Galaxy S8 front camera can't focus

[AC Question]

After having this phone for not very long at all and not having damaged it, I have recently found that the front camera will lose all ability to focus intermittently and I have to just wait it out (always gets stuck with very small focal length, potentially the smallest) . I have tried using the manual focus to change the focal length without success, I have also tried wiping the camera in case there were smudges affecting the focus and, the classic, turning it off and on again. I'm running out of ideas, I tried using different camera apps and they couldn't focus either. I will be taking it back into Optus later in the week, but any advice in the meantime would be greatly appreciated.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Just to be sure, you don't have a screen protector on that might be covering the front camera, do you?

 

[Curtnos]

Welcome to Android Central! Just to be sure, you don't have a screen protector on that might be covering the front camera, do you?

Only now looking back do I realise that I wrote front facing instead of rear facing, my mistake. But there is nothing covering or interfering with the rear facing camera.

 

[B. Diddy]

Any strange sounds coming from the camera module, like grinding or stuttering? The autofocus mechanism is a moving part, so it can fail.

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[anon(7901790)]

(always gets stuck with very small focal length, potentially the smallest)

Do you mean the distance from the object? The focal length is the distance between the lens and the sensor. The S8/S8+ is a fixed focal length camera. It does not have an optical zoom.

How far away from the object are you holding the camera?

All cameras have a minimum distance that it can focus. If you are having a problem with focusing on close objects (i.e. macro photography), then you need to pull the camera back to a distance where it can focus.

 

[Addisol]

After having this phone for not very long at all and not having damaged it, I have recently found that the front camera will lose all ability to focus intermittently and I have to just wait it out (always gets stuck with very small focal length, potentially the smallest) . I have tried using the manual focus to change the focal length without success, I have also tried wiping the camera in case there were smudges affecting the focus and, the classic, turning it off and on again. I'm running out of ideas, I tried using different camera apps and they couldn't focus either. I will be taking it back into Optus later in the week, but any advice in the meantime would be greatly appreciated.

Open the camera app and just shake the phone a little. Mine is doing the same (about 4 or 5 times a day). I have reset, reloaded the firmware and it still happens.
Only way i have found to fix it is by giving it a quick short shake.

I have taking mine back to the place i purchased it for a repair as it seems to be happening more and more.

 

[B. Diddy]

If you have to shake it, that makes me think the autofocus mechanism is getting stuck. I'd contact Samsung for warranty repair, while it's still covered.