How to fix "Snapchat is a camera app" error


Snapchat is a camera app fix snapchat black logo

Snapchat is a great app to stay in contact with friends and family, along with having a lot of interesting other features. But it needs access to certain features of your phone, or it won't work. So if you have been having issues with the "Snapchat is a camera app" error, we'll show you how to fix them.

The app has recently unveiled a plus service for all users with many features for a fee, but it also still offers many appreciated features such as being able to do polls and the score.

But as with all other social media apps, it needs to be granted certain permissions so let's see how to fix this annoying error and get back to Snapchatting.

How to fix "Snapchat is a camera app" error

The "Snapchat is a camera app" error is occurring because you haven't granted camera permissions to the app.

As we mentioned, Snapchat requires access to your device's camera to function properly, so if you haven't granted this permission, you may encounter errors or glitches when trying to use the app.

So to fix the "Snapchat is a camera app" error, all you have to do is grant Snapchat permission to access your camera. Here is how to grant camera access on an iOS / Apple device:

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Select "Privacy & Security" and then "Camera".
  • Find "Snapchat" in the list of apps
  • Enable the app to use the Camera

Android users, instead, need to long-press the Snapchat icon and select the information icon. Alternatively, it is possible to access the general Settings menu and do the following:

  • Choose "Privacy", then "Permissions" (or "Permissions Manager").
  • Select "Camera"
  • Select the app and its appropriate level of access.

Once you have enabled access to the app, generally what you may want to do is close and re-open the app, otherwise, the changes might not be taken into consideration. Once it is done, the error should disappear as the app can now fully utilize the camera as needed.

What permissions does Snapchat require on Android and iOS?

As with every other app, especially those dedicated to social media and messaging, Snapchat requires permission to access a certain list of features on your device. That should not be something that should worry most users, but let us look a bit in detail at what the app needs.

To function properly on an iPhone, Snapchat requires access to the following:

  • Microphone for audio recording in Stories and video chats
  • Photos for saving Snaps to the Camera Roll or sending photos and videos in Chat
  • Notifications and Contacts to send notifications to the users
  • Location access (necessary for features such as Geofilters and Snap Map).

On Android, the list of required permissions is actually much longer. Along with the permissions mentioned above, Snapchat needs access to the following:

  • Text messages in order to check for automatic SMS verification code entry
  • Phone storage to save Snaps and Stories, along with loading app settings automatically
  • Network access to send and receive Snaps
  • Battery permissions for the flash, controlling vibration, and preventing the phone from sleeping.

Generally, we would recommend users let Snapchat free to access these features, as limiting them might result in the app not working correctly.

For more articles like this, take a look at our How To and Apps page.