Snapchat Camera Not Working? Fix Now!

Daisy Raines

Feb 29, 2024 • Filed to: Manage Social Apps • Proven solutions

Snapchat is undoubtedly the best and most prominent photo-sharing application. You can send and receive snaps, exchange Bitmoji, and publicly share videos and snaps. Snapchat is an ultimate attraction to everyone with its numerous beautiful filters and lens.

But what if your application has started lagging and malfunctioning, and you don't know the reason? What will be your solution if the Snapchat camera is not working due to black screen, poor quality, or zoomed-in snaps? For resolving the issue of the Snapchat camera not working, the article will explain the following important aspects:

Part 1: The Issues of Snapchat Camera You May Experience

You might go through some issues while opening the Snapchat camera. Following are the common problems faced by people worldwide:

  • No Sound: The video snaps made on your Snapchat might not have any sound.
  • Disruption of Long Snap: The long snap recording feature of your Snapchat might not work due to the old Snapchat version.
  • Black Screen: When you open your Snapchat, it shows a completely black screen and doesn’t let you see any function.
  • Zoomed in Camera: When you open your Snapchat camera, it is already zoomed-in and unable to zoom out and display properly.
  • Poor Quality: When you make videos or take pictures, the content turns out to have poor quality. The snaps look super shaky, blurry, and unusual.
  • Inaccessible New Features: Your Snapchat cannot support the new Snapchat feature, and the app crashes down.

Part 2: Why is Your Snapchat Camera Not Working?

We have explained the common issues faced by Snapchat users. Now, let’s discuss the reasons why your Snapchat camera not working normally on your device:

  • Distorted Cache Files

Caches are unnecessary information that doesn't add any effects to the functionality of applications. They can also have bugs from the application that causes malfunctioning of the Snapchat application.

  • Unstable Internet Connection

If your Wi-Fi or mobile phone data connection is not stable, you will face different functionality problems, including loading, filters, video calling, and logging in. Such functions demand the highest speed and MBs to work properly.

  • Technical Issue of Snapchat

It might be possible that there is an actual technical issue with Snapchat’s servers. If this is the problem, you should only wait patiently until the issue is resolved from Snapchat’s side.

  • Slow Device Performance

You might have opened plenty of applications running in the phone's background and consuming energy. In this case, the application's performance will be affected, causing lag in the Snapchat functions.

  • Unreliable Settings

Your device's microphone, camera, or sound settings might not be precise. It can cause disruption, and you cannot record a sound, take fine pictures, or listen to the audio of your recorded snaps.

Part 3: 10 Fixes for Snapchat Camera Not Working

The above parts have provided information about the possible errors caused in Snapchat and the reasons behind its malfunctioning. Now, we will discuss the common fixes that can help in camera work.

Fix 1: Verify Internet Connection

The weak Internet connection can disrupt the working of the Snapchat application. You will not be able to load filters using AR stickers and music features. The reason behind the slow internet connection can be the shared connection among many devices. Try limiting your Internet consumers, reset the router, and then use the Snapchat camera.

Moreover, you can switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data connection to check the workability of Snapchat and fix the Snapchat camera not working.

Fix 2: Snapchat Server is Down

Snapchat, undoubtedly, provides reliable services to its user base. However, ups and downs occur nearly in every application. If you have updated software and application but still have no advantage, the server may be down.

To confirm it, you can check the official account of Snapchat on Twitter or check the status page at DownDetector to check the network status of Snapchat.

check snapchat server status

Fix 3: Check Application Permissions

You can apply all the formulas to make your Snapchat features work for you. But, if you haven't given the necessary permissions to the application, it will not work at any cost. If this is the cause, you need to check the application's permission again.

Android users should follow the given steps to check Snapchat camera permissions:

Step 1: Go to the "Settings" app from your Android phone and select "Apps and Notifications." Locate the "Snapchat" application. Now, click the "App Permissions" from the app info page.

access app permissions

Step 2: Now, check if you have granted Camera access to Snapchat. If not, allow it to use the Camera in Snapchat.

check camera status android

If you are an iPhone user, abide by the following steps:

Step 1: Firstly, you need to launch the "Settings" application, scroll down to Snapchat, and click on it. You need to swap the switch next to the "Camera."

enable camera permission

Step 2: After updating the settings, restart the Snapchat application to see if it worked or not.

Fix 4: Restart Snapchat App

If you restart the Snapchat application on your Android and iPhone devices, your unsolved problems might be solved. To perform this function on your Android phone, follow the step-by-step guide given as follow:

Step 1: Click on the "Square" icon present on the bottom left corner of the screen to open the recent apps panel.

tap on the square icon

Step 2: Locate Snapchat, and right swipe it to close the application. Moreover, the "Clear" button can also clear all the recent applications.

close snapchat app

iPhone users can restart the application by abiding by the following simple steps:

Step 1: Go to the Home screen and swipe up from the bottom. Pause slightly in the middle of the screen. Now, swipe left or right to navigate app previews.

