me for permission to show the camera at the beginning. And then maybe 40 minutes later I lose my ability use my camera and microphone again.
Even worse is location permissions, I'd have websites that prompt me to allow location permission, and it doesn't matter if I select the allow this time, or allow forever options, or even store it in the settings for the site. Allowing just does not work, and reloading the page makes opera prompt me again.
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MichaIng last edited by
@Pearlkitty Do you use Opera GX as portable version, or regular installer? And which OS?
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MichaIng last edited by
@Pearlkitty Interesting: a very different setup than me (Win 11 portable). I thought it must be done edge case since no one else reports this, and the issue is pretty major IMO.
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MichaIng last edited by
I btw tested to disable this "Enhanced privacy protection" setting, but it does not help, permissions still get reset every 1-2 hours, roughly.
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herdivineshadow last edited by
I've been getting something like this using Opera One version 127.0.5778.76 on my Win 10 laptop - in my case it doesn't remember whether I have allowed or blocked notifications for a site, just asks me each time I visit. I don't think I've encountered the camera/microphone or location permissions issue yet, but I don't really use websites that might need them.
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MichaIng last edited by
@herdivineshadow Yes, all permissions are lost, including notifications. Basically in the Opera Site settings, all permissions (allow/deny lists) are empty, except fow what you granted/denied within the last max 1-2 hours. And at some point (not immediately), this is also reflected in the preferences JSON file in the Opera profile directory.
So the issue is more widespread than I thought, affecting multiple (probably all) Opera browser variants on multiple (probably all) platforms. Likely it is a bug in the core code of Opera. I did not verify it another time, but IIRC the issue did not appear immediately on a fresh Opera instance, but after some days or weeks of usage. So it might have to do with the overall amount of data loaded from the profile, as if it cleared permissions as sort of a cleanup step.
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ss9227 last edited byI've got the same problem! I noticed this because I've blocked notifications and only grant permission manually to certain websites. But after a while - a few hours or a few restarts - those websites suddenly no longer have permission... It's so annoying! Camera and microphone permissions behave in exactly the same way, but I use those much less often, so it doesn't bother me as much. However, I can confirm that this problem does exist.
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burnout426 Volunteer last edited by
@ss9227 At the bottom of the page at the URL
opera://settings/content, make sure "Automatically remove permissions from unused sites" is disabled and restart Opera. The setting being enabled shouldn't remove permissions as fast as you're seeing, but maybe the setting is buggy.Also, make sure you're not clearing "site settings" when clearing things at the URL
opera://settings/clearBrowserData.You can also see if it happens in a test standalone installation. If it doesn't, there might be an issue with your normal installation. For example, it could be due to syncing settings with Opera Sync. Or, it could be permission issues with your profile folder.
To fix permission issues with your profile folder, if you're on Windows, while Opera is closed, in Windows Explorer (File Explorer), with "file extensions" and "hidden items" enabled under "View -> Show", in both "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming" and "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local", right-click on the "Opera Software" folder, goto "properties", click the read only box to clear it (so it's all white) and click apply. Then, switch to the "Security" tab, make sure your username is in the user list and make sure it has full control (all permissions set to "allow" except "special permissions"). Click apply if you had to change anything there and OK out.
Your profile could be corrupted. Starting completely fresh with fresh data and settings by closing Opera and renaming the "Opera Stable" folder to "Opera Stable old" in both "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software" and "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Opera Software", and then going to https://www.sync.opera.com/ in another browser, logging in and choosing "reset passphrase" to wipe out all your Sync data, might fix things.
If it's specific to notifications, in settings in Windows, goto "System -> Notifications" and make sure "Notifications" are on, "Do not disturb" is off, "Turn on do not disturb automatically" is off, "Focus" is off and make sure Opera is listed in the app list below. If Opera isn't there, goto https://cleverpush.com/en/test-notifications/ in Opera and try the "Greetings" test multiple times (and allow it when asked). That should get Opera in the list. With Opera in the list, click it and make sure its settings are all on and correct. Also, in the notification center in Windows, clear any existing notifications from Opera.
Also, make sure you don't have any apps like CCleaner installed on your system that clear things in Opera's profile and cache folders.
You can also uninstall Opera (do not choose to delete your data when uninstalling), delete the install folder afterwards, download the Opera installer in whatever browser you want, launch the installer, click "options", adjust everything how you like and install. That can fix corrupted Opera program files.
Besides all that though, it might just be a bug.
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MichaIng last edited by
@burnout426
As I mentioned above, "Automatically remove permissions from unused sites" has no effect on this.Site settings are not cleared when the browser is stopping. It really is the permissions which vanish mid operation, while the website is open, mid WebRTC video call, in case.
I do not use Opera Sync, I keep the instance logged out.
Profile permissions are fine. As I mentioned above, I can see the respective permissions set in the JSON file, and I can see them removed again at some point.
I did start with an entirely fresh Opera instance and profile at some point. But the issue reappeared. But IIRC it really appeared after some while, like some weeks, not immediately.
It is not limited to notifications, but to all website permissions, like microphone and camera access, which is why WebRTC video calls break down in the middle of calls.
I do not use CCleaner or similar, only Opera accesses its profile dir.
It certainly is a bug. But as of the low number of users joining in here, it might not affect all instances, but have some condition. First I thought it might be that I use a portable instance, but others here use an installed instance as well.
