Verizon Galaxy S8 Plus camera won’t open or shows “Camera failed” warning [Troubleshooting Guide]

The camera is one of the most complex feature of your Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. We have received messages from our readers who own this device complaining about the camera that won’t open when the icon is tapped or a warning message “Camera failed” pops up instead of the app. This might be a sign of an issue with the camera app itself or a problem with its hardware. But the thing is we really don’t know for sure and we won’t know if we didn’t try to troubleshoot it.

So, in this post, I will tackle this problem with the Verizon Galaxy S8+ being the subject of our troubleshooting since many of those who complained have the Verizon variant. This troubleshooting guide will of course work for other variants of the phone so if you have an unlocked S8+ and are also bugged by a camera problem, then continue reading this post as it may help you fix the problem.

Now, before we go to troubleshooting, if you are currently experiencing a different problem, try to visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues owners encountered with their device. Find issues that are similar to yours and feel free to use our solutions or troubleshooting guides. If they don’t work, however, and if you need further assistance, contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. All we need is information so we can help you. Don’t worry, it’s free.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S8+ with camera that won’t open or shows an error

This troubleshooting guide will of course be centered on how to fix this problem but we need to discover first why it happens in the first place so that we can formulate a solution that may work effectively. Based on our experience, if an app won’t open, it’s more likely a problem with the app in question but if it shows an error message, there could be another factor at play. In this case wherein the app may either won’t open or show an error, it might be a complex issue. So, let’s first try to look into the possible causes of the problem:

The camera app could only be crashing
Some third-party apps might be triggering the error
There could be a serious problem with the firmware
It might be an issue with the camera sensor itself

Now, here’s what you should do about this problem…

Step 1: Clear the cache and data of the camera app

Clearing the cache and data of an app means you’re actually resetting it by deleting all its caches or temporary files created by the system and bringing it back to its factory default settings. Don’t worry, none of your pictures and videos will be delete so it’s safe to do:

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap Settings > Apps.
Tap the Camera app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear cache.
Tap Clear data and then tap OK.

After this procedure, try to open the camera to know if the problem still persists and if so, then move on to the next step.

Step 2: Reboot your Galaxy S8+ in safe mode

Remember that running your phone in safe mode alone won’t fix the problem. You have to do something about it to have a shot at fixing it. But at this point in our troubleshooting, it’s imperative to boot your phone in safe mode so that you can isolate the problem. As I said, there’s a possibility that this problem is caused by some of the third-party apps and if one of them is really causing the problem, then the camera should work properly while your phone is in this environment. That said, here’s how you run your phone in safe mode:

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

Assuming the camera works fine while in this mode, then it’s clear that one or some of the third-party apps you installed is causing the problem. You need to find that app and uninstall it to fix this problem:

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

If however, the problem still persists while in safe mode, then it might be an issue with the firmware. Try the next step.

Step 3: Delete all system caches so they’ll be replaced

One of the causes of app crashes and performance related issues is when some of the system caches got corrupted. You need to replace those caches and the only way you can do that is when you wipe the cache partition. None of your files and data will be deleted if you do this:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
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).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

After which, open the camera and see if the error or the problem is still there and if it still occurs, move on to the next step.

Step 4: Reset All Settings

Wiping the cache partition is a very effective procedure in dealing with firmware problems but since the problem still persists after you did so, it’s time to reset all settings in your phone. It’s basically like a factory reset only that none of your files, data, apps, etc. will be deleted. All the settings however, will be brought back to their factory defaults and this might fix the problem:

From a Home screen, touch and swipe up or down to display all apps.
From a Home screen, navigate: Settings > Backup and reset.
Tap Reset settings.
Tap Reset settings, to confirm.
If applicable, enter the PIN, password or pattern.
Tap Reset settings.

If the problem still occurs after this, you have to do the next step.

Step 5: It’s time to backup all your files and data and then do the Master Reset

This is your last resort. If the problem still happens after this, then we can say that it’s an issue with the hardware already. Doing the master reset will rule out the possibility that the crashing of the camera is due to a firmware problem. But before you do it, make sure you make a backup of your files and data as they will be deleted. After the that, disable the Factory Reset Protection so that you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset.

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
Tap Accounts.
Tap Google.
Tap on your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are setup. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
Tap 3 dot icon.
Tap Remove account.
Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

Now, follow these steps to do the Master Reset on your Samsung Galaxy S8+…

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
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).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

I do hope that doing the reset would be enough to fix the problem but if it does persist, then it’s time to bring it back to the store and have the tech do some tests to determine the problem.

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