What to do if an online age check fails and you’re 18 or over

If an age check has just failed, read the exact wording before trying again. “Camera unavailable” means the checker has not captured the evidence it needs. “Could not confirm you are over 18” means the method did not give it enough confidence. If the verifier said you passed and the adult site still blocks access, the result may have failed to reach the original session. Each calls for a different next step.

Write down the time and error code. Keep any transaction reference private. A support ticket rarely needs the whole screen, and a screenshot of a document capture may contain far more than the error message.

A blank camera or a browser permission error

Open the camera app on your own device first. If that works, check the browser's camera permission in the phone's settings, then the permission for the verifier's specific website in the browser. Access can be allowed at one level and refused at the other. Before granting access, check the domain against the verifier named on the original site.

If the check opened inside another app and the verifier recommends a supported browser, restart from the site's own address in that browser. Copying a partly completed verification link to another app may separate it from the session that requested it. When the check is complete, you can review or revoke that site's camera permission. How browsers control camera access

A face estimate fails even with a clear picture

Face estimation makes a judgement from an image. A service can use a challenge age above 18 to reduce the chance of admitting a child. Someone aged 22 can therefore be asked for another check even if the camera is working properly. This does not tell you the exact age the system estimated.

If the message says the image is too dark or your face is out of frame, try once in even light with the camera at eye level and follow the on-screen capture instructions. If it says extra proof is required, move to the site's offered alternatives. Taking ten more selfies is a poor use of your time when the service has already asked for a different kind of evidence. Ofcom's guidance on effective age assurance

The checker says you passed, then the site asks again

1. Return to the original tab. If a bank app, identity wallet or second browser opened, look for the intended return or finish step. A successful check in that app is only part of the journey.
2. Keep the session together. Finish in the same browser and profile you started with. A normal tab and a private tab can hold separate site data. Starting over may generate a different transaction.
3. Check whether the repeat is immediate or on a later visit. If it happens weeks later or after closing a private session, ask how the service remembers a check and when that proof expires. Deleting all cookies as a first fix can remove the very record you are trying to keep.
4. Give support the two outcomes. Say, for example, “The verification page showed success, then the original tab returned to Choose a method.” Include the approximate time, browser and available reference. Ask whether they received the result before submitting another document.

When you cannot use the method offered

Someone who cannot hold a phone steadily, has no supported ID, or uses a screen reader may be stuck before any age decision is made. Look for a verified support route or the site's complaints process. Ask which alternative will work with the equipment you have. If the only fallback asks for the same camera action, describe that exact obstacle. See the comparison of age-check methods for possibilities to ask about.

I am 18 or over. The check stopped at [step] with [message]. I can use [available method] but cannot complete [specific action]. How can I request an alternative method or a review of this result?

The service is the first contact for getting an individual check reviewed. Ofcom accepts reports about safety measures and complaints systems and uses them to inform its regulatory work. If your concern is what happened to a submitted document, contact the data controller named in the privacy notice. The guide to age-check data requests gives wording you can adapt. Ofcom's online services complaints routes