Imagine your struggle when you attempt to reserve a memory with your phone’s camera and it gives up. No matter how high-end the device you own, a phone camera not working can come out of the blue. Whether it’s a black screen or the camera refuses to take photos, the situation can be embarrassing.
Is there any solution that troubleshoots an iPhone or Android camera not working? Well, there are many fixes that you can apply to your smartphone. If you are lucky enough, then you won’t need expert intervention for a stuck camera app or similar issues.
Let’s check out how you can retrieve the performance of your phone’s camera in no time.
Reasons Your Phone’s Camera Doesn’t Work
Before you move on to how to fix a phone camera that won’t turn on, you might be interested in potential causes. The answer to why your phone camera doesn’t work can be a ballpark.
Here are probable reasons why you are facing issues with your phone camera not working.
- A new bug affects the functionality of the camera app.
- You may have disabled camera access for a particular app by mistake.
- Your phone runs out of memory or storage space.
- Third-party apps are incompatible with the camera app.
- The camera hardware is broken or damaged.
Now that you know why your phone camera may trouble you, let’s dive into the solutions.
How to Fix a Phone Camera Not Working
What if your Android camera not working? Before you panic and hurry to a local repair shop, you might try these ideas. All these fixes are approved by experts. So, you can be assured that they won’t cause further damage to your device.
1. Restart Your Smartphone
If your camera isn’t working on your iPhone or Android, try restarting it first. Bugs or glitches can cause this issue.
For your iPhone, press and hold its Power and Volume Down buttons altogether. When the power options appear, drag the slider to turn off the device. Before turning your iPhone back on, wait for a couple of minutes.
On an Android, you need to hold its power button and tap on the restart option. Otherwise, you may turn off the gadget and power it manually.
Check your phone’s camera app or the third-party app you used before. Restart your device first.
2. Quit Apps That Are Still Using the Camera
Were you using Snapchat, Instagram, or similar apps for clicking pictures? Well, they can cause glitches from time to time. How do you fix a phone camera that won’t turn on when third-party apps are still using the camera app?
You should quit or close all apps that are using the camera.
On your iOS gadget, you have to follow:
- From the bottom, swipe up and hold until you can view the page of recent apps.
- Double-clicking the Home button on an iPhone will bring up the menu for recent apps if it has one.
- To close them one by one, swipe up on every open app right now.
On an Android device, you can close all apps at once with the Close All button. To open the recent apps menu, use either gesture navigation or the button, depending on your device. Then, you can close all the apps.
Once you’ve closed all apps, including the camera app, check if the issue with the app is fixed. Check out whether your phone’s camera resumes functioning, as it frees up the memory as well.
3. Carry Out a System Update
Are you ignoring the notification to update your phone’s software? Then, this could be the problem behind your iPhone or Android camera not working. The lack of the right software version can cause incompatibility with the camera app.
So, you face the camera shutting down or crashing now and then. Also, you can see a black screen whenever you open the camera app. Hence, try updating your phone’s system software if you are stuck with your phone camera issues.
Here’s how one may update an Android device’s system:
- First, make sure your device connects to a consistent Wi-Fi network.
- Now, go to the Settings app.
- Next, look for an option that says System or About device.
- Tap on System Update, followed by Check for Updates.
Let your device search for updates automatically. When it prompts you, download and install the available operating system update.
Should it be an iPhone, you have to:
- Think about backing up or archiving your data in the event that anything breaks with the upgrade.
- Next, connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network. Cellular data may not be enough, as updates are often large.
- Also, connect your iPhone to its charger.
- Now, you can go to the Settings app.
- Choose General and opt for Software Update.
- Let your iPhone search for an update. You may check what an upgrade is for if one is available.
- Next, go to download and install.
For a successful setup, you might have to supply the passcode. Make sure your iPhone has enough storage for the update.
Once updated, see if the camera app starts to behave normally.
4. Free Your Phone’s Storage Space
How to fix a phone camera that won’t turn on? The lack of enough storage on your phone can lead to a camera app that keeps crashing. Hence, you should make some space on your device.
Then, your device won’t have issues opening the camera app and clicking photos. Here’s what you can try:
- Close apps that you do not use.
- Uninstall or offload the apps you no longer need.
- You can also move large files from your phone to a computer or reliable cloud storage.
Keep in mind that your phone needs at least 20% of its storage free for smooth operation. And, the camera app is one of them.
5. Check Out App Permissions
Nowadays, most apps need access to your phone camera to operate without any tantrums. If you don’t give them access or have withdrawn the access, then the camera app won’t work. Hence, see whether the app in question requires camera app access.
Navigate to the settings of the app and enable its camera access manually.
6. Escape the Chances of Overheating
This may sound strange, but you may encounter the phone camera not working when your device heats up. Why is my camera not working on iPhone? See if your iPhone flashes any message like ‘The iPhone needs to cool down before you use it. ’.
Then, keep your phone aside for a considerable period. Also, you can shut down your device and let it cool down. You may see if your phone has cooled down after 10 to 15 minutes or longer.
You can start the camera app on either your Android or iOS device after this. You may need to hire a specialist if your phone overheats again right after you open the camera app.
7. Clean Your Camera Lens
Is your phone camera’s view obstructed by anything? Most users shove their phones right out of their bags or pockets. So, the lens is exposed to everything lurking there. A thin layer of dust and grime can obstruct the lens and give you blurred photos. This can make you think that something is fishy with the camera app.
So, take your time and a microfibre cloth to wipe the camera lens externally. After that, you can open the camera app to see if it can focus again without hiccups.
8. Get Rid of Camera App Cache
Why is your Android camera not working? The overloaded cache may be the reason. Indeed, the camera app may perform more slowly if you don’t clear the cache manually. Clear your Android phone’s camera app cache. This will help keep its performance fast and smooth.
Here’s how you can do it easily:
- Hold the camera app icon.
- Next, tap the info button that pops up.
- Check out the Storage menu.
- After that, opt for Clear Cache.
Now, attempt using your camera app again. Consider resetting the app data if it continues not to go your way.
- On your Android smartphone, launch the Settings app.
- After that, locate the camera app under Apps. Tap on it.
- Tap the Storage option, followed by Clear Data.
But, this solution is solely for Android users.
9. Factory Reset Your Phone
Why is my phone camera not working? If you’re still having trouble with your phone’s camera, the settings or apps might be the problem. Reset your device to its default settings to correct the mistake.
Back up all data, especially essential ones, before you restore your phone. Otherwise, you will lose access to crucial documents and files kept on your phone.
To reset an Android phone, you have to:
- Start with the Settings app.
- Next, tap on System followed by Reset Options. On some devices, though, you might have to apply System → Advanced → Reset Options.
- Tap on Erase All Data now and confirm your decision.
- Should the device demand it, give your password, PIN, or pattern.
After resetting your Android phone, you can set it up and then try using the camera app. See if it works now.
For a complete reset of an iPhone, you must:
- Access the Settings app.
- Enter the menu called General.
- Go to the bottom of the page and choose Reset.
- From the Reset screen, choose ‘Erase All Content and Settings’.
- After your iPhone prompts, you can enter the passcode.
- You will get a warning about your files being deleted. Tap on Erase to continue with your decision.
Once your iPhone is reset, you can test the Camera app.
What If Your Phone Camera Still Doesn’t Work?
The internal hardware might have been damaged somehow. Your phone might need a camera module or sensor replacement. Well, get in touch with Atdoorstep’s mobile repair expert team to get such phone problems fixed by an expert. They have the right tools and genuine spare parts to fix your phone’s camera. So, you don’t have to replace your device. Just get it fixed at a fraction of the purchase price.
