The iPhone is faster and more efficient as compared to other smartphones. Sometimes it poses minor issues like many users complain that the iPhone camera and flashlight are not working.
Surely, your quest to fix your iPhone- with a malfunctioning camera and flashlight- has landed you on this page. This guide promises to solve your problem with effective and quick tips.
There are many conditions of the camera functioning issue in iPhone. For example, when you open the camera; the screen is black, the back camera is working but the front cannot, or vice versa.
Similarly, you may be facing the issues; of the camera being frozen, options missing, out-of-sync flash, and more.
Likewise, the flashlight stops working at times. In some cases, it happens only with the camera while in other situations flashlight does not work at all.
This problem puts you in great distress and you may rush to a technician. But, to your surprise, the reasons behind this issue are very trivial and easy to solve.
You can fix your iPhone at home by trying the verified solutions given in this guide.
1. Troubleshoot the Camera App
In some cases, the camera app cannot launch properly or respond slowly, thus the screen goes black. The simple solution is to close the camera app.
- Tap the ‘Home’ button twice on your iPhone.
- It will show you the preview of the camera app, swipe up and close the camera.
- After five minutes, reopen the camera app and check its performance.
Another trick is to switch between the front and rear cameras. For instance, if your front camera is black, switch to the back camera and vice versa.
Do it a few times and the issue will be solved. In addition, switch between different apps like Snapchat and Facetime.
2. Change Some Settings
If the ‘Voice-Over’ feature is ON, the camera will not be working. So, resolve the black screen issue by turning OFF this feature.
- On your iPhone, open the ‘Settings’ app, and go to ‘General’ settings.
- Scroll to select ‘Accessibility’ and then navigate to the ‘Voice-Over’ feature. Turn it OFF, reboot your iPhone, and open the camera app.
- Also, check the camera location services by going to ‘Settings’.
- Choose ‘Privacy’ and then ‘Location’.
- Turn OFF the camera location services here.
3. Restart Your iPhone
Restarting promises to solve a great number of momentary issues in your device. First, try a simple restart by turning OFF and ON your phone.
- Long press the ‘Side’ or ‘Sleep/Wake’ button until the ‘Power OFF’ slider appears on the screen.
- Drag the slider to the right to turn OFF your device.
- Wait for 30 or 60 seconds, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo displays on the screen.
A further step is to force restart your iPhone;
- Press and release the ‘Volume Up’ button.
- Quickly after, repeat the same process with the ‘Volume Down’ button.
- Finally, press and hold the Power or Side button until the screen goes black and comes back with the Apple logo.
This force restart method may vary a little across various iPhone models.
Read our article “iPhone won’t connect to Wifi but other devices will” to find the force restart method for all iPhone versions.
4. Download the Pending Updates
If you are using a third-party camera app, update it from the app store. However, the built-in iPhone camera cannot be updated separately.
When you install the latest software update, the whole system upgrades. Updating the latest software is necessary because an older iOS may have corrupted some apps.
Moreover, it contains bugs and errors that interfere with the normal functioning of your iPhone.
On the other hand, the newest software brings security and safety features hence it can solve the camera and flashlight issue. These few steps describe the update method;
- Before starting the update process, charge your phone up to 60%.
- Open the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone.
- Go to ‘General’ and then select ‘Software Update’.
- If the latest iOS version is available, download and install it by following the on-screen prompts.
5. Reset Your iPhone
If still the camera and flashlight are not working, reset your iPhone to factory settings or erase all content. Be sure to back up the important data to iTunes or iCloud.
- Launch the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone.
- Select ‘General’ settings and then tap ‘Reset’.
- Here you will see two options, “Reset All Settings” and “Erase All Content and Settings”.
- Try one of them, if it does not work, try the other one. Hopefully, it can help you get the flashlight and camera back to work.
6. Clean the Camera and Flashlight
If the flashlight fails to work, it can also spoil the camera. So, both issues are related to each other.
