Maintaining streaks and flaunting your snap score is cool, but what if Snapchat can’t access the camera? No more streaks for you. Believe us, we know what agitation it can cause when you are on a timer and Snapchat can’t send a snap, let alone a memory. Here are some fixes for when Snapchat can’t access the camera on your Android phone that has worked for us from time to time so that we could send those creative shots.
Table of Contents
1. Restart the Device
Just like any other operating system, Android can also encounter a bug sometimes and the best way to resolve it is to restart the device.
1. To restart your Android, Press and Hold the Power button (the button used to lock the screen) for 3 seconds which should give you options for the Power Menu.
In newer Android devices the method has been changed to the Press and Hold the Power button and the Volume Down button together for 3 seconds.
2. Tap on Restart to restart your device.
After restarting the Android, open Snapchat to check if it worked. If not, proceed to the next methods for a possible resolution.
Must Read: Why Is Snapchat Account Locked and How to Unlock It
2. Check for Camera Permission For Snapchat
Though basic and implemented since the inception of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, not giving permissions to an app to function fully is one of the most common causes.
For Snapchat to work as intended, it has to be granted permission to access Camera, Microphone, and Location of the Android phone. Though permissions are asked when you open an app for the first time, if your Android didn’t do so for some reason then you can follow the below steps to enable the required permissions.
1. Tap and Hold the Snapchat icon in the App drawer for about 3 seconds. Then, tap on the info icon.
2. Go to Permissions.
3. Look for Camera permissions. Top on Camera and set it as Allow only while using the app or Allow all the time, whichever is available.
4. Repeat the process to enable Location and Microphone permissions as well.
Also Read: How to Use Snapchat on Web (PC and Mac)
3. Enable Camera Access For Snapchat
With Android 12 came a host of new features along with a complete redesign of Android. Among these features is a privacy feature known as Camera access and Mic access. If the access is disabled by the user, then NO app on your Android can access the camera or the microphone.
1. To enable camera access, open Settings and scroll down to find Privacy.
2. While in the Privacy menu, enable Camera and Microphone access.
Pro Tip: What Do Icons, Symbols, Emojis Mean on Snapchat – Complete Guide
4. Reinstalling Snapchat
As is the case with many other apps, some things can only be resolved with a fresh install. Since Snapchat already backs up all your data and chats in the cloud, you can uninstall it without any worry and reinstall the app from Play Store. Just make sure to remember your login details.
5. Less Battery
Sometimes even when Snapchat has access to camera, it can’t use it because your phone’s battery is down. These restrictions are put in by the manufacturer so that the hardware is not affected even if the battery of the smartphone is too low. Charge your phone to about 50% or higher and then open Snapchat to see if Snapchat is able to access the camera now.
6. Phone Overheating While Using Camera
Have you been clicking a lot of pictures, or recording videos from your phone? Just got off a gaming session with friends leading to the phone warming up. If so, Snapchat won’t be able to access and use the phone’s camera for a bit.
Using the camera puts a lot of load on the phone’s processor and can also lead to high temperatures pretty quickly. Hence, some manufacturers block camera usage until the device cools down a little. This is to safeguard the user as well as the phone against any permanent damage.
Hence, try opening Snapchat once your device has cooled down a bit.
7. Clearing Cache From Snapchat
Even if you reinstall the app, some cache files can be left behind on your smartphone. This may lead to unintended consequences like Snapchat not being able to access or use the camera.
1. To clear the cache of the app, open Snapchat and tap on the profile icon at the top left.
2. Tap on the cog icon present in the top-right and scroll down to Account Actions.
3. Tap on Clear Cache and then tap on Continue after which Snapchat will clear all the redundant unused files. This option will NOT delete any of your memories, chats, or saved media in chats.
Pro tip: You can do this every two months to free up some extra space in your device if you’re low on storage.
Bugs and Snapchat
Snapchat is one of those apps that releases updates every few days which majorly includes security fixes but sometimes introduces some bugs as well. Time and time again users have pointed out that Snapchat is one of the buggiest apps on Android. That said, they tend to release bug fixes quickly too and if not, then you can fix the issue by following our guide.
