My camera all of the sudden stopped working the other day. Whenever I try to use it, the screen goes black then force closes after a few minutes. I tried to download a few other camera apps and nothing happened. Currently running with no root and I don't want to root it until the camera is fixed, unless that would help fix it.
MSK01 said:
My camera all of the sudden stopped working the other day. Whenever I try to use it, the screen goes black then force closes after a few minutes. I tried to download a few other camera apps and nothing happened. Currently running with no root and I don't want to root it until the camera is fixed, unless that would help fix it.
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If you're on a 100% stock ROM with no changes and no root access with a camera that stopped working, there are very few things which can be done.
The only real solution would be to clear out the specific stock camera application's data directory. Not sure if this is possible w/o having to clear all the data.
I'd suggest the following steps in this order:
1) Manage applications under settings is where to look to clear out the specific Camera application data in hopes that only something was corrupted. Reboot and test.
2) Wipe all data on the device. Reboot and test.
3) If none of these worked, personally, I would return/exchange the stock device for another one as at this point, it would definitely seem to be hardware related.
An alternative route would be to gain root access and look into switch kernels/ROMs, but this could end up being a dead end if the issue is hardware related.
The only good/not so bad news is I've never seen the camera completely stop working on any of these devices .. at least not yet. So hopefully this issue is not hardware related! Good luck!
I cleared out the camera information and it worked the second I restarted my phone. Thank you!
That happened to me to, nothing I tried worked. Was good that I had ESRP. The Sprint store replacement the phone in lieu of just fixing the camera
dgr581 said:
That happened to me to, nothing I tried worked. Was good that I had ESRP. The Sprint store replacement the phone in lieu of just fixing the camera
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Sometimes it's nice for them to just fix your phone and not give you a refurb. My sprint store seems to screw ur phone up when they fix it lol.
In the past when I was on the evo they swapped my screen out and broke my volume buttons. Then they just gave me a refurb.
Same thing happened to me. Suddenly, it doesn't work. Oddly enough, the Front Face camera does work by using the Mirror app. But the Rear camera does not respond when launching the Camera app.
I already tried switching ROMs, switching kernels, factory defaults, and nothing worked. Might be a hardware issue. I just hope it can be fixed without replacing my phone. It would suck having a replacement phone with HBOOT v1.50...
My camera worked initially but after switching it to front cam and back I can't get it to display anything and it will force close after 5 seconds.
Face unlock works without a problem and I have tried clearing the camera's data.
3rd party camera apps also fail with the same problem.
Any ideas? I am unrooted and no modifications done yet. Just got the phone yesterday..
behelit said:
My camera worked initially but after switching it to front cam and back I can't get it to display anything and it will force close after 5 seconds.
Face unlock works without a problem and I have tried clearing the camera's data.
3rd party camera apps also fail with the same problem.
Any ideas? I am unrooted and no modifications done yet. Just got the phone yesterday..
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Click to collapse
Thats looks like a system failure... Unrooted...
Try switching phone on and off. Be sure the problem didn't come from a recent app instaltion. Factory reset with a reliable backup and if that didn't help ring samsung. If not you could try flashing a different ROM but chances of that fixing it aren't that great!
I had this yesterday when changing video resolution, not happened since.
behelit said:
My camera worked initially but after switching it to front cam and back I can't get it to display anything and it will force close after 5 seconds.
Face unlock works without a problem and I have tried clearing the camera's data.
3rd party camera apps also fail with the same problem.
Any ideas? I am unrooted and no modifications done yet. Just got the phone yesterday..
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Have you tried checking if there is a new firmware update for your camera? presuming its the rear camera.
Info on the firmware update here allaboutsamsung.de/2012/06/samsung-galaxy-s3-update-fur-die-kamera-verfugbar/
Ryan
2 days ago my Camera app stopped working either through the hardware button or software all it does is play the opening app animation and return back to the previous screen. Ive tried soft and hard resets of the phone and now ive even reflashed it via NCS to no avail. Now at this point youd think it would be a hardware thing, but apps like "panorama" and "smart shoot" still work and so do all the other camera apps ive downloaded. Anyone managed to fix this?
You seem to be the only one whom has had this issue and reported it. So no, no fix as of now since you are alone on this one.
same here
Jt612 said:
2 days ago my Camera app stopped working either through the hardware button or software all it does is play the opening app animation and return back to the previous screen. Ive tried soft and hard resets of the phone and now ive even reflashed it via NCS to no avail. Now at this point youd think it would be a hardware thing, but apps like "panorama" and "smart shoot" still work and so do all the other camera apps ive downloaded. Anyone managed to fix this?
