How to fix various Samsung Galaxy S7 camera problems [Troubleshooting Guide]

The first Samsung #GalaxyS7 #camera problem I will tackle in this post is about the unit that won’t autofocus. Issues like this may be caused by minor app or firmware issues but it could also be a more serious hardware problem. Many have reported this kind of problem and we’re obliged to answer them.

Read on to understand what these issues are all about, how they occur and how to deal with them in case you’d encounter one in the future. It’s better that you already have an idea what to do when one of these issues happen to you. These are minor problems but they’re very annoying especially if one of them occurs when you really need a camera to take important pictures.  

For those who have other issues with their device, make sure you visit our Galaxy S7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed a lot of issues with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions for your problem. If not, then you can always contact us through our Android problems questionnaire.

Galaxy S7 camera won’t autofocus

Problem: Map pictures and video are blurry. They will not autofocus. I read up on the Samsung S6 Edge and tried to do everything it said to do. For example I reset the camera settings. I also turned my video stabilization to all which did help some I am now able to autofocus up close when only one item is in the picture but when I try to take a picture of different items it’s all blurry.

Troubleshooting: Clearing the cache and data of the Camera app will reset everything back to its default settings so please try that one first. If the problem remains, then try to boot your device in safe mode and open the camera from there to see if it still has difficulty auto-focusing.

Putting the device in diagnostic state will rule out the possibility that third-party apps are causing the problem and at the same time gives us an insight as to what the problem is all about. So, try these two procedures first:

Clear cache and data

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Find and tap on Settings.
3. Touch Applications and then Application manager.
4. Swipe to ALL tab.
5. Find and touch Camera.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear cache and then Clear data, Delete.

Boot in safe mode

1. Press and hold the Power key.
2. As soon as you can see the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ on the screen, release the Power key and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
3. Continue holding the Volume Down button until the device finishes rebooting.
4. You may release it when you can see ‘Safe mode’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Now, the next thing you have to do is to check if there’s a protective film on the outside lens of the phone. It’s a very thin and clear plastic with a little hole in the center. Over time, the film will become blurry and if it’s moved even just a little bit, it will obstruct the sensor, which may lead to difficulty in focus.

If there’s no protective film, then it’s safe to assume the problem is with the hardware. But before you visit a technician, make sure you cleared the phone of your personal data. It’s a necessary step for you to do for the sake of your privacy.

1. Backup your data.
2. Remove your Google account.
3. Disengage screen lock.
4. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
5. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.
6. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
7. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds. NOTE: The “Installing system update” message may show on the screen for several seconds before displaying the Android system recovery menu. This is just the first phase of the entire process.
8. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
9. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
10. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
11. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
12. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Galaxy S7 pictures are in negative exposure mode

Problem: Phone changed to display photos like photo negatives. Rebooting the phone fixed issue going forward, but how do I edit the photos that were already taken this way?

Answer: It must be a bug with the firmware as it’s a widespread issue. Turning the phone off and on will fix the problem. It would also help if you clear the cache and data of the Camera app but the problem may still occur unless Samsung addresses it by rolling out another update that will fix the problem. So, as of now, there’s not much we can do about it except the obvious workarounds. About your pictures that were taken in that mode, there’s nothing we can do about them and I’m not sure if there are apps that may revert the negative exposure to a standard mode.

Pictures are not saved on the Galaxy S7

Problem: Hi, when I take a picture with the resurfacing camera sometimes the picture is not saved. I hear the shutter but when I go to camera gallery it is not there. This has happened to mine and my son’s S7 and my husband’s S7edge. Help.

Answer: You said “sometimes the picture is not saved” so I’m wondering how often this problem occur and if there is a pattern that would tell us exactly what the issue is but since we don’t have access to that information, then we have to find out what the cause is. So, I want you to boot your device in safe mode and take as many pictures as you want to find out if the problem still occurs. If you set your device to save pictures in the SD card, then check to see if the card is fine. Honestly, I don’t think this problem occurs if the camera is set to save pictures and videos in its internal storage. I think it’s more of an SD card issue than a camera problem.

Galaxy S7 Gallery not functioning well

Problem: Gallery to include any pictures or video… Will not display when I open app in thumbnail version thumbnails do not display. App sometimes closes. Videos have audio but are frozen. Sometimes Gallery app will crash altogether.

Answer: I think it’s just a minor issue with the Gallery app. Try to clear its cache and data to see if that helps.

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Find and tap on Settings.
3. Touch Applications and then Application manager.
4. Swipe to ALL tab.
5. Find and touch Gallery.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear cache and then Clear data, Delete.

I’ve seen this problem before and based on testimonies, it started to occur after an update. So, if this problem of yours started after an update, then you need to delete the system cache so the new firmware will create new caches.

1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
8. Wait until your phone is finished wiping the cache partition. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

I hope this helps.

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