Owners of Samsung Galaxy S4 may suffer some glitches on the camera app which could be affected by the built-in sensors. Here are five commonly encountered camera issues on the Galaxy S4 and easy ways to resolve them before visiting the service centre.

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Sudden Closing

Sometimes the camera force closes even if it's included as a core applications. There are no exact cause of this issue but can be fixed by the following solutions.

1. As a primer, reboot the smartphone to refresh the entire system, memory and app itself.

2. If rebooting won't solve it, go to the Apps Manager then select Camera. Select "Force Stop", "Clear Cache" and "Clear Data." After that, re-launch the camera app.

Camera Failure

The common prompt says "Warning: Camera Failed" which may lead to smartphone freeze for several seconds then proceeds to the home screen. Some reports also include random reboots after the camera fails to launch.

1. Clear the camera's cache and data. Go to the Apps Manager > Camera > Force Stop > Clear Cache > Clear Data.

2. If it persists, you may need to clear cache partition of the system. Switch of the Galaxy S4 > Press and hold Volume Up + Home + Power keys till it vibrates > Inside the recovery mode, select "wipe cache partition" by using volume down and power key to enable it.

3. If the above procedure is unable to fix it, perform a factory reset instead. Create a backup first before initiating a factory reset. Go to Settings > Accounts > Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device > Delete all.

Blank Screen

A camera issue which displays a black or blank screen whenever the app has been launched which may remain blank even if you want for it to load.

1. If the camera didn't respond, remove the battery pack for at least one minute to perform a soft reset. Then reinsert the battery unit, press the power key then load the camera app.

2. You may need to refresh the RAM by closing all running applications. Turn the device off > switch it on but tap continuously the Menu key > Choose Safe Mode > Launch the camera.

3. In case the Safe Mode solves the problem, disable recently installed applications which may have cause the issue from the beginning.

4. If the options above have no effect, perform a factory reset instead.

Cracked or Scratched Lens

If the lens suffers any physical damages such as cracks or scratches, only the service centre or technicians can resolve the issue which means phone repair. Depending on the warranty details, the camera lens and parts may not be free of charge.

Malfunctioned Flash

A very rare issue which makes the flash not to work due to the following causes:

- Filter effect or functionality disabled the flash

- Flash itself is turned off

- Third-part camera application which may not be compatible to the hardware

- Low battery

- Physical damage

- Liquid damage

- Software needs an update

Solution 1: Make sure that none of the above is currently happening on your smartphone. Disable filters, effects, uninstall third-party camera apps, turn on the flash, charge the handset and check if any physical damage recently happened on your Galaxy S4.

Solution 2: Check for software updates if no physical damage or other apps are affecting its performance. In addition, compatible apps for the camera may also require updates from the Play Store to fix the issue.

Solution 3: Reboot the smartphone which could fix the problem if it is temporary.

Solution 4: Clean the flash and camera lens using a soft cloth dampened in mild soap and water.