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same thing happened to my phone since yesterday and I've tried hard reset but nothing changes.. Camera only works through smartshoot and if I try to open it just using the original app, or use the camera button, it just won't open and turn back to the home screen
576514545 said:
same thing happened to my phone since yesterday and I've tried hard reset but nothing changes.. Camera only works through smartshoot and if I try to open it just using the original app, or use the camera button, it just won't open and turn back to the home screen
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I have exactly the same problem. After 5 days of perfect use of everything, the phone overheated, drained completely within a couple of hours and now it has a permanent problem with the camera: either black screen when launching the camera app, or if it launches, pink stripes and frozen app after 10-15 seconds. It cannot be just a random problem on one device. I've seen the same description of the problem on various forums.
Has Nokia responded on this?
The funny thing is that I live in Greece, the device was bought during a trip abroad and it's not covered by warranty! Regarding Nokia's amazing support policy I have written details at my blog nextbeta.com.
(I'm not a smartphone user that cannot understand what is a bug and what is a hardware problem, 8 years MVP for Mobile Devices and founder of the Greek Mobillity Club in 2001...)
Have you flashed the newest ROM or an older version? Perhaps you might want to try it with the Release ROM to see if that fixes things. Aside from that I fear your only option is to turn it in at a service center and let them figure out what is wrong.
Given that the Flash rewrites the whole system it somehow has to be connected with the hardware.
Im on stock Droid DNA ROM. Have the latest update. Every time I try to open the camera it says "Unable to start the camera." I have already hard reset the phone 2 times and restarted. I also cleared the camera data and cache. I don't know what to do now..
Try downloading a camera app from the market and see how it works. If that app also can't get it to start then it may be a hardware issue. If it can then you know there is something wrong with the stock camera app.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
Jaggar345 said:
Try downloading a camera app from the market and see how it works. If that app also can't get it to start then it may be a hardware issue. If it can then you know there is something wrong with the stock camera app.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
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tried. It wont use the camera
Sounds like a hardware issue then.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app
This is the same error I get on the CM10.1 ROM since the camera isn't working yet... as everyone else has mentioned it's most likely a hardware issue especially if you've tried wiping the entire phone and still have the problem.
Had this happen today. Did you ever get it straightened out?
If I try a photo the flash comes on and will not go off unless I reboot. If I try a video the screen goes black and freezes. I've rebooted, "hard" rebooted by holding power button down, turned off fastboot, cleared data and cache.
I tried CameraMX from the market and it doesn't work.
I did not buy my phone from Verizon. What are my options?
It doesn't matter where you bought it, HTC will warranty it as long as you talk to them like a human and explain the situation while being respectful.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Thanks bud. I'll give it a shot. I really like HTC phones I hope this (along with whatever may happen with the warranty) doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth.
So, I've been resetting, force closing and clearing data the past 2 days throughout the day for the camera. Usually, after I've did a reset the camera will open, but when I try to take a picture the flash comes on and stays on the the app freezes. The led flash will not go off until I do a reset. A force close won't even shut it off.
Today after a reset, I opened the camera and instead of trying to take a pic I cycled through the flash settings. As soon as I did the interface switched to portrait, (like the phone was held) and it took pics and video like normal!!!!!!!!
It works now. What a crazy problem.
Completely stock DNA with latest ota update. Phone has not been dropped or anything.
Wow, that doesn't make any logical sense. How strange... Glad you got it fixed though!
Sent from my ViperDNA using Tapatalk 2
I see similar camera weirdness a lot when I'm at Best Buy in the best buy mobile section and I've intervened on 10 or 15 exchanges by tinkering with camera and gallery like clearing app data.
You've taught me a new trick in case I ever get to show off for the hot best buy mobile girls.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
If you have a flash light app and do not turn the flash off this will cause the camer to not start
Recently had the problem (camera won't start, or can't connect to camera). Got the solution here:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-droid-dna/244680-camera-unable-start.html
Just hold the power button for ~20 seconds til it reboots, and camera works just fine. No loss of data or anything. It's supposed to be the equivalent of battery pull.
Mine too!
bluesamg said:
Im on stock Droid DNA ROM. Have the latest update. Every time I try to open the camera it says "Unable to start the camera." I have already hard reset the phone 2 times and restarted. I also cleared the camera data and cache. I don't know what to do now..
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Click to collapse
Hi there ,
I have my DNA in the same situation ("Unable to start the camera").it crashes.... I have tried everything ! NOTHING works..tried to root ,change rom...maybe firmware! nope ,No solution for that i guess.
