One issue that most Samsung Galaxy phone owners would have faced already is of a failed camera. When users come across this issue, the camera stops functioning, and they see the following message on the screen: “Warning: Camera failed.” A point to note is that this is not a hardware issue, but rather a software bug that you can easily fix. If you don’t know how to do it, then detailed below are the tricks to help you fix the Camera Failed issue on Samsung Galaxy devices.
Take a back up before you start
There could be several reasons why you get the failed camera error, such as an incomplete firmware update, or some issue with third-party apps that have access to the camera.
As said above, the tricks to fix the Camera Failed issue on Samsung Galaxy devices aren’t difficult. However, before you proceed to fix the issue, do ensure that your Galaxy device has a decent charge on its battery. If the battery level is too low, then the camera won’t work.
Though most of these tricks won’t result in any loss of data in your Galaxy device, it is recommended that you take a backup. Also, most of these tricks should work with all the Galaxy devices, irrespective of the Galaxy model that you have. Now let’s take a look at the tricks to fix the Camera Failed issue on Samsung Galaxy devices.
How to fix Camera Failed issue on Samsung Galaxy devices
Restart the Camera – this is the most basic camera trouble-shooting trick. It has often been seen that the camera starts to give an error due to it being in use for a long time. So, just restarting the camera could help. After the camera app shuts down automatically, wait for about 30 seconds and re-launch the camera app.
Restart your phone – if restarting the camera does not help, then the next best way to fix the issue is to restart your Galaxy smartphone. It is a quick and easy solution, and helps to fix plenty of other smaller issues as well. However, there are chances that the issue could reappear again after some time. If the issue starts to re-appear too frequently, then you should follow the other solutions to fix the issue.
Check for system and app updates – it is possible that you are getting an error due to an outdated system or apps. To fix, do make sure that your phone and apps are updated. To check if any system update is available, go to Settings > System Updates, and tap Download updates manually. Similarly, you should check if the apps are updated or not. To do so, go to the Google Play Store and tap on the three bar menu in the upper left corner. Now, tap on the My apps & games from the menu, and then tap the Update button next to the app’s name to update the app. You can tap the Update All button as well to update the apps in one go.
Clear cache – the presence of cache and data files on your phone could cause the issue as well. You need to clear all cache files, including camera and other apps. Once you clear the cache files, your phone and apps will switch back to default settings. You can clear the cache file from the Settings.
Other tricks to fix the issue
If the above common trouble-shooting tricks don’t help you to fix the Camera Failed issue on Samsung Galaxy devices, then you should try the below tricks:
Disable Smart Stay – several Samsung users have reported that they get the camera failed issue when the Smart Stay feature is in use. This feature uses the front camera of your phone, and it is possible that it could interfere with the camera app. To disable the feature, go to the Settings menu and tap on Display. Now tap on Smart Stay and toggle the button next to it Off. After this, restart your device, and check if the camera app is working properly or not.
Power up in Safe Mode – it is often the case that an app with access to the camera is causing the issue. However, it is difficult to tell if the issue is due to a third-party app or any system app. If you power up in Safe mode, it would disable all third-party apps. This would help you identify if the issue is with one of the third-party apps or not.
To do so, press and hold the power key on your Galaxy device to get the Power menu. Now press and hold the Power Off option until you see a pop-up asking you to restart the device in the Safe mode. Tap OK and the device will restart. Once the device is up, you will see the words Safe Mode on the screen.
Factory Reset – if all of the above tricks fail to fix the Camera Failed on Samsung Galaxy devices issue, then your last option is to go for a factory reset. You must take a back up of all your data, as doing a factory reset will erase all the data. To factory reset your Galaxy phone, go to Settings > Accounts tab > Backup and Reset > Factory Data Reset > Reset Device > Delete All button. The process could take a few minutes and your device will restart.
If even after the factory reset you are facing an issue with the camera app, then your only option is to raise a complaint with Samsung or take your device to a technician. It might be that the problem is with the camera sensor.
You can refer to the below video as well:
