Sprint Galaxy S8 Unable to open Camera error

[scottiegirly]

I have been using my Galaxy S8 for a couple of days and have come across this several times. I have my camera app open and am taking pictures and the Google Photos icon is coming up as it is backing the pictures up. When I use the icon to view previously taken pics, if I take the option to share, when I go back to the camera, I get an error message "Unable to open Camera. You cannot use more than one application that uses Camera at the same time. Camera will close." (I think this is the situation that is causing it. It's kind of hard to pinpoint exactly what I am doing when the problem occurs, but it is definitely when I leave the camera screen and then try to come back to it.)

I have tried closing all the open apps and force stopping the camera app, but the error persists. I have to restart the phone to regain the ability to use the camera. In the middle of my kid's recital was a pretty crappy time to have to restart.

I had an S6 before and didn't experience this problem. When I search online I see this mentioned with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, but the answer seems to be restart there too.

Are others seeing this error with the S8 too? Any ideas short of a restart work for getting the camera back?

 

[anon(238680)]

Have you tried going to recent apps and getting back in from there?

 

[scottiegirly]

I have for sure tried that after I have already seen the error. I think I usually have pressed home from wherever I was after the camera and then pressed the camera icon. So, it could be that trying to launch the camera app again triggers the error. I have to try to remember to go back to the camera through recent apps and see if the error happens that way too.

 

[jaimitocrtr]

I'm having the same issue. Camera refuses to start. Says exact same error message. Anyone know why this could be?

 

[Alysia1122]

This happened to me when I downloaded sms chomp because I can't send any video, regardless the size via txt msg and now I can't figure out why this message is popping up. If I disable the features on the txt message app that came with the phone it gives me a warning that my other apps might not work properly or a At all if I disable the camera. Super....i should have stayed with the LG between the stupid Bixby button and this I'm already over this lame phone

 

[cmb713]

I had the same error. I just had to reboot. I haven't seen it happen again. I just get other errors now.

 

[anon(238680)]

This happened to me when I downloaded sms chomp because I can't send any video, regardless the size via txt msg and now I can't figure out why this message is popping up. If I disable the features on the txt message app that came with the phone it gives me a warning that my other apps might not work properly or a At all if I disable the camera. Super....i should have stayed with the LG between the stupid Bixby button and this I'm already over this lame phone

You can't send video via a text app, it needs mms. Try the Messages+ app which is MMS capable. I also don't know why disabling the sms app would also disable the camera? They're separate apps.

 

[jwill758]

I'm having the same issue. Camera refuses to start. Says exact same error message. Anyone know why this could be?

SAME EXACT ERROR MESSAGE. I did a stupid and clicked a FAKE Amazon email on my S8+. Now this when I try to use my camera. Not sure if they are connected. Would love to know what actually causes this error. Makes me think someone has hacked my camera ? Paranoid maybe.....but I want to know what causes this error. Please ;-)

 

[KahneFan]

Well that kind of scares me. I opened an odd email on my phone too. Now it makes me wonder what... Or who... Is using my phone's camera...