Taking photos and videos has become part of our lives as without updating the status, there’s seldom people do in their daily lives. If bad photos at times weren’t enough, there’s something else that hurts more. It’s the “Failed to open Camera” issue in your Android phone. Don’t worry, here’s how you can fix it.
1: Force stop an app
Probably the first line of defense against an app not working is to force stop it. There are various reasons why an app wouldn’t work or even launch itself when you want to. Simply long-press on the app’s icon, go to App Info, and tap on “Force Stop”. This should fix the problem for you.
2: Restart the phone [ Failed to open Camera in Android ]
Apps failing to open or do a said function could be a temporary or minor glitch. Most of the time, it won’t even need a rocket science degree to fix it because a simple reboot will do the job. When doing it, you are actually clearing all the resources allocated to apps including the Camera App which failed to open. After a quick reboot, the app should behave normally unless there’s something else bugging it.
3: Clear app cache
More often than not, people will let cache files accumulate. Turns out cache files have always been an issue on Android phones unless you have a device with excellent RAM and memory management to counter it. Cache files help retrieve apps/services faster than before, however, these files can easily get corrupted, and thus, a quick clear app cache can do the trick.
- To clear the app cache, go to Settings >> Apps.
- Search for a Camera app. If not available, tap on “more menu” denoted by hamburger or other icon and select “Show System Apps”.
- Once you get hold of your camera app, go to its “Storage” and tap on “Clear Cache”. Note that the procedure leading to “Clear Cache” may be slightly different based on what make and model you are using.
- Restart the Camera App and check if it works.
4: Use alternatives
Although the camera app on your device is first-party if it doesn’t work, what’s the use? There is a tonne of alternatives like Google Cam or others that can help you take much better shots than the in-built Camera App. Making the switch is easy as well.
5: Check if any other App is using the Camera
Although an app may not use the camera while in the background, there are instances when you will fail to open the camera app because some random app is using the camera. You can close all the apps via the “Recent Apps” menu. In Android 11 and so forth, you can even check if some app is using a camera whilst in the background. You can determine what app could be using the camera, close it and it is highly likely that you will end up with a perfectly working Camera App.
6: Check for app and System Updates
Outdated Camera app and the Android firmware you are using can cause issues including the said “failed to open camera” error in your Android phone.
- To update the apps, go to Google Play Store >> My Apps and games (Manage apps and devices) >> search for the camera app and update it.
- To update the Android firmware, go to Settings >> About Phone* >> Software Updates >> Check for updates. If there’s an update available, download and install it right away.
7: Restore Factory [ Failed to open Camera in Android ]
Doing so can uproot any and every software-related issue on your phone. However, it will also wipe the storage on the device completely and there’s no way to retrieve it without a data recovery program.
You can put the bullet to the phone by restoring it via Settings >> System >> Reset Options >> Factory Reset. Again, this breadcrumb can be a bit different for each make and model of smartphone.
8: Report the issue to a Service Center
If the issue is persistent and tends to stick even after doing so many troubleshooting methods listed above, the final resort is to get the error diagnosed by a technician from Authorized Service Center. He/she will help you diagnose what’s wrong and fix it consensually.
Closing Words
The camera app on your Android smartphone is indispensable. Although you can use a number of camera apps like Retrica or Google Cam, you will still need access to the camera hardware and this issue can prevent you from gaining access.
However, software issues are less complex to solve while hardware issues require the help of a technician to fix them. We hope you found this content useful !!