Google Pixel 3 XL camera app crashes when used

Hello Android fans! We recently received a report about some Google Pixel 3 XL devices with camera app troubles. We don’t think the problem is hardware-related so there’s high likelihood that the problem is fixable on a user level. Below is one example of such a problem and the possible solutions that you can try to fix it.

Problem: Google Pixel 3 XL camera app keeps crashing

All the third party apps can not using camera very well, the app will freeze and crash whenever i attempt to use the camera within the app. And most likely the app camera itself will not work unless i restart the device :/ Apps like instagram, snapchat, whatsapp and twitter. all of them i cannot use the camera through them !! camera crashes the app immediately.

Solution: Reasons for this problem can vary. The most likely causes though can be one of the following:

Camera app bug
Third party app
Android Operating System bug

In order to resolve this problem, follow our suggestions below.

Solution 1: Force reboot

Before you do any software changes, it’s good idea if you can refresh the system first. Try to do a forced reboot to refresh the system. Simply press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds. After restarting it, check for the problem again.

Solution 2: Manually close or quit apps

Sometimes, manually closing a problematic app is all it takes to fix a problem. Make sure to do that for each and every app you’re having a problem with. Here’s how to do that:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps & notifications.
Select an app. If needed, tap App info before the app.
Tap Force stop.

Solution 3: Clear camera app cached data

Because you have a problem for multiple apps that use your device’s camera, there’s a chance that the issue may be within the default camera app itself. To troubleshoot it, you can try to clear its cache first. Follow these steps to clear an app cache on your Google Pixel 3 XL:

From a Home screen, touch and swipe up to display all apps.
Go to Settings.
Tap Apps & notifications.
Tap See all ‘xx’ apps.
Tap the appropriate app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear cache.
Restart your Pixel 3 XL.

Should the problem continue afterwards, you can then try to clear the camera app’s data.

From a Home screen, touch and swipe up to display all apps.
Go to Settings.
Tap Apps & notifications.
Tap See all ‘xx’ apps.
Tap the appropriate app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear data.
Restart your Pixel 3 XL.

Solution 4: Observe in safe mode

A downloaded app may be causing this problem. To check, try to boot to safe mode and see what happens. To boot to safe mode:

Press and hold the Power button.
On your screen, touch and hold Power off.
Tap OK.
After you see “Safe mode” at the bottom of your screen, wait to see if the problem goes away.

Remember, safe mode blocks third party or downloaded apps. If the problem goes away in safe mode, you can bet one of the apps is to blame. To identify which of your downloaded apps is causing the problem:

To exit safe mode, restart your device.
One by one, uninstall recently downloaded apps. After each removal, restart your device. See whether removing that app solved the problem.
After you remove the app that’s causing the problem, you can reinstall the other apps that you removed.

Solution 5: Install app updates

Like Android operating system, apps regularly need updates to stay in optimum shape. Make it a point to install app updates whenever they are available.

Open your device’s Play Store app.
Tap Menu icon.
Tap My apps & games.
Apps with available updates are labeled “Update.”
If an update is available, tap Update.
If more updates are available, tap Update all.

Solution 6: Install Android OS updates (system updates)

Android evolves so new bugs and problems may happen from time to time. To minimize the chance of bugs from developing, you want to make sure that the software runs the latest Android version. Make sure to set your Pixel 3 XL to automatically install updates so you’ll not miss anything.

Solution 7: Wipe the phone with factory reset

If all the troubleshooting steps above won’t solve the freezing issue on your Pixel 3 XL, the final software troubleshooting step that you can do is to wipe it. This way, you can return all software settings back to their defaults in one stroke. If the reason for the problem is software related, factory reset will most likely help.

To factory reset your Pixel 3 XL:

Create a backup of your personal data.
Make sure to know the username and password for Google account in the phone.
Open Settings app.
Tap System.
Tap Advanced.
Tap Reset options.
Tap Erase all data (factory reset) and then Reset phone. If needed, enter your PIN, pattern, or password.
To erase all data from your phone’s internal storage, tap Erase everything.
When your phone has finished erasing, pick the option to restart.
Set up your phone and restore your backed-up data.