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LG's flagship smartphone, with a unique slide-out battery and detachable I/O module supporting multiple hardware expansion options. Released in April 2016.

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Rear-facing camera won't focus

The rear-facing 16MP camera (not the wide angle) will no longer focus. I've tried all the usual software fixes (factory reset, etc.). I can actually hear a mechanism inside the phone "trying" to focus, but it seems to be locked into the nearest focal point.

Before I send this thing back for warranty replacement (which involves fixing an old, busted LG G3 first so I'm not without a phone for two weeks), does anyone have a suggestion about how to fix it? I'm not particularly inclined to disassemble the G5, but I thought I'd at least check to see if anyone else has run into this problem.

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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Don't repare your camera ....

Just put your mobile on your softbed with your power 1 2 3 times

And booooom its really work for me .... Just try .... Maybe it also work for uhh

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LG 5

repare your camera ....

Just put your mobile on your softbed with your power 1 2 3 times

And booooom its really work for me .... Just try .... Maybe it also work for uhh

by

What do you mean "on you're softbed"?

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Hello to all individuals having an lg g5, I will not try the solution of having the device tapped around in anyway physically. I have tried a solution that may help it: To go into Apps into the settings options in the phone and actually go to the Camera App and click storage(not related to your pictures) and to clear cache and clear data.

It kinda does an app refresh!

All the best.

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Thanks Dee Tech! Now the quality is even worse!

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22 Answers

Chosen Solution

Hi,

Here is a link to a video that shows how to replace the two rear facing cameras in a LG G5.

In the first comment below the video, a poster remarks that they are having focus problems with the main rear camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjnKXykJ...

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PEOPLE this is a EASY FIX! just clean the sensor between the 2 camera! That's all. Don't waste your money and time on replacing anything. I just fixed mine after weeks of looking for a solution.

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can you explain more

because i tried it and it didnt work

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Had the same problem , downloaded camera hd from play store , working perfectly since, apparently software issue

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Most Helpful Answer

Hi everyone,

I realized this problem is related to the auto-focus of camera since before the cam focuses the quality of image is good.

I solved this issue by installing 'Camera FV-5 Lite' and using manual focus!

Strangely, my G5 cam also started to work fine!

Hope it will be useful!

Good Luck.

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This works

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and !!!

Was despairing that I had bought a second hand dud LG G5

But downloaded the same free 'Camera FV-5 Lite' app from Google Play.

Its not a bad app and then... noticed the main LG5 cam was focussing again - and saw its a very good camera !

Now … just hope it continues to work

Thank you Ahmad

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nope did not work for me

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BS! Replace the camera. Known issue with the G5. Mechanical issue not software

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I had the same problem with the rear facing camera. Was't focus at all even tries and completly burley except close to the objects like my finger when i get it close to it ..

.. I have been searching. For long.. For similar problem. And the solution but bot much but recommending. To replace it .. till i found the same problem happened to the owners of s6 edge and they got to chuck it to fix it. Especially i heard someone. Smashed the lg g5 on his knee out of frastrating and then camera has been back to focus so i was overthinking about it .. . I know many people wouldnt thing about chucking or smatshing their phone as solution but what i did is i smashed it on soft bed strongly since i know its will give a strong chuck to the camera .. And boom i noticed the different . the far objects were burrly before but get a bit clear i feel like somethinh stops the camera to focus even if its trying .. And went on smatching it also at the time i focus to the far ojbect so i smatch and fall it to the bed from height spot .. .. and finally the camera got focus the object in 3 metters so clearly but still the far away spots couldn't get to focus to .the way you wont notice it till when you zoom it .. . even i tried the same method. A lot . But i noticed there are a lot of dash in the camera maybe the dasts dont let the camera focus or maybe makes it stuck inside it to not focuse. I want to open that piece of plactic but I'm afraid to break it .. . ... sorry for bad english guys just telling my experiences maybe its would be usefull for Certain.People instead of replacing the camera. ..

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Did you smack the phone with the rear camera facing up or facing down?

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With therear camera facing down and i did get red of that piece of glass (its a plastic not glass), I heat it then i got red of it using a needle from the corner ansd dont worry its just a smooth plastic, you should heat it to make it easy to pull out.. then clean it,But I still trying to find out other way to clean inside the lent ..there is dust that makes it hard to focus ..i can see the small dust ..after i cleaned it it was focusing good for while then the problem came back again . warning((if you want to pull the piece of the pastic out make sure you gonna clean it well in clean pace with clean tools. and get the plastic back because if you dont then the camera gonna get more dashes ans makes it hard ..i mean you gonna just clean the front dash between the plastic and the camera but the dash inside it .its really hard to clean it and i am still trying to figure out how to do that.. Also try to smack it against the soft bed first to be sure its a dast problem before you pull out the plastic piece

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Replace the camera. Known issue.

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Google play services app is the culprit.

Fix : Go to settings > Apps > Google Play Services and force stop.

This will fix your camera anytime the focus isn't working. This works every time.

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4 Comments:

i am not able to force stop it but i denied all permissions in google play services. it still does not work.

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This was not effective for my LG G5.

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Forcing stop of "Google Play Services for Instant Apps" worked for me to restore focus to the main camera

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Replace the camera on the LG G5. Mechanical issue not software

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By putting together the info in all these answers, I think I've solved this issue by disabling the Camera and Body Sensor permissions for the Google Play Services app in settings.

so far so good.......

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THANK YOU! This worked!! It's annoying that it keeps popping up telling me to add those permissions, but I will take that over a camera that doesn't work.

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That did not help on my LG G5. Neither did disassembly and cleaning of all elements. Still looking for a solution.

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LG G5 has a known issue with the focus mechanism breaking on the main camera. Replace the camera. Cheap fix.

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Delete google fit or any other apps with a heart rate monitor. It fixed my focus issue.

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7 Comments:

You don't need to delete the app, just alter some settings. Go into Google Fit, Settings, and turn off the "Body Sensor" setting. Now my camera works again!

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Brilliant! Thank you so much! My camera has been so frustrating. It's better now.

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Well, my camera went back to not focusing. :sadpanda:

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Yeah, mine is, too. Why? :(

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After reading alot of forums its a software issue. Im using opencamera to fix the blur i have to toggle back and forth betweeen rear to front facing for the image to be clear. Im hiping they release 8.0 for our phones. I got this phone because of the camera but its still buggy

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Putting a small magnet near the camera fixes the problem temporarily

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1 Comment:

Just tried your fix and sure enough with in just a few seconds mine was working.

I have replaced the camera before this but that didn't help.

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I have the same issue with my G5. I found a quick fix. You have to put your hand in and out of the camera so it can refocus. It will automatically re-adjust itself in 60 seconds or less after you go in and out of it's focus point. It's not a permanent fix but it allows you to take pictures again.

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Hey, I force stopped Google Play Services and it momentarily started to focus using the zoom lense. Then I force stopped Google Play services for Instant Apps and it’s working... still a little glitchy, but both auto and manual works.

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This is a bad contact between the rear panel and the motherboard. By using a magnet, the metal parts move slightly and restore contact for a few seconds. Pressing with the finger we have the same result. This type of fault also causes the loss of GPS signal , which G5 users have reported ... I think you have to open the phone, clean and move the contacts slightly.

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This might well be the key to this problem. There is a cable that interfaces the laser autofocus and flash unit on the back of the camera (between the 8MP and 16MP lenses) that contacts the motherboard only by pressure; there is no connector. It is possible these connections are intermittent, making the laser autