How to fix a broken iPhone camera

From taking a picture of a receipt to snapping shots at your child's first baseball game, your camera keeps you close to the things that are important. At Asurion, we troubleshoot your tech problems so you can enjoy the devices that run your world. Here's what our experts say about fixing a broken iPhone® camera.

First, let's figure out if your camera is experiencing a hardware or software issue.

• If it's a hardware issue, you'll likely have a problem with only the front or rear camera (not both), and the issue will be consistent across apps.
• If it's a software issue, your camera may work totally fine for one app and have problems with another.

Common iPhone camera issues

iPhone camera issues can vary, but three of the most common ones are:

• The camera is freezing or lagging.
• A black screen appears instead of the traditional camera viewfinder.
• The flash won't work.

If you're experiencing any of these problems, here are some ways to fix them.

Your iPhone camera is freezing

If your iPhone camera is consistently freezing, here are a few things to try:

• Close out your apps. Press near the bottom of your Home screen, swipe up about halfway, then swipe up the apps to close them.
• Restart your phone. Simply turn it off, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on.
• Update your software. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if there are any iOS® updates available.

After trying these steps, open your Camera app again and see if the freezing stopped.

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Your iPhone camera shows a black screen

If your camera is showing a black screen instead of the viewfinder, try these tips.

• Make sure your case is not blocking the lens.
• Check the lens for dirt or grime.
• Reopen the Camera app and repeatedly switch between the rear and front cameras.

Your iPhone camera flash isn't working

If restarting your phone hasn't fixed your flash issues, here are a few things to try.

• Make sure nothing is blocking the flash lens.
• Clean the lens with a microfiber cloth.
• Ensure the flash is turned on by tapping the lightning bolt icon in the upper-left corner of your Camera app and then tapping On.

If none of these tips fix your flash issue, you'll want to make sure it isn't a hardware issue. To check:

1. Swipe down from the right to access your Control Center.
2. Tap the Flashlight icon.
3. If the flashlight doesn't work, you have a hardware issue and may need help from an expert.