Some Google Pixel users facing 'black camera viewfinder' bug after Android 14 update

One of the main features on each Google Pixel generation is its camera system. Google’s image processing software has always been among the best in the industry, offering great results even with ‘outdated’ sensors. Therefore, having the cameras randomly not work would likely be a nightmare for Pixel users.

Sadly, that’s what multiple Google Pixel users are currently facing. This is because after updating their phones to Android 14, they have been unable to use the camera due to the viewfinder going black, or even the app persistently crashing.

A section of Pixel phones users have been complaining that their devices’ cameras became unusable after updating to the latest Android version. For some unknown reason, Android 14 update is triggering a bug where the Google Pixel camera app only shows solid black in the viewfinder for them.

The problem seems to mainly affect the rear cameras, since some reports indicate that the front camera continues to work. However, there are also even more unfortunate cases where neither the rear nor the front camera work correctly.

While there are situations in which the camera app goes permanently black, there are also others where it crashes shortly after opening it. On a smartphone with so much focus on photography, this problem is quite serious and a deal-breaker.

It’s noteworthy that this problem is not exactly new, since there are some similar reports of Pixel devices running Android 13 too (the screenshot above shows a report from a Pixel 4 user). However, it seems that the latest Android 14 update intensified it somewhat, as complaints became more frequent (even from Android 14 beta).

Currently, the exact reason why the camera on some Google Pixel becomes unusable after updating to Android 14 is unknown. However, apparently, a common factor in all the reported cases is having the Family Link app enabled and set, which suggests that, in some way, this is the ‘root’ of the issue.

For these cases, a Google Product Expert from the official Pixel forum recommends contacting the Family Link support team directly (via this link) to get assistance.

Sadly, there is still no workaround or fix for this problem. The only way to recover the correct functioning of the camera app seems to be by disabling the Family Link app, but parents will no longer be able to control the use of their children’s smartphone, which can be quite inconvenient and problematic.

Interestingly, the bug was reported and escalated in the official Android issues tracker at the end of September (during Android 14 beta stage). But, given the multiple complaints, it seems that the fix did not reach the first stable version.

Let’s hope that Google offers a solution to all users affected by the ‘black camera’ bug on their Pixel phones, either via updating or replacing their devices under warranty if necessary.

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