How to Fix Samsung S20 Camera Failed Error Message

There has been an error users get when opening the camera app on their Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones.

The error says “camera failed,” and it won’t allow users to access and use the camera. Some users have even tried to reset their Galaxy S20 smartphones, but even that hasn’t worked for them.

But in this guide we will show you the possible reasons behind this and what you can do to get rid of the camera failed error message on your Samsung Galaxy S20. So if you get this error message on your Galaxy S20, this guide is for you.

Let’s get started!

Note

This guide can also be applied to any Samsung Galaxy S20 model. Such as Samsung Galaxy S20+, S20 Fe, and S20 Ultra.

Why does my Samsung S20 keep saying camera failed?

There are a number of reasons that could cause the camera failed error on Samsung Galaxy S20.

Most of the time, this is because of a hardware glitch in the Galaxy S20’s camera unit. Some times when the internal components of the camera unit get loose and cause this error message to appear when you open the camera app.

Another possible cause is a bug or caching issue on the camera app itself. Some users have reported that they started to getting this message after they had done a software update to their Galaxy S20. So a software update could also be a cause for this error.

Therefore, in order to get rid of the camera failed error from your Galaxy S20, you have to fix the above mentioned issues, and that is what we have given as solutions below. Let’s get into them.

How do I fix Camera failed on Samsung Galaxy S20?

First, we will show you software related fixes to get rid of this error message. Then, if that doesn’t help fixing the issue, you can apply the solution to fix the hardware glitch, as we have mentioned above.

When you have applied a solution, try to open the camera app and see if the error message appears. If it is not, you don’t need to do further troubleshooting. Only go to the next solutions if the error still appears.

Fix 01: Restart the device

Restartng is the very basic solution to fix temporary glitches within the android system. All the process, including one that is responsible to camera will be restarted as your device restarts.

There is no special procedure you have to take to restart your device. Just press and hold the power button, and once the power menu appears, tap on the restart buton.

Alternatively, you can press and hold the power key and volume down key together until your device starts to turn off and then release the keys to restart your device easily.

Fix 02: Reset camera settings

As we have mentioned above, misconfigurations in the camera app and its settings is another cause of the “camera failed” error. If this is the case, you have to configure the camera settings correctly to get rid of the error message from your Galaxy S20.

However, this can be a tedious task to find out which setting has caused this. Or it could be a malfunction in the settings. Therefore, the best solution is resetting the camera settings to set its values as factory settings.

To reset camera settings, follow the steps below;

Open the Camera app
Tap on the setting gear icon at the top left side
Scroll down and tap on “Reset settings”

Confirm

Once the reset is completed, open the camera app and see if the error message is disappeared from your Galaxy S20.

Fix 03: Clear camera app cache

Corrupted and outdated camera app cache can be removed easily without affecting the images and videos you have taken from your Galaxy S20 camera.

By clearing the cache files, you allow the camera app to rebuild the cache, and this can help to fix the camera failed error.

To clear the camera app cache, follow these steps;

Open Settings
Tap on Apps
Scroll down and find the camera app. Then tap on it
First, tap on Force stop to terminate the app temporary
Tap on the storage section
Tap on the clear cache button

Go back to the home screen and open the camera app

Fix 04: Tap the camera unit

Up to this solution, we have showed you all the software and app related solutions to get rid of the camera failed error. If none of them has worked for you, then it should be the camera unit that is defective and needs to be fixed.

But you need to be a technician or an expert of handling internal hardware of the device. However, the fix to this does not require any expertice to do.

Here is how you can fix the camera unit;

Turn off your device
Gently press every area of your device using your thumb. Do not press hard and do it like you are giving some massage to your device (This might sound funney but trust us!)
Then, gently tap on the camera unit and the area around it for about a minute
After you are done, turn on the device and open the camera app

That is it! Then you should be able to use the camera without getting the “camera failed” error anymore on your Samsung Galaxy S20.

Wrapping Up

If you get, the camera failed error again after you have fixed it by following our solutions, it is better to take your device to an authentic Samsung service cener. The technitians will then investigate the internal hardware and will give you a permanent solution.

If you have any questions or need help regarding this guide, leave a comment below. We will be there to help.

Have a nice day!

How to Fix Samsung S20 Camera Failed Error Message

Table of Contents

Why does my Samsung S20 keep saying camera failed?