Samsung Galaxy S8 camera started failing after Android 8.0 Oreo update

The error message “Camera failed” usually pops up if the sensor itself failed to initialize, although it’s also possible that it’s just a minor issue with the Camera app. The worse case scenario here is when this error shows up due to a damaged sensor but as long as your phone hasn’t been dropped on a hard surface and hasn’t suffered any physical damage, then it is just a minor problem with the app or the firmware and you can surely fix it on your own without having to bring your phone to the shop or back to the store.

In this post, I will help you troubleshoot your Galaxy S8 so that we will be able to determine what this problem is all about, why it’s happening on your phone and what needs to be done to fix it. But since it’s not the first time I encountered this problem, I already know a thing or two that could fix it and I will share with you the solution we’ve been using to address issues like this. So, continue reading as this article may be able to help you one way or another.

Before anything else though, if you have other issues with your device, then visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed several common problems with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems so just take time finding issues that are similar with yours. If you can’t find one or if you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. Please provide us with as much information as possible so that it would also be easier for us to troubleshoot the problem. Don’t worry as we offer this service for free, so all you have to do is give us sufficient information about the problem.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy S8 with a failing camera

As I mentioned earlier, this could be just a minor problem with the camera and the best thing we could do right now is rule that possibility out and here’s what you should do:

Reboot your phone first – that’s right, a reboot may be able to fix this problem depending on the nature of the issue. If it’s really just a minor problem caused by some glitches in the app or the system, then a reboot is more than enough to fix it. If not, try doing the forced restart by pressing and holding down both the volume down button and the power key at the same time for 10 seconds. This will reboot the phone but also refresh its memory and reload all of its apps, services and core functions.

Find out if there’s an app that uses the camera – I often record my screen while playing some games and I use the app called DU Recorder. It has an option to record your screen while also recording using the front or rear camera. When this option is enabled, the camera is used in the background and when you open it you’ll get the warning “Camera failed” which means, the sensor cannot initialize because it’s already running in the background and being used by another app. If you installed a third-party app that also uses the camera, then you should close that app to be able to use the camera. Or, you may also try doing the next procedure.

Run your phone in safe mode – if you’re not sure whether there’s an app that uses the camera in the background,  you should try running your device in this mode to temporarily disable all third-party apps. If this problem is indeed caused by a third-party, then the camera will work properly while in this mode.If such is the case though, you should try looking for that app and then uninstall and that would be the end of this problem. However, if the camera still crashes even in safe mode, then try doing the next step.

Wipe cache partition – it’s also possible that this problem is caused by some corrupt system caches. To rule it out, you should run your device in recovery mode and wipe the cache partition to delete all caches so that the firmware will create new ones. After this, open the camera to know if it would crash and if so, then you have no other choice but to do the next procedure.

Backup your files and reset your phone – if all else fails, then you have no other choice but to do the Master Reset. It will bring the device back to its factory settings and configuration. It would also delete all possible corrupt system data files that may be causing this problem. It’s very effective against app-related issues so this problem won’t continue if it’s just an issue with the app or the firmware.

Troubleshooting procedures used in this guide

The following are procedures I mentioned in the troubleshooting guide above…

How to run your phone in safe mode

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
  3. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

How to uninstall an app from your phone

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display preinstalled apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

How to wipe the cache partition

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
  5. Press the Power key to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select.
  7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

How to do the Master reset

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
  2. Turn off the device.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  6. Press Power button to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  9. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide have helped you one way or another. If you have other issues you want to share with us, feel free to contact us anytime or leave a comment below.

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