Step 2: Lastly, swipe up on the Snapchat application’s preview and close it. Now, relaunch the application to check if the issue still exists.

swipe up snapchat

Fix 5: Restart the Phone

Last but not least, restarting your phone has numerous times worked for people. You can restart your phone will refresh and clean the background applications. It might help you in solving the Snapchat camera not working black screen problem. To solve this issue on Android devices, grasp the following steps carefully:

Step 1: Press and hold the "Power" button located at the side of your Android phone. It will provide the option of "Reboot." Click on it and restart your Android device.

select reboot option

iPhone users are obliged to perform the below-provided steps to restart the phone:

Step 1: To restart your iPhone, press and hold both the "Power" and "Volume Down" buttons until the "Power Slider" shows up on your screen. Now, slide it to the right to turn off the iPhone.

slide to power off iphone

Step 2: After the iPhone is turned off, press and hold the "Power" button again for a few seconds to let the Apple logo appear on the screen.

Fix 6: Clean the Corrupted Cache Data

Snapchat stores unnecessary cache data of stories, stickers, and memories, which can cause a problem in Snapchat's camera not working. If there is an error caused by Snapchat while loading the cache data, you should try cleaning the cache data of your Snapchat. For this purpose, follow the below-given steps on your device:

Step 1: The first step requires you to open the “Snapchat” application and click on the "Bitmoji" icon situated on the top left corner of the interface. Now, tap on the "Settings" icon from the top-right corner.

tap on profile bitmoji

Step 2: Go down and find the "Account Actions" section. After accessing it, tap on the "Clear Cache" option and press "Clear" to confirm the process. Now, all the cache data in the Snapchat app will be cleared.

tap on clear cache option

Fix 7: Clear Lens Data

When we try different lenses and filters within the Snapchat application, the application downloads the lens cache. With this, you don't have to re-download the lens every time you use it. When these cached lenses are loaded, they might show an error or black screen. For clearing the lens data from your Snapchat camera not working black screen, follow the below step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Open the "Snapchat" application and click on the profile icon from the top-left spot of your Snapchat to view the profile. Now, click the gear icon from the top-right corner for opening "Settings."

open snapchat settings

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on "Lenses." Further, click the "Clear Local Lens Data" option. Restart the application to see if this fix worked for you.

click on clear local lens data

Fix 8: Reinstall Snapchat App

Reinstalling the Snapchat application can also help in solving your functionality issues. It is an easy process for both Android and iOS devices. If you are an Android user, you should follow the below-provided steps:

Step 1: Locate the “Snapchat” application from your phone’s homepage. Press the application’s icon and choose the “Uninstall” option to delete the Snapchat.

select uninstall option

Step 2: Now, head over to the Google Play Store and type "Snapchat" in the search bar. You have to click on the “Install” button to reinstall the application.

tap on install button

If you are an iPhone user, go through the following step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Select the "Snapchat" application from iPhone's homepage and long-press the icon until the pop-up menu with multiple options appears. Click on "Remove App" to delete the app from the iPhone memory.

remove snapchat app from iphone

Step 2: Now, go to the App Store and type "Snapchat" in the search bar. App Store will display the Snapchat app and some other alternate applications. Click on the "Get" button to install the Snapchat app on iPhone.

search snapchat in app store

Fix 9: Update the Mobile Operating System

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If you have applied almost all the possible fixes, and your Snapchat application has still not stopped malfunctioning, there is another solution. Now, you need to update your Android device via the following steps to fix the Snapchat camera not working:

Step 1: Navigate and go to Android's "Setting" application. Tap the “About Phone” option and click on the “OS Version” name from the screen.

tap on os version

Step 2: You will see the available update if there is any for your Android software. Download and install it to update your Android device.

android device update status

If you are an iPhone user, you will need to follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Open the iPhone settings by clicking on the "Settings" app from the home screen. Navigate and access the "General" settings from the iPhone settings.

tap on general

Step 2: Now, tap on the "Software Update" option, and the iPhone will start finding new updates for your device. Click on the "Download and Install" option if any update appears on your screen.

access software update option

Fix 10: Upgrade Mobile Phone

Even after updating your operating system and trying a manual fix, your Snapchat camera should start working by now. However, if it still doesn't work properly, know that this problem is not related to the application or outdated software.

It is a matter of your mobile phone. If it's too old and outdated, Snapchat will stop supporting the device. You should update your mobile phone and buy a phone that performs all the functions properly.

Snapchat camera not working is a common issue that can have several causes. However, the fixes are also numerous that help people bring Snapchat back into their lives. For this purpose, the article has taught 10 best fixes to resolve the Snapchat camera not working black screen dispute.

Daisy Raines

Daisy Raines

staff Editor

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