The camera is a pivotal part of a smartphone. Without it, besides just selfies, you can’t scan QR codes, take that perfect Instagram shot, or even capture notes in class. So, it comes to no one’s surprise that having a disabled camera on your phone can feel a bit annoying, if not downright paralyzing.
Here’s a list of all the different ways you can enable your camera on an Android Phone:
– Reset your phone.
– Check for permissions.
– Ensure third-party applications are not using the camera.
– Factory reset your phone.
– Check for physical obstructions.
– Take your phone in for a hardware check/repairs.
While not a common issue since most Android phones come in with their cameras enabled by default, it certainly isn’t one that we haven’t faced.
Therefore, in this article, we’ll provide you with all the methods you can use to enable the camera on your Android phone and get back into that selfie goodness.
Restart Your Phone
While restarting your phone may not seem like a stellar option, it clears your RAM and cache, closes all applications, and reboots the kernel. If your mobile was malfunctioning in terms of software, a reboot ought to fix it.
After rebooting your phone, open the default Camera application to enable the camera on your Android phone. If you see your viewfinder come back up, you are done! Otherwise, you’ll have to choose more drastic options.
Check Your Permissions
If your camera isn’t enabled on a particular application and works fine in the others, the chances are that you’ve accidentally denied that application access. No worries, though, it is quite an easy fix. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open the “Settings” application on your phone.
- Now, head to “Apps & Notifications”.
- Once there, tap on “App Permissions” / “Permission Manager”.
- Now, tap on “Camera”.
- Now, select the application where your camera isn’t working. For this example, we’ll use Instagram.
- Once you tap on the application, tap “Allow”.
If the microphone isn’t working alongside your camera, no worries; use the same method above. But, this time, instead of tapping on the Camera, tap on the Microphone instead.
Is Your Camera Being Used?
Some pesky applications tend to overstep their boundaries and may be discretely using your camera in the background. If that ends up happening, no other application will be able to enable your camera until the previous one is closed.
In order to filter that out, open your Recent Applications and tap on “Close All”. Doing so will remove all instances of an application running on your phone.
If your camera works after doing so, delete all applications that aren’t from verified developers immediately, as one of them is using your camera without your permission.
Reset Your Phone
If you’ve tried all the options above to enable the camera, but it doesn’t work, then a factory reset is the most obvious choice. This is done to rule out software as an issue for your camera not working.
Before resetting your phone, make sure that your phone is backed up. You can do so by using Google’s own backup or individually backing each application manually. Otherwise, a factory reset will remove all personal info/app data.
When you reset your Android phone, the camera is enabled by default. So, if it still doesn’t work, you can rule out a software-related issue and can instead focus on identifying a physical issue. Here’s how you can reset your phone:
- Open the “Settings” application on your phone.
- Now, head to “System” / ”General Management”.
- Tap on “Reset”.
- Finally, head to “Factory Data Reset”.
- Your phone will now automatically revert to factory default settings after completing the process.
Check for Obstructions
If your Camera application opens up fine, but you see a black image instead, there is a chance that your camera is being obstructed. So, use a fine cloth and rub it over your lens and visually check for any artifact that might’ve gotten stuck in the lens.
While a hardware fault is unlikely, it can be a probable cause, especially if you’ve tried all the fixes above.
Take Your Phone in for Repairs
If you have followed all these steps, and your camera is still not enabled, then either your camera is faulty, or the hardware connection has come loose. In both cases, you’ll need to resort to a qualified technician to get your camera back up and running again.
Conclusion
Not having your camera enabled on an Android phone can be extremely annoying. But, by following all these steps, you should be able to get your camera back up and running. In general, not being permitted to use the camera or having a background application running are the two most common causes of your camera is disabled.
