After recent Kik update I have full mailbox of messages like „Fix fake camera asap“ and a lot of one stars ratings at Google Play. So let’s have a look into how Fake Camera works and how Kik/Android camera works – to explain, why I am unable to do anything with this.

Do you think Fake Camera is that „Camera picker dialog“ which appears after you chose to take a picture? Wrong! That’s Android system dialog!! Take a look what happens, when application (like old version of Kik) asks for taking a picture. There are two possible scenarios: there is just one camera application on your phone (or some of you cameras is set as default) OR there are more camera applications on your phone. Let’s draw a simple diagram of communication between application and android phone – for both of those cases.

In case one application (for example old version of Kik) asks for taking a picture, so phone answers with just one camera application and runs it for Kik. Let’s say it opens your phone default camera application directly.

Phone runs camera application directly

Phone runs camera application directly

In the second case, when there are more camera applications to chose, phone displays dialog – camera picker and lets user choose which camera application use. And runs it for him again.

Phone lets user choose, which camera application should be used

Phone lets user choose, which camera application should be used

Can you see that? That dialog is not displayed by Fake Camera application, but by your Android phone itself! Fake camera is just another camera application within that list!!!

Now let’s see how all this work with new Kik update: this new update has its own (in-application) camera, so it does not call external camera application for taking pictures. It just takes a picture within that application and does not say anything to Phone nor other application.

How new Kik makes pictures

How new Kik makes pictures

Again – can you see that? There is no way to let your Android phone to display that Camera picker dialog, because all that stuff does application itself (Kik). And because there is no way your phone can display that dialog, there is no way to run Fake camera (that gallery picker) nor any other Camera application. Deal with that or write a message to Kik (or whatever application you want to use) authors and not me, I have nothing to do with this!! And of course – if you changed your rating of Fake Camera because of this, put it back please, because Fake camera still works correctly!!

PS if you are still unable to deal with that, take the MinusIQ pill and go chatting to g+ page, if there is some place between animated gifs and selfies.