The Camera app on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones can suddenly start to slow down, emit errors like “Camera is not responding” or refuse to start at all. Most often, the problem is solved by simply restarting the application, but not all users know how to do this correctly – especially if the camera icon disappeared from the screen or the system gives a message about a failure.
In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to reboot your camera, from basic (forced stop through settings) to advanced (clearing cache, resetting permission for the application). All methods work on devices with MIUI 12–14 and are relevant for 2020–2026 models, including the Xiaomi 13/14 Series, Redmi Note 12/13 Pro and POCO F5/X6.
1. Forced stop of the Camera application through settings
The fastest way to resuscitate a camera is to force it to stop working in the app menu, which does not delete data (photos and videos will remain in place), but resets all the temporary processes that may have caused the failure.
How to do this:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 In the search bar, enter the Camera (or Camera in English firmware).
- ⚙️ Slip on the app, then select Force Stop (or Force Stop).
- 🔄 Wait 10-15 seconds and try to open the camera again.
If the camera still doesn't start after stopping, move on to the next method. Importantly, on some models (e.g. Redmi 10C), you may need to restart your smartphone after a forced stop.
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If the Force Stop button is inactive, the app has already stopped. Try opening the camera first - if it doesn't start, proceed to clear the cache.
2. Cleaning the cache and application data
The camera cache accumulates temporary files over time that may conflict with the application, and cleaning it often solves problems with the black screen, freeze during shooting, or initialization error. However, be careful: cleaning the data (not the cache!) will reset the camera to the factory settings.
Step-by-step:
Find Camera in Application Management |Select Storage |Click Clear Cache |Clear Data if necessary (resets settings) |Reboot your smartphone-->
⚠️ Note: If after cleaning the data, the camera requests permissions again (access to the microphone, storage, geolocation), do not refuse - otherwise some functions (for example, recording video with sound or geotagging) will not work.
| Action. | Effects of consequences | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing the cache | Temporary files are deleted, settings are saved | The camera slows down or makes errors. |
| Clearing the data | Resets all settings (resolution, HDR, timer, etc.) | The camera doesn't start at all. |
| Removal of updates | Return to the factory version of the application | Failure after the last MIUI update |
3.Reboot the smartphone in safe mode
If the camera refuses to work even after cleaning the cache, the problem may lie in conflict with other applications (for example, with Google Camera or stock modifications like GCam).
How to activate Safe Mode on Xiaomi:
- Press the power button before the turn off menu appears.
- Keep your finger on the option to turn off (or turn off power) until a request to go to Safe Mode appears.
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (the Safe Mode watermark will appear on the screen).
- Try opening the camera.
If the camera is working normally in Safe Mode, it means the problem is in one of the installed applications.
- 🔍 Remove newly installed programs (especially those that requested access to the camera).
- 📸 Check for updates for Google Camera or other Mod cameras.
- 🚫 Turn off permissions for suspicious apps in Settings → Confidentiality → Permits → Camera.
Stock appendix MIUI|Google Camera (GCam)|The Appendix (Open Camera, Footej, etc.)|I don't know which one.-->
4.Resetting permissions for the Camera app
Sometimes the camera stops working because of the permissions that have gone wrong, like if you previously blocked access to the microphone or storage, and now the system is blocking the launch, you can restore the permissions without completely resetting the settings.
Instructions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Camera → Permissions.
- Make sure all switches are active (especially Camera, Microphone, Warehouse).
- If a certain item is disabled, turn it on and restart the smartphone.
⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global for the European region may not have the option of manual permission management, in which case only resetting all application settings (see section 2) will help).
What to do if there is no “permission” clause?
5.Removal of updates to the Camera app
If the failures started after the MIUI update or the camera application itself, you can return to work by rolling it back to the factory version. This is true for devices where the camera is updated separately from the firmware (for example, Xiaomi 12T or Redmi K50).
How to roll back the update:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Camera.
- Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Remove Updates.
- Confirm the action and restart the phone.
After rolling back, the app will return to the version that was installed out of the box. AI-Modes added in the latest updates. To return them, upgrade the camera through the Play Market or MIUI Updater.
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Retracting updates helps in 80% of cases when the camera stopped working after the system update, but this method is not available on some budget models (for example, Redmi 9A), where the camera is hard sewn into the firmware.
6. Hardware reboot (if the camera doesn't respond at all)
If none of the software methods worked, the problem could be a hardware failure, such as a physical damage to the camera module or a conflict with other components (such as after a phone crash), in which case only a hard reboot or a call to the service center will help.
How to perform hardware reboot:
- 🔋 Turn off the phone with a long power button hold.
- 🔄 Wait 30 seconds (this is important – the capacitors must be completely discharged).
- 📱 Turn on the device and check the camera immediately.
If the camera still doesn’t work, try:
- 🔧 Check the integrity of the camera module (whether there are cracks in the glass or traces of moisture).
- 📲 Update the firmware to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
- 🛠️ Contact the Xiaomi service center (if the phone is guaranteed).
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Before visiting the service center, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will save your photos and settings if you need a complete reset of the device.