Please tell me what did you do to get it working ? did you send it back to verizon ?what did they do ? can they fix it ?or they have changed the whole phone ? please be in touch .
One more question is : Does your phone sometimes crashes ? in my case i have the same problem with the camera ..... and i have my phones system gives me :"proccess system not responding " . could that be bacuse of the camera problem ? Do you have the same ?(your phone get stuck sometime ..and goes OFF\RESTART ?)
I have the same case !! but in my country i have NO verizon here ..so actually i can't fix my phone !
What should i do ?
Thanks guys for help .
shadyabs said:
Hi there ,
I have my DNA in the same situation ("Unable to start the camera").it crashes.... I have tried everything ! NOTHING works..tried to root ,change rom...maybe firmware! nope ,No solution for that i guess.
Please tell me what did you do to get it working ? did you send it back to verizon ?what did they do ? can they fix it ?or they have changed the whole phone ? please be in touch .
One more question is : Does your phone sometimes crashes ? in my case i have the same problem with the camera ..... and i have my phones system gives me :"proccess system not responding " . could that be bacuse of the camera problem ? Do you have the same ?(your phone get stuck sometime ..and goes OFF\RESTART ?)
I have the same case !! but in my country i have NO verizon here ..so actually i can't fix my phone !
What should i do ?
Thanks guys for help .
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Click to collapse
Read the thread please. The answer is in it.
Sorry for the necromancy, I'm having the same issue, and no amount of resets, soft or hard, has resolved anything.
I received this phone about a month ago as a total care replacement for a very sad old Droid X that was needing to be put out to pasture. When I first got it, everything worked fine. The camera worked a couple weeks ago, even, but I went to use it today, tapped the camera icon, it briefly opened then instantly closed with a message "Unable to start the camera".
I tried a few more times, force quit, cleared cache, tried again, still nothing. Force quit, cleared data, tried again. Soft reset, tried again, nothing. Held power button for a reset, still nothing. Powered off and back on again, still nothing. Another soft reset, still nothing. Tried 3 other camera apps, Google Camera closed immediately with a similar error message, Vignette just sat there at Initializing Camera forever, and some garbage front camera only selfie app opened but only showed a black screen for the viewfinder.
I did another soft reset, still nothing.
I did a factory reset, and tried again without downloading any of the apps previously installed. Still nothing.
I've tried several more soft resets and cache clears since then.
It's looking more and more like a hardware problem but previous posters in this thread reported fixing similar issues without doing anything to the hardware. It has never been dropped, it has never been wet. It hasn't even been outside in a light drizzle. It's never been sat on, it's never gotten warmer than 109 reported internal temp.
Other than take it to Verizon and whine at them about how the free phone I just got a month ago is a broken piece of crud for no apparent reason or malfeasance on my part (which is probably why they had it on hand to give away, reconditioned my big toe), is there any potential resolution I'm missing that doesn't involve warranty-voiding stuff.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE ANSWER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!
"Today after a reset, I opened the camera and instead of trying to take a pic I cycled through the flash settings. As soon as I did the interface switched to portrait, (like the phone was held) and it took pics and video like normal!!!!!!!!"
I didn't see you mention that you tried this. It fixed my dna and I never had another issue.
natypes said:
THIS IS PROBABLY THE ANSWER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!
"Today after a reset, I opened the camera and instead of trying to take a pic I cycled through the flash settings. As soon as I did the interface switched to portrait, (like the phone was held) and it took pics and video like normal!!!!!!!!"
I didn't see you mention that you tried this. It fixed my dna and I never had another issue.
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Click to collapse
I can't even get that far, as soon as I tap the camera icon, the camera app flashes open for a moment then instantly closes with an 'unable to start' message. The odd thing is that every so often, with no rhyme or reason, it will randomly start working just fine, then not work at all for weeks on end.
Of course now it's so broken, even LED Flashlight apps don't detect it as even having a camera.
I have a stock rooted G3 running ZV8. One day last week, my rear facing camera stopped working. No warnings or anything like that beforehand, just no longer working. I get a black screen with only a back button and the last pic taken icon, but nothing else. When I try to access the camera from another camera app I get the message that the camera can't be started or is in use by another application.
The front facing camera seems to still be functional, but can only be accessed by a camera app that goes directly to it, like Camera360. I'm at a complete loss as to ideas about whether this is a software issue, or a hardware issue. If anyone else has had issues with their camera no longer working, any info you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I am having the same problem, and it just appeared out of nowhere as well... I have tried clearing the camera apps cache and data and have wiped davlick from twrp but to no avail. Going to try wiping and reinstalling the rom and will get back to you if it works.
I am running the stock rooted rom :S