Endoscope shows a black screen on Android after an update

An endoscope that worked before a phone update and now shows a black or blank preview usually has not lost any hardware capability. Android updates can reset permissions, drop a USB connection’s temporary state, or change how an app is allowed to reach the camera — the probe itself is rarely the cause.

What changes after an update

A system update restarts the phone, and a restart clears anything tied to the previous session: granted USB permissions, an open camera connection, and — on phones with a manual USB host switch — the switch itself. Android’s permission model can also ask you to reconfirm camera access, and recent Android versions changed how apps must request USB access; an app that has not been updated to match can fail that request without showing a clear error. If you are unsure whether your probe is supported at all, check your probe in the compatibility list before troubleshooting further.

Fix the black screen

1. Force-stop Magic Endoscope from Android’s app switcher, then reopen it.
2. Check camera permission: Settings → Apps → Magic Endoscope → Permissions → Camera → Allow.
3. For a USB probe, unplug and firmly reconnect it, then allow the USB access prompt if Android shows one. Every reattachment needs a fresh permission grant — reopening the app alone does not resupply it.
4. If your phone has a manual USB host (OTG) switch — common on Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO phones, and found on some other brands — confirm it is on. See USB endoscope not detected? Check the OTG switch for where to find it.
5. For a Wi-Fi probe, rejoin its hotspot from Android’s Wi-Fi settings and reopen the connection screen in the app. See the Wi-Fi endoscope guide if the network connects but the picture still does not appear.
6. Update Magic Endoscope to the latest version from Google Play. Recent Android versions changed the rules for USB permission requests, and an outdated build can be affected after you update your phone.
7. If the screen is still black, restart the phone once, then reconnect the probe from a fresh state.

If the picture only goes black the moment your Xiaomi phone’s screen turns off, rather than from the start, that’s a distinct HyperOS behavior — see Xiaomi HyperOS disconnects the USB endoscope when the screen sleeps.

Confirm the picture is back

Point the probe at a well-lit, nearby object and check that the image changes as you move it — a static or dark frame can mean the preview opened without an actual live feed behind it. Save a test photo or short video and open it from the gallery before relying on the setup for an inspection.

If it still fails

Send product support your phone model, Android version, probe model, connection type, and which step above changed anything. Note the Android version you updated from and to, if you know it — that detail helps narrow the cause down to permissions, USB host state, or something we need to check against a specific phone or ROM.