One quick trick is to remove the case of your iPhone and clean it thoroughly. You may be surprised to find how much dirt is accumulated inside the case.
Also, clean the flashlight and camera lens. You can use a clean cloth or cotton swab wet with some surface cleaner.
Besides, make sure that nothing is blocking your camera view such as the iPhone case, your finger, tripod, or oil stains on the lens.
7. Troubleshoot the Flashlight
When you open the camera app, tap the lightning bolt on the top left corner of the screen.
- You need to confirm that the flashlight is turned ON.
- Try turning it ON and OFF a few times.
- Next, switch ON and OFF the flashlight from the Control Center multiple times.
- If the flashlight option is not present in the Control Center, it has been removed accidentally.
- You can access and add the flashlight from the settings app.
8. Charge Your Device
A low battery percentage stops the flashlight and camera from working. So, charge your phone and try using the flashlight and camera again.
Even if the battery is charged to a reasonable point, plug it into the power source. This trick is likely to solve the issue. A bad or defective battery can also cause this problem.
So, make sure that the battery and charging tools of your iPhone are properly working.
9. Weather Conditions
In addition, the flashlight fails to work if your iPhone is too cold or too warm. It gets warm after continuous use. So, stop using your phone and let it cool down.
Place your phone at a significant distance from the heat source. Extreme cold weather conditions can also freeze the flashlight.
So, place your iPhone at a moderate temperature and check it’s working after some time.
10. Downgrade the Software Version
Many iPhone users complain that their flashlight and camera stopped working after they upgraded their phone to iOS 14.5.
This may be the case with you, it can be solved by downgrading the software. But, make sure that the issue occurred after you upgraded to iOS 14.5.
Then, follow these steps carefully;
- Back up the data of your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes. Check the process here.
- Now, open the IPSW website on your iPhone. It will show you various iPhone models, select yours.
- Follow the instructions to revert back to the 14.4.2 iOS version.
- Open iTunes on your computer or Mac and connect your phone through a USB cable.
Next, enter your iPhone into DFU (Device Firmware Update) Mode. See the step-by-step process here.
- It will give you two options; ‘update’ or ‘restore’.
- Select ‘Restore’ and then manually choose the 14.4.2 software.
- Complete the process by following the on-screen instructions.
11. Check for Hardware Complications
If you have tried all the above-mentioned solutions, the reason may be a hardware defect. Because these tricks promise to solve the software issues.
Hardware issues can be of various kinds such as your phone might have contacted water and entered the camera.
Another possibility is that you have accidentally dropped down your phone. Hence, the camera or flashlight is internally broken.
In this case, you need to consult a trusted technician. Seek Apple Support from their website or visit the nearby Apple Store to get your iPhone repaired.
FAQs About iPhone
Read the following FAQs to know more about your iPhone and related issues.
Why the flashlight has stopped working on my iPhone?
One obvious reason is that the battery of your iPhone is too low. Therefore, the flashlight has no energy to come ON. Turn OFF the low power mode to use the flashlight in low battery status. Restarting, resetting, and updating the device can help.
Why the camera is not working on my iPhone?
Clear the camera cache and restart your iPhone. Likewise, install the latest iOS version to deal with software glitches. Third-party camera apps can also interfere with the built-in camera. Hence, you should disable to uninstall the third-party apps.
How to confirm my iPhone camera is faulty?
If the camera is not working, you should try all the solutions explained in this guide. However, if still the camera is freezing or lagging, screen is dark, and flashlight is not working after several attemps, it has gone faulty. Contact Apple for a repair.
Also Read: Turn OFF iPhone Without Touching Screen
Final Words
We have listed the best troubleshooting issues in this guide. We recommend performing them in the correct order.
Consider factory reset as the last option to avoid data loss. We hope, the basic checks, changing settings, and troubleshooting the device can help solve the problem.
However, if all solutions fail then the problem is with the hardware of your device.
So, at this point, you need to repair or replace (depending on the severity of the issue and repair cost) your iPhone if the camera and flashlight are not working.
