Pixel 2 camera breaking after updates: What to do?
The sales of Pixel phones have been riding high, thanks to the devices' impeccable cameras and handy software updates. However, of late, some Pixel 2/XL users have been reporting problems with the exact same elements, claiming that the camera of their devices went dead after a recent update. Here's more about the issue at hand.
Camera viewfinder showing nothing after launch
As many user complaints suggest, following recent updates, the camera of Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is going unusable, Android Police reported. Basically, the viewfinder of the camera doesn't show anything except utter blackness, making it impossible to shoot a video or even click a picture. Only the UI of the camera app appears, which also goes away after a few seconds.
Functions affected in other apps too
Beyond the native camera app on Pixel phones, the issue in question affects camera functions in other apps too, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and others. However, that is just for the rear camera; according to some users, the front camera, when opened with the viewfinder shortcut, works just fine, letting you take selfies and shoot videos instantly.
Problems began with Android 10 update
While the exact bug causing the camera to malfunction remains unknown, complaints indicate that the problem started surfacing after the Pixel 2 line-up was updated to Android 10 months ago. The reports of the problem skyrocketed particularly after Google's 'feature drop' update, which released back in December. Notably, this is not the first time a Google update has broken a key Pixel functionality.
How to get this issue fixed?
So far, there is no workaround to get the camera working; users have tried deleting the camera app data, rolling it to previous versions, even factory resetting their phones, but nothing has worked. Google has not commented on the matter either, meaning there's no saying when a fix would come. However, you can reach out to the company to get assistance, perhaps a replacement.
