In the past few years, WhatsApp has evolved from a simple messaging app into one of Android’s leading instant messaging apps. The instant messaging app allows users to make voice/video calls, send & receive images, start groups, share status, etc. Although WhatsApp is mostly free from bugs, users still report a few problems while using the app on their Android. Recently, many users have asked us how to fix WhatsApp camera not working. Therefore, we have decided to come up with some of the best methods that could help you troubleshoot the problem.
Best Methods to Fix WhatsApp Camera Not Working on Android
Hence, if you deal with issues like the WhatsApp camera not working on a video call, you might find this article very useful. This guide will share a few best methods to fix WhatsApp Camera not working on Android smartphones. Let’s check out.
1) Restart Your Android Device
If you haven’t restarted your Android smartphone in a while, you should do it right now. This is an essential troubleshooting tip that sometimes does wonders. Restarting Android will offload the WhatsApp app and its related processes from the RAM. This will force your Android device to allocate fresh memory to the WhatsApp app. So, before trying any other method, restart your Android device.
2) Check your Phone’s Camera
If the WhatsApp camera is not working after the restart, you need to check your phone’s camera. First, you need to check whether your phone’s camera is working or not. To check it, you just need to open the default camera application of your Android smartphone. If the camera interface is loading, capture a few images or record a short video. If your phone’s camera is not working, you must fix it first. In case of a hardware issue, taking the phone to the local service center is recommended.
3) Check the Camera Permissions for WhatsApp
The next best thing you can do to fix WhatsApp Camera Not Working issue is to check whether the Camera Permissions have been enabled. Here’s how to confirm it.
First, long press on the WhatsApp app icon on your home screen and select ‘App Info‘.
On the App Info, select Permissions.
Now, on the Permissions, select ‘Camera‘.
Ensure the Camera permission is set to ‘Allow only while using the app‘.
That’s it! After making the changes, open WhatsApp and use the camera.
4) Close any other app using the camera
Certain malicious apps can silently use your phone’s camera and prevent other apps from using it. You won’t find these apps on the recent app menu, but you will find them on the list of installed apps. If you’re using Android version 12 or above, you will see a green dot in the status bar indicating the camera is in use. So, if you see the green dot, go through the apps immediately and find the suspicious apps. It’s also recommended to close all other apps using the camera to fix WhatsApp Camera not working issue.
5) Update the WhatsApp app for Android
WhatsApp often pushes updates that include critical bug fixes and security patches. You shouldn’t miss these updates at any cost, especially if you are experiencing issues like the WhatsApp camera not working. So, if the WhatsApp camera is not working due to bugs, you need to update the app from the Google Play Store. Updating the WhatsApp app will also release the bug preventing the camera from opening.
6) Force Stop the WhatsApp app
If your phone’s camera is working fine, but WhatsApp is still not loading the camera, you need to force-stop the WhatsApp app. To force stop WhatsApp, you need to follow some of the simple steps we have shared below.
First, open the Settings app on your Android smartphone.
On the Settings app, scroll down and tap on the Apps.
Now, you can view all apps installed on your device. Next, find and tap on the WhatsApp app from the list.
On the next page, tap the Force Stop option, as shown below.
This will stop the WhatsApp app. Once done, rerun the WhatsApp app. That’s it! You are done. This will fix WhatsApp Camera not working on Android smartphone.
7) Clear WhatsApp’s Cache and Data file
Sometimes WhatsApp fails to load the camera due to a corrupted cache and data file. Hence, you must clear WhatsApp’s cache and data file to fix this issue. Here’s what you need to do.
First, open the Settings app on your Android smartphone.
On the Settings app, scroll down and tap on the Apps.
Now, you can view all apps installed on your device. Find and tap on the WhatsApp app from the list.
On the next page, tap the Storage Usage option, as shown below.
On the Storage usage page, tap the Clear Data option, then the Clear cache.
That’s it! You are done. After performing the above steps, open the WhatsApp app again. You need to go through the verification process again.
8) Reinstall WhatsApp on Android
If every method fails for you, the last remaining option is to reinstall the WhatsApp application on Android. Reinstalling WhatsApp will install new WhatsApp files into your Android device. Here’s how to reinstall WhatsApp on Android.
First of all, long press on the WhatsApp icon and select the Uninstall option.
Once uninstalled, open the Google Play Store and search for WhatsApp. Next, open the WhatsApp app from the Google Play Store search results and tap the Install button. That’s it! You are done. This is how you can reinstall the WhatsApp app on your Android smartphone. We are sure the above methods will help you fix the WhatsApp camera not working on Android. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts, let us know in the comment box below.
