Solutions For Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Camera Issues [Part 1]

Hardware-wise, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a beast. The photography department is especially terrific for its class with its rear camera packing 1/2.6-inch 16MP BSI CMOS image sensor and F2.2 maximum aperture. The front sports a 3.7MP camera paired with a fast F1.9 maximum aperture that translates to excellent selfies. Pair those with the phone's rich 5.7-inch 2560×1440 QHD display and you have such a terrific photography device.

In simple terms, the Galaxy Note 4 undeniably leads in smartphone photography among the many similar devices in its class. As awesome as it is though, this smartphone also suffers from occasional problems so we discuss some of them here to make the general Android community of their fixes.

We hope our solutions for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 camera issues are of help to you but should you want to contact us for a different problem, please use the link provided below.

Problem #1: T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 camera focus issue

Since I upgraded from Note 3 to Note 4 I have been having camera problem. First, when I turn on the camera it appears blurry and it won't focus on the target. No matter what it will not focus. I have to actually give it a hard tap in order for it to focus. This is my second Note 4 of the same problem. Most of my friends with same phone, their camera work flawlessly. First time T-Mobile tells me that their diagnosis shows camera problem. The second phone, they're telling same thing. Does it mean T-Mobile got faulty batch of phones that have camera problem. T-Mobile have reset, tweak the phone because I thought I was doing something wrong yet the problem still persist. They said that they will give me refurbished phone unlike before, I'm afraid the problem may be there. What do I do? Thanks. — Prince

Solution: Hi Prince. While there's a chance that the problem may be hardware in nature, having the same issue on the second phone from T-Mobile seems to suggest a firmware problem. Carriers like T-Mobile modify the phone's firmware so they can lock, remove, and add certain apps and features of their choosing before releasing them to their subscribers. Your issue is not unique as other T-Mobile Note 4 users have reported the same problem on this thread.

We have an international version in the office without this particular problem so yours may be carrier-specific. Please work with T-Mobile closely so they can help you properly.

Problem #2: How to enable Voice control in Galaxy Note 4

I had a Galaxy Note 2 with a Verizon contract. About a month ago I cancelled the contract and on the advice of a grandson ordered an unlocked phone from Amazon and went with StraightTalk. I got a Galaxy Note 4 and installed the SIM card successfully and ported my old number. I watched several of your YouTube videos and I don't have some of the options you show. I really would like to be able to use voice control for the camera (tell it "cheese", etc) but I don't have that option. I have panorama and beauty face and no option for other modes as discussed on the website. I have found a couple of other things that are simply missing. I did manage to download an auto correct program because I like that mode for texting but it wasn't there to begin with as standard choice.  I also tried to establish an account with Airbnb and kept getting a message that they couldn't send a validation to my number. Tonight I send someone a message and my phone number came up a completely d ifferent number than my phone number. I am thinking I have a dud and am going to send it back to Amazon. I am fairly good at technical stuff but this has me frustrated. I loved my other phone. Anything I can do about this? Thanks. — Anne

Solution: Hi Anne. We can't see a reason why you don't an option for voice command because it is  a core function of a Note 4 stock camera app. The usual way to turn voice command on your phone would be as follows:

Go to camera app and open it.

Tap the menu icon (cog).

Tap the submenu icon (a line of three dots).

Tap Voice control.

If you don't have access to voice control, please contact Amazon and see if you can get a replacement.

Problem #3: Pixelated videos when using slow motion mode in Galaxy Note 4

Hello Sir. I have a problem with my Note 4 wherein I upgraded it to Lollipop. However, the slow motion camera sucks real bad. It's laggy and pixelated. I read some articles saying that in order to have a smooth slow motion video, it should be recorded with 60fps. However, in my case, once you choose slow mo, the video quality is permanently on HD which I believe only records in 30fps. Please help me sir. Thank you in advance. — Gio

Solution: Hi Gio. Slow motion mode in a Galaxy Note 4 works by recording more frames per second compared to a normal video so the camera cannot fully go on full resolution (1080p). Slow mo mode restricts the camera in 720p or 1280×720/30 fps only. Unfortunately, this limit cannot be lifted.

We recommend that you use either 1/2x or 1/3x speed when in slow motion mode for better results. 1/8 speed gives you 8 seconds of playback for every second but also forces the phone to capture pixelated frames. This can sometimes results to pixelated videos of lower than 720p resolution.

Problem #4: White screen appears when switching between front and rear cameras in Galaxy Note 4

Hi there. I am using a Galaxy Note 4. Recently I got the Lollipop update which is working fine but there is a problem in the camera. When I switch the camera from front to back or back to front there appears a white screen just for a second or two. It looks so disturbing. Can you please tell me what is it and how can I fix it? I already have reset the phone after the update. Screenshot of it is attached below. I will be really thankful to you. Regards. — Badar

Solution: Hi Badar. If this problem persists after doing a factory reset, a third party app may be causing this problem. Try to boot the phone in safe mode and see if it works normally. If switching to different cameras works normally when in safe mode, make sure to uninstall apps until the issue is gone.

