"Camera failed" on a Samsung Galaxy? 6 fixes

By Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 5 October 2026

Device

Android

Shown on

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16

App

Camera

Real screenshots

3 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Step by step

1. Close the camera and restart

   Swipe the Camera app away in the recent apps view, then restart the phone. This frees a camera that another app kept open.

   Done

2. 

   Check Camera access

   Settings, Security and privacy, Privacy, Controls and alerts. When Camera access is off, no app can use the camera. It was on on our phone.

   Done

3. Close apps that use the camera

   Video calls, scanners and flashlight apps can block the Camera app. A green dot at the top of the screen shows that an app is using the camera.

   Done

4. 

   Reset the camera settings

   Settings, Apps, Camera, Camera settings opens the camera's own settings. Reset settings at the bottom puts them back to default; your photos are not touched.

   Done

5. Clear the Camera app's cache

   In the same App info page, open Storage and tap Clear cache. Do not use Clear data unless the other steps fail.

   Done

6. 

   Install the latest software

   Settings, Software update, Check for updates. Our phone was on One UI 8.5.

   Done

About this guide

"Warning: Camera failed" means the Camera app could not reach the camera. Often another app holds it or the Camera app has a stuck setting; a hardware fault is the last explanation, not the first.

The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy A57 5G with One UI 8.5 and Android 16. Other Galaxy phones on One UI 8 use the same menus; on older One UI versions a few names and positions differ. We only looked at these screens on our phone and changed nothing.

Good to know

How to clear an app's cache, step by step: how to clear an app's cache on a Samsung Galaxy.

If the warning comes back even after these steps, back up the phone and have a Samsung service centre test the camera.

In short: Restart, Camera access on, close apps using the camera, reset camera settings, clear the cache, update.