Google’s November update is breaking Pixel cameras, but there’s an easy fix

Google’s big November update appears to have introduced a frustrating bug that leaves Pixel owners with completely nonfunctional cameras. That’s certainly a big concern, considering that cameras are one of our phones’ biggest appeals. Thankfully, it’s easy to fix the issue.

Although this isn’t a universal issue, it clearly isn’t an isolated one either. Similar to the wireless charging bug we reported earlier, users have taken to Reddit and the Google Support forum to air their frustration. Reports suggest that the issue is only prevalent on Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 series devices, with no reports from anyone with an older phone.

Affected users report that their Pixel’s camera stopped working right after installing the November update. For some, the Pixel Camera app shows the “Something went wrong. Close and open the Camera app again. Learn More” error. For others, the Camera app opens normally but displays nothing more than a black screen. Users report the same is the case with third-party camera apps, suggesting that this isn’t a Pixel Camera app bug.

A user who just switched from iPhone to a Pixel 11 expressed their disappointment:

I’m on CP4A.261105.040.D1. Front and rear camera are not working. This is… unbelievable. And the fun part is: switched from my iphone 17 to my new Pixel 11 two days ago and thought “wow those new pixels are really great, I love it.”

A different user wrote that they went through the hassle of factory resetting their device, but to no avail:

FACTORY RESET DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. THIS MIGHT BE THE ONE THING THAT MAKES ME DROP GOOGLE.

According to other users, clearing the app’s cache and data, uninstalling app updates, and even running the phone in Safe Mode doesn’t seem to fix the issue.

Here’s what actually seems to fix the issue

Users have indicated that restarting their Pixel didn’t fix the issue, but completely shutting down the device and leaving it powered off for roughly five minutes seems to do the trick. The solution was recommended by Diamond and Gold product experts on Google’s Support forum and has proven to be effective for several users.

If your Pixel’s cameras have suddenly stopped working following the November update, try powering down your device and keeping it that way for five minutes before turning it on.

It’s unclear what exactly causes the issue. We’ve reached out to Google for clarification, and we’ll update this article if and when we hear back.