It can happen just like that: your iPhone camera no longer works. When opening the iPhone Camera app, you get a black or fuzzy image and it is not possible to take photos. It can also happen that the Camera app crashes and no longer wants to open or gives a blurry image. How do you check if the iPhone camera is broken? To solve these iPhone camera problems, you can try the following solutions.
In this tip for iPhone camera problems we discuss:
- iPhone camera broken or not working
- #1 Scratches, dirt and dust in the iPhone camera
- #2 iPhone camera shows black image
- #3 iPhone Camera app crashes on opening
- #4 iPhone camera takes blurry photos
iPhone camera broken or not working
Nowadays, no one can live without an iPhone camera. We use the iPhone to record our lives, take selfies and even use the camera to scan documents. A broken iPhone camera can therefore be annoying. With this article, we try to find out the cause of iPhone camera not working.
Often you can easily find out for yourself whether the problem is related to hardware (for example, a dirty or broken lens) or whether it is a software problem.
In some cases you can deduce from the photo what the problem is. For example, you can determine if your camera lens is dirty or scratched. In the latter you often have a problem. You will have to replace the entire back if you ever want to shoot beautiful shots again. In this case it is a hardware problem.
It can also happen that it is a software problem. Your iPhone camera freezes or you can’t open the iPhone camera at all. In this case, try closing all apps. Doesn’t this solve the problem? Then you can still decide to restart the device or restore the iPhone to factory settings.
#1 Scratches, dirt and dust in the iPhone camera
The lens of your iPhone can be damaged. Even though the glass of the lens is extremely hard and scratch-resistant, it can still be damaged if you drop the iPhone. Dirt, dust or moisture may also have gotten behind the lens. You can’t just fix this yourself. The only solution at such a time is to have the camera replaced or repaired. If you are handy, this is easy to do yourself.
If you are not very handy yourself, you can take the broken iPhone camera to an Apple Store or an Apple Service Provider to get an impression of the costs. If you no longer have a warranty on the device, you will be cheaper with an independent repairer. We have written an extensive article about all the possibilities for iPhone repair.
#2 iPhone camera shows black image
If you open your iPhone’s Camera app and get a black image, it doesn’t automatically mean that the camera is really broken. This is probably a software problem, which is quite easy to fix. Of course it is good to first check whether there is not just something in front of your lens. You may have put the iPhone in the case incorrectly, covering the lens.
The first thing you can try with a software problem is to force close the camera app. You can read how to do that in our tip about force closing apps. If that doesn’t help, resetting iPhone may solve the problem.
If you’re still having issues, you can check if the front camera is still working by switching to the front camera in the Camera app. If the front camera also gives a black image, it is recommended to completely reinstall your iPhone. In the iPhone repair tip, we explain how that works.
If the front camera just works, there is probably a hardware problem. It is best to visit an Apple Store or an Apple Service Provider to investigate what is going on.
#3 Camera app crashes on opening
In addition to the Camera app, there are of course more apps that use the camera in the device. It may happen that these apps crash when starting the camera function. This is a software problem for which you can follow the same steps as when the camera shows a black image. Force close all open apps or reset your iPhone. If that doesn’t work, you can finally try iPhone restore.
Does the Camera app not crash, but are you unable to use the camera functions within an app? Then the app in question has probably not been allowed to use the camera in the iOS Privacy settings. In that case, you can grant the app permission via the Settings app under Privacy > Camera. Here you can set per app whether it can use the cameras in your iPhone.
#4 iPhone camera takes blurry photos
Do you suffer from a camera that continuously takes blurry photos? Make sure you always focus well on the object you want to have in focus. You do this in the iOS Camera app by tapping the object you want to photograph.
Isn’t that the problem? Then clean the lens well with a microfiber cloth. If you use a case, you can try taking a photo without the case. Some cases have problems with image stabilization in the camera of new iPhones, especially if the case is made of metal or contains magnets.
Doesn’t that solve the problem? Or do you have other issues with your iPhone’s camera? It is best to visit the Apple Store or an Apple Service Provider for an iPhone repair. They can investigate whether it is a software problem or whether your iPhone needs to be repaired.
For iPhone flash problems see our separate tip.
