diff --git a/src/livekit/MediaDevicesContext.tsx b/src/livekit/MediaDevicesContext.tsx
index c836f82b..a794d54a 100644
--- a/src/livekit/MediaDevicesContext.tsx
+++ b/src/livekit/MediaDevicesContext.tsx
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function useMediaDeviceHandle(
   usingNames: boolean,
 ): MediaDeviceHandle {
   const hasRequestedPermissions = useRef(false);
-  const requestPermissions = usingNames || hasRequestedPermissions.current;
+  // const requestPermissions = usingNames || hasRequestedPermissions.current;
   // Make sure we don't needlessly reset to a device observer without names,
   // once permissions are already given
   hasRequestedPermissions.current ||= usingNames;
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ function useMediaDeviceHandle(
       createMediaDeviceObserver(
         kind,
         () => logger.error("Error creating MediaDeviceObserver"),
-        requestPermissions,
+        true,
       ).pipe(
         startWith([]),
         // This Observable emits new values whenever the browser fires a
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ function useMediaDeviceHandle(
         // we call MediaDevices.getUserMedia. So, filter by deep equality.
         distinctUntilChanged<MediaDeviceInfo[]>(deepCompare),
       ),
-    [kind, requestPermissions],
+    [kind],
   );
   const available = useObservableEagerState(
     useMemo(
@@ -400,23 +400,6 @@ function useControlledOutput(): MediaDeviceHandle {
 export const useMediaDevices = (): MediaDevices =>
   useContext(MediaDevicesContext);
 
-/**
- * React hook that requests for the media devices context to be populated with
- * real device names while this component is mounted. This is not done by
- * default because it may involve requesting additional permissions from the
- * user.
- */
-export const useMediaDeviceNames = (
-  context: MediaDevices,
-  enabled = true,
-): void =>
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (enabled) {
-      context.startUsingDeviceNames();
-      return context.stopUsingDeviceNames;
-    }
-  }, [context, enabled]);
-
 /**
  * A convenience hook to get the audio node configuration for the earpiece.
  * It will check the `useAsEarpiece` of the `audioOutput` device and return
diff --git a/src/settings/SettingsModal.tsx b/src/settings/SettingsModal.tsx
index dc4fa8a5..fafbc4b6 100644
--- a/src/settings/SettingsModal.tsx
+++ b/src/settings/SettingsModal.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import { ProfileSettingsTab } from "./ProfileSettingsTab";
 import { FeedbackSettingsTab } from "./FeedbackSettingsTab";
 import {
   useMediaDevices,
-  useMediaDeviceNames,
   iosDeviceMenu$,
 } from "../livekit/MediaDevicesContext";
 import { widget } from "../widget";
@@ -98,7 +97,6 @@ export const SettingsModal: FC<Props> = ({
   };
 
   const devices = useMediaDevices();
-  useMediaDeviceNames(devices, open);
   const [soundVolume, setSoundVolume] = useSetting(soundEffectVolumeSetting);
   const [soundVolumeRaw, setSoundVolumeRaw] = useState(soundVolume);
   const [showDeveloperSettingsTab] = useSetting(developerMode);