Problem #5: Black spots appear on Samsung Galaxy Note 4 pictures and viewfinder

Hello Mr Droid Guy. I have a Samsung Note 4. Recently I noticed that when I was taking a picture I saw a couple of black blotches showed up in my viewfinder. The 2 black blotches also show up on all of the pictures I take. I contacted Verizon Tech support. They advised me to do a software update. I tried to but it says that the software is the latest current one available. Tech support then told me that since I have cell insurance, I should go to Verizon and have it fixed or exchanged. I am reluctant to give my phone away since I have so much info and apps on it and they never come back the same way. I almost always have to spend hours recreating some of my audio file books and others. 

Do you have any recommendations to fix this camera problem?

p.s. I did read your back-up solutions. I plan to do some backing-up. This phone is only a few months old and I do not feel like sending it back or getting a replacement.

Thanks for your assistance. — Gary

Solution: Hi Gary. Try doing a factory reset to see if the problem has something to do with the camera app software. An issue like this can also be caused by faulty hardware. There's a chance that the lens or sensor may be damaged so doing a factory reset is the best way to determine whether or not that's the case.

If you want to continue using your Note 4, there's really nothing more that you can do except to ask for a replacement or repair, especially if the issue is hardware in nature.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 4 camera and gallery apps laggy after Lollipop update

I love my Note 4…but with the recent Lollipop update, everything is slow! Probably the most noticeable and irritating lag is on the camera and gallery. I'm using the stock camera, which I love, and when I open the camera (and every other app), it seems like there's a delay…more than there was pre-Lollipop. When I'm in the camera and want to click my gallery to review, the screen locks up for a second or two (sometimes more!) before opening. Is there something that changed with Lollipop that I can adjust?

Another annoyance is how slow any app is to open, mainly messaging.  Also, when I pull down my notification bar, then tap on whichever notification I want,  there's quite a delay to open. Anything I can do?  Or is there a way to revert back to the old version and not update? Thanks in advance! — Melissa

Solution: Hi Melissa. Please check this article and follow our suggestions: Why Android Lollipop Causes Problems.

Problem #7: Galaxy Note 4 stops responding when trying to take a picture

Hello. I've been having issues with my camera. My phone freezes/crashes after I take a picture or two. My phone will not respond until I remove the battery. I've also had issues with the video, every video I record shows as a corrupted file. I've switched microSD cards, and I'm still having this issue. I've also factory reset my phone but that hasn't resolved the issue.

Thanks!! — LC

Solution: Hi LC. A factory reset is usually not that effective when dealing with this type of problem if the root cause is the app you are using itself. This usually happens when a user choose to use third party apps instead of the more stable, stock camera app. If you are using the stock app, other camera or video apps, or any app linked to the camera function may be to blame. Make sure that you don't install them after a factory reset.

Try to do another round of factory reset and observe the phone for at least 24 hours using only the stock camera app. If the problem does not happen when using the built-in app, that's a confirmation of our guess.

Problem #8: Galaxy Note 4 camera won't focus

Hey, thanks for the ongoing article on Note 4 problems. I had a strange problem that seem to just come out of nowhere.

I woke up one morning with my phone very hot and the battery very drained.

I checked the battery under settings and normally the screen is the main drain, but it showed "index service " and it had been running for over 5 hours. I tried restarts and removed the battery but it  still was draining.

After calling Samsung and they telling me to do a factory reset , I started  pouring through the forums. It's a common problem but no common fix.

Every one seem to think it was bad file names. That's when I remembered I had changed some file names in Adobe Reader. I deleted all those files, restarted the phone and problem was gone. I have no idea what or how that fixed it. Thought I would pass it on to someone smarter.

The problem that is driving me crazy is in the camera. It won't focus when about a foot from an object.

I can go to app manager clear cache and data or restart the phone a this sometime will resolve the issue, but it comes back. This also is a common problem I found on the forums. Thank you for taking the time to read my email. — Greg

Solution: Hi Greg. Indexing Service or Index service for Android only runs from time to time, depending on the materials it needs to work on. If you insert a full SD card in your phone, it may take some time for Index Service to come up with an updated directory. A well-kept directory is essential for your operating system so it functions normally and at speed. Needless to say, index service is an important maintenance tool to keep your phone going.

If you interrupt index service while running, you are simply lengthening the process as it will continue  to run again after the device has been reset. This service does not require intervention so if you notice it running, just leave it to do its job.

For your camera issue, you have to remember that there a few factors to consider when resolving it. If the problem is due to mechanical or hardware malfunction, your best bet is to contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung to get a replacement. While some people claimed to have make autofocus work by hard tapping the phone, that certainly is just a workaround, not a permanent fix. The only reason that we can think of why autofocus won't work is that the camera may be loose. Forcing something to move inside sometimes work but that is definitely not a reliable fix.

If autofocus failure is due to software glitch, the most effective solution that you can do is factory reset.

Some users reported that changing some camera settings helped them fix this issue so you may want to try doing them. Under camera settings, tap on the submenu settings (the three-dot line), tap metering modes, and change existing mode to Spot or Matrix. You can also deselect everything under Mode>Manage modes.

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem. 

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

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Source: Solutions For Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Camera Issues [Part 1]