“Fatal error” bug prevents Google Pixel 3 users from accessing the camera

Google’s Pixel 3 is running up quite the list of bugs under its belt, this time breaking its flagship feature. Yet another software glitch has appeared, now preventing a range of users from accessing the smartphone’s official camera app.

As usual, those afflicted flocked to Google’s Pixel User Community Forums and Reddit to complain about the issue, showcasing a range of symptoms. Some are reporting a simple “can’t connect to camera” message while in third-party applications. Others are receiving a “fatal error” warning when attempting to boot the application before it crashes entirely.

The cause of the issue remains unknown at present, with users noting that it only appeared after the latest security patch ushered in on November 5^th. Upon closer inspection, Charged has a preliminary diagnosis that blames the system’s lock mechanism not properly releasing the camera and causing poor communication with other apps.

Sadly, there is not yet a known fix for the problem. Rebooting the device seems to provide a temporary solution, but this has been said not to last very long. The issue persists even after a factory reset and flashing previous builds of Android 9 Pie, and can even occur while navigating in Safe Mode.

Google is currently refusing to provide replacement devices for those affected, indicating that the company is well under way to distributing its own solution. The firm has yet to acknowledge the issues, and hasn’t responded for comment.

KitGuru Says: Not only is this a frustrating time for users wanting to use one of the best smartphone cameras around, but it also limits third-party applications. Have you been experiencing issues with your smartphone lately?

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