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You want to take a quick picture of your lunch, your cat, or that one moment you don’t want to miss, but your iPhone completely fails you. Black screen, blurry image, or the camera app just gets stuck. Sometimes the camera stops focusing, the image moves strangely, or the flash suddenly stops working. Maybe you even see a blur in the image, or the camera glass is damaged. Super irritating and totally not what you expect from a device that is normally always ready to go. But don’t panic: if your iPhone camera isn’t working, there are often plenty of simple steps you can try yourself before you have to think about repairing it. In this blog, we’ll take you step by step from quick checks to smart solutions, so that hopefully your camera will be working as smoothly as before.

Note! Did your iPhone take a hard hit and is the physical camera or the glass in front of it broken? Then make a appointment online!

We discuss the following topics:

-Why is my iPhone camera suddenly not working?

-Steps: how to get your iPhone camera working again

-Captured camera glass

-Time for a check at ThePhoneLab!

Why does my iPhone camera suddenly stop working?

When your camera suddenly stops cooperating, it feels like your iPhone is dropping its most important function. In many cases, there is nothing physically wrong, but the problem is on the software side. It could be anything: an iOS update that didn’t install completely flawlessly, an app that blocks access to your camera, or a setting that suddenly interferes with your camera function. Especially on iPhones that have been around a bit longer, an accumulation of settings can cause some weird bugs.

Third-party apps, such as social media or scanner apps, can also affect the default camera app. This is because they often use the same camera functions in the background, and if something falters there, your default camera sometimes stops working properly as well. You’ll notice it soon enough when you try to take photos: black screen when opening the Camera app, no focus, flash doesn’t work, or the app immediately closes again. Fortunately, these things are often just fixable, without having to tinker with parts or make an appointment at a repair shop right away.

Roadmap: how to get your iPhone camera working again

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a techie to fix this. Just follow these simple steps and check after each step that the camera is working again:

  1. Close the camera app completely
    Apps may crash, including the camera app. Close it completely and open it again.
  2. Restart your iPhone
    Sounds like an open door, but works surprisingly often. Just turn it off completely and back on again.
  3. Check the lens and your case
    Is there something in front of the lens? Take off your case and clean the camera with a microfiber cloth.
  4. Update your iOS
    Go to settings -> general -> software update and check to see if a new version is available. Updates often fix bugs that affect the camera.
  5. Switch between front and rear camera
    Open the camera and switch back and forth for a while. Sometimes that helps resolve a hitch.
  6. Reset your settings
    Go to settings -> general -> transfer or reset -> restore all settings. This resets settings to default, but does not lose any personal data.
  7. Is it still not working?
    If so, it could be a hardware problem, such as water damage or a fall. Time to call for help.

Broken camera glass

We get it: one moment you’re taking a picture of your breakfast, the next moment there’s a crack right across your lens. Might look harmless, but such a broken camera glass is secretly an open invitation to moisture, dust and other woes. And that can slowly demolish your iPhone inside – yummy. Our advice? Cover it temporarily with a piece of tape (no colored ones, please) and bring your iPhone to us as soon as possible. We’ll fix it before that crack turns into a bigger problem.

Time for a check at ThePhoneLab!

Have you tried everything and your camera keeps refusing? Then it’s smart to get your iPhone checked out. At ThePhoneLab we do so without fuss, and the diagnosis is simply free. Visit your appointment here or click below on the iPhone whose camera you want to get fixed!

Our specialists see if it is a software error or if something is really broken. Is it a hardware problem? Then we’ll discuss the best solution together. Often you can bring your device back repaired the same day!

Why does my iPhone camera suddenly stop working?

iPhone camera
iPhone camera Back camera Front Camera Camera glass Other repairs
iPhone 16 Pro Max From 179 From 159 89 See all repairs
iPhone 16 Pro From 169 From 159 89 See all repairs
iPhone 16 Plus From 169 159 89 See all repairs
iPhone 16e On request On request On request See all repairs
iPhone 16 From 169 From 159 89 See all repairs
iPhone 15 Pro Max From 159 From 149 89 See all repairs
iPhone 15 Pro From 159 From 149 89 See all repairs
iPhone 15 Plus From 149 From 149 89 See all repairs
iPhone 15 From 149 From 149 89 See all repairs
iPhone 14 Pro Max From 159 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 14 Pro From 159 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 14 Plus From 159 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 14 From 159 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 13 Pro Max From 159 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 13 Pro From 159 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 13 From 129 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 13 Mini From 129 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 12 Pro Max From 199 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 12 Pro From 199 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 12 From 129 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 12 Mini From 129 From 99 89 See all repairs
iPhone 11 Pro Max 119 From 79 59 See all repairs
iPhone 11 Pro 119 From 79 59 See all repairs
iPhone 11 89 From 79 59 See all repairs
iPhone Xs Max 89 From 69 59 See all repairs
iPhone Xs 89 From 69 59 See all repairs
iPhone Xr 89 From 69 59 See all repairs
iPhone X 89 From 69 59 See all repairs
iPhone SE 2022 69 59 49 See all repairs
iPhone SE 2020 69 59 49 See all repairs
iPhone 8 59 59 49 See all repairs
iPhone 8 Plus 69 59 49 See all repairs
iPhone 7 59 59 49 See all repairs
iPhone 7 Plus 69 59 49 See all repairs
iPhone 6 40 39 39 See all repairs
iPhone 6 Plus 39 39 39 See all repairs
iPhone 6S 39 39 39 See all repairs
iPhone 6S Plus 49 39 39 See all repairs
iPhone 5S / SE 29 29 On request See all repairs
iPhone 5C On request On request On request See all repairs
iPhone 5 On request On request Not available See all repairs
iPhone 4/4S On request Not available Not available See all repairs

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