Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 camera crashes after unlocking the bootloader

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 represent the best foldable technologies that Samsung can provide to its consumers. Needless to say, if you are currently on the hunt for a premium smartphone, the latest Galaxy Z range will surely be on your list as a possible purchase option. While the combination of hardware and software makes these devices perfect for most buyers, advanced users and enthusiasts may still feel the need to unlock the bootloader and root these devices to unlock their true potential. Unfortunately, Samsung is already making root access extremely difficult without triggering security flags, and now the Korean OEM has introduced another obstacle to the development of the aftermarket. In its latest move, Samsung disables the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 after unlocking the bootloader.

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Knox is the security suite on Samsung devices, and any changes to the device will trigger it, void your warranty, and permanently disable Samsung Pay. Now, losing all Knox-related security features is one thing, but having to deal with a broken camera is a trade-off that many won’t want to make. But that’s exactly what you will have to face if you want to unlock the bootloader on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

According to XDA Senior Members 白 い 熊 and ianmacd, the final confirmation screen during the bootloader unlock process on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 mentions that the operation will cause the camera to be disabled. When booting with an unlocked bootloader, the stock camera app does not work and all camera related functions stop working, which means you cannot use facial recognition either. . Anything that uses any of the cameras will time out after a while and throw errors or just stay dark, including third-party camera apps.

Thanks to senior XDA member ianmacd for the pictures!

It’s unclear why Samsung chose the path Sony walked in the past, but the real problem is that many will likely ignore the warning and unlock the bootloader without knowing about this new restriction. Relocking the bootloader makes the camera work again, indicating that this is more of a software barrier. With root access, it might be possible to detect and modify the responsible parameters sent by the bootloader to the operating system to bypass this restriction. However, according to ianmacd, Magisk in its default state is not sufficient to bypass the barrier.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 XDA Forums

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 likely has similar restrictions, but the scenario has yet to be confirmed. We’ll keep you posted on any changes to Samsung’s bootloader unlock policies.