Eric Zeman/Android Authority
TL; PhD
- After unlocking the bootloader, the camera of Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not work.
- Samsung’s foldable device warns users of this side effect before actually unlocking the device.
- This is not the first time that camera functionality has been severely affected by unlocking the bootloader.
There are many reasons why you want to unlock the bootloader of your phone, but this usually results in the side effect of disabling certain applications. Now, Samsung seems to have added another side effect to the list.
XDA-Developer According to the report, unlocking the bootloader of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 actually disables all cameras on the foldable phone. This effectively kills stock cameras, third-party camera apps, and even camera-based face unlocking.
Generally, unlocking the bootloader of a Samsung phone will cause the device to fail Google’s SafetyNet security check. In turn, this can cause apps such as Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and even Netflix to fail to run. We can understand these side effects, because device security is often the key to financial and streaming media applications. But refusing to work with basic hardware like a camera feels like a punishment for tinkering with the phone.
Sida Note that Sony previously disabled the bootloader to unlock the camera on the device.At that time, Sony Said Unlocking the bootloader on the device erases some DRM security keys, affecting “advanced” camera features, such as noise reduction. Therefore, we guess that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have a similar situation, if it does not simply set obstacles for tinkers. But it seems that even basic access to the camera is better than no access at all.
We have contacted Samsung to confirm this issue and whether it applies to any other devices in its portfolio. If/when the company responds to us, we will update the article.