Unable to start capture: resources are being used by another app

Screen recording on Android shows the error message “Unable to start capture: resources are being used by another app”. This stops the recording but saves the media on the storage. This can be used by occupancy or the use of the camera by another app. The error is quite common when you try to record the screen while on live streaming or video calling apps and recording the screen with audio.

Resources are being used by another app in Android While using camera: Reasons

The “resources are being used by another app.” or “The Screen recording has stopped because the channel has been occupied.” is quite common on Android smartphones running on android 11 and later. The error occurs when the camera or mic sensors are being used by another app or service on the device simultaneously.

The error usually occurs when you try top to capture the screen while on a video call or a using streaming app with DRM-protected content.

Also, apps like WhatsApp and Messenger may interfere with the permissions especially when you are using the screen recorder to record the audio with video.

Here are some troubleshooting methods you can follow to release the resources and enable the screen recording.

1. Restart the device

The basic troubleshoot to fix the screen recording error is to reboot your device and check if the problem is fixed. A device restart will kill the apps using the camera and mic permission on the device and allow you to record the screen.

2. Check app camera permissions

Check for the camera permissions used by the app and disable if required. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Permission manager > Camera.

Here review the list of apps on your phone that has camera access permissions.

Tap on each app and disable the camera access permissions. You can also use the permission manager to manage the other permissions.

3. Clear the camera app’s cache and data

Goto settings>apps and open camera app properties. Here tap on clear cache and clear data. Restart the device and see if the “channel is being occupied” error persists.

Clearing the camera app cache data will delete the old corrupt cache data stored on the device that may conflict with the option of the camera sensor. And clearing the camera app data will reset the permission of the camera helping the app to free up resources.

4. Use safe mode

Press and hold the power and volume-down buttons together for 10 seconds. This will reboot the device into safe mode. Tiny text at the bottom of the screen should read ‘safe mode’ on the device reboots.

Now try using the camera and screen recording on the device to see if the error is resolved. The normal screen recording and camera functionality signify that there is some error with recent installed app on your android that may cause conflict with the camera.

Now, try disabling apps or uninstalling the any recently installed app to see if the error is gone.

5. Uninstall suspicious apps

Open the app drawer and tap on the ‘show all apps’ tab. Here, you can see the list of all the apps installed on Android phones. Disable or uninstall any suspected app and check if the problem persists. For some apps, you may use ADB tool to remove it.

6. Check for the Free Storage

Free up to storage by deleting the junk files and deleting the system cache. Make sure to delete the files in Recycle Bin AKA trash files from the gallery and file manager app.

• To free up space by removing temporary files, touch Storage & cache > Clear cache. Over time, the cache builds up again, so repeat if a problem occurs.
• If problems still occur, then delete all data saved in the app by touching Storage & cache > Clear storage. Be careful – there’s no way to undo this.

7. Update the Android OS

Updating the Android OS can also resolve the screen capture error on your android phone.

1. Go to ‘Settings.’
2. Tap on System Update.
3. Here tap on ‘check for update.’
4. Now tap ‘download and install.’
5. Wait for the update to download and install automatically.

Now, start the camera or try recording the screen and see if the problem is resolved.

Note: Make sure yo are on an unlimited data plan before updating the Android OS or connecting to a free wifi source.

8. Reset the Device

Consider this as the last resort to resolve the camera or screen dsacture error followed by “Unable to capture: channel has been occupied.” error messages on your Android phone. Last resort, as resetting the device will delete all the data and settings on the device to factory mode.

To Reset the Android:

1. Go to the Settings menu
2. Select Factory Data Reset
3. Select Erase All Data (Factory Reset)

You can also use the physical buttons(combination of volume and power button) to reset the Android using the method below;

Switch off the device. Press and hold the “Power” and “Volume Up” buttons, then wait until your smartphone vibrates. Once the device enters the “Recovery Menu,” find and select the “Wipe Data” or “Factory Reset” option using the “Volume Down” button.

Resources are being used by another app in Android while screen recording: Reasons

The error usually occurs when you are using a Samsung or Vivo(S-Capture) Android phone running on Android 15. The screen capture stops recording after a certain time(29 seconds), usually.

The error can be caused by insufficient free storage or higher video quality. Here are the steps you can follow to prevent your Android from while stopping screen recording automatically.

Fix screen recording stopped error on Samsung

1. Open Settings
2. Tap on Advanced Features
   
3. Select Screenshots and screen recorder
   
4. Tap on Video quality
   
5. Select the lower Video Quality(720p)

You can also select the video quality of the screen recording video quality by accessing the screen recorder from the notification drop-down menu.

Fix screen recording stopped error on Vivo(S-capture)

1. Open Settings
2. Goto Shortcuts & accessibility
   
3. Tap on S-capture
   
4. Scroll down and open Picture quality
   
5. Select Low
   

S-capture may take time ot proces the video in high quality and the screen capture app to malfunction. Hence, selecting the low quality on video settings can fix the error.

This will fix the screen recording problem on your Android, allowing you to record the screen for an unlimited duration until the storage is full.

What if these methods don’t work and I am still getting the “unable to capture” error?

You may need to visit an authorized service center near you to get you device examined for any physical damages that may cause the interferer with the sensors on the device. Make sure to take a complete backup and erase the data permanently and leave the device at the service center to ensure data privacy.

FAQs: Fixing “Unable to Start Capture: Resources Are Being Used by Another App” Error

Wrapping up:

The “Unable to Start Capture: Resources Are Being Used by Another App” error on Android occurs when screen recording is blocked due to another app using the camera or microphone, often during video calls or streaming. Solutions include restarting the device, checking and disabling app permissions, clearing cache, using Safe Mode, uninstalling conflicting apps, freeing up storage, updating the OS, or performing a factory reset as a last resort.

Resolving this issue requires identifying and stopping apps using camera/mic resources. If troubleshooting fails, a service center visit may be necessary to check for hardware damage.