iPhone Camera Not Working? Here’s What to Do

In 2016, nearly half of all the photos uploaded to Flickr were smartphone pictures. And 47% were from an Apple device.

They say that the best camera is the one you have with you. For most of us, our smartphone is a camera that we will have with us almost all of the time.

With the latest iPhones now sporting dual 12 MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, the images you can take can be truly stunning. But what if the unthinkable happens and you have problems with your iPhone camera not working anymore?

Read on as we take a look at the common causes and how you can fix them.

Black Screen

If you open your camera app and get nothing but a black screen there could be a number of causes. It will either be an issue with the hardware or with the software.

Hardware

One of the most common causes of this issue is something physically blocking the lens of your camera.

It may simply be that your phone case has been put on incorrectly. Or you may have something stuck in the hole where the lens is. You could also try opening the FaceTime app to see if the camera works when using that.

If the lens is clearly visible and does not appear to be damaged, or the camera works with FaceTime, then the problem is most likely due to the software.

Software

The first thing to try is restarting the camera app.

Double click the home button and swipe up to close it. Or for the latest iPhones, swipe up from the bottom, but leave your finger down to bring up the app switcher. Long press and click on the red circle to close the app.

Try opening the camera app again. If you still have no joy, you may want to try restarting or resetting your iPhone.

No Flash

A lack of flash can stop you from taking great photos. In low light levels, the built-in flash can make a huge difference.

Hardware

The simplest way to test if this is a hardware issue is to turn on the flashlight.

Open the control center. If you have an iPhone X or newer, you need to swipe down from the top right corner. Those of us still on older models should swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Click on the flashlight icon, and the flash should come on. If it doesn’t, it’s probably a hardware issue.

Software

One of the most common causes of the flash failing to come on is that you’ve switched it off by mistake.

In the camera app, tap the lightning bolt icon in the top left of your screen. You should see three options: auto, on, and off. If your flash is turned off, you’ve found the cause of your problem.

If you’ve been using your flash for a long period, or in a hot environment, you may also get a message saying the flash has been disabled. It won’t work again until your device has cooled down.

Blurry Images

The beauty of modern cameras and phones is that you can see the photos you have taken instantly. If your images are coming out blurry, there could be a number of causes.

Hardware

A common cause of blurry images is an obstruction of the lens.

This may be due to your phone case slightly overhanging the camera hole. You will then have a blur on one side of your photo. This is an out-of-focus image of the edge of your phone case.

Dirt or grease on the camera lens will also cause the photos to become blurry. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth should remove anything that is blurring your images. If this doesn’t work, the lens itself may need repair.

Magnetic phone cases can also sometimes interfere with iPhone image stabilization. Try taking off the case and seeing if the problem still occurs.

Software

There is a chance that your image is blurred because you took it that way.

One the whole, iPhone cameras are great at keeping the majority of the image in crisp focus. But if you’re taking a photo of something fairly close up, you may find that the background is sharp, but the object in the foreground is blurry.

This is most likely because you accidentally touched the screen, which causes the camera to focus on the area that you tapped. If this wasn’t the object in the foreground, it will appear out of focus.

If you notice this when using your iPhone, tap again on the object you want in focus and you should see that it becomes much sharper. If you hold down your finger on the screen, the iPhone will go into AE/AF Lock mode, which will keep the focus on that part of the screen.

The Camera Icon Is Missing

If your camera icon is completely missing then it’s most likely due to having accidentally changed one of the settings.

Go into Settings, then Screen Time, and finally Content & Privacy Restrictions. Under Allowed Apss, the switch for the camera should be turned on (swiped to the right). If it isn’t, your camera icon won’t even show on your home screen.

Top tip: if you want to access your camera in a hurry, you can swipe left from your lock screen to open it. Or open control center and tap on the camera icon.

Is Your iPhone Camera Not Working?

If you’re having problems with your iPhone camera not working and none of these suggestions helps, then you may need to get it repaired.

We can repair iPhones and iPads, as well as Android phones, laptops and MacBooks, and even games consoles. Our repairs include cracked screens, liquid damage, battery replacement, charging port repairs, and of course camera repairs. And if you’re not looking for a repair, why not trade in your tech towards a newer model?

Get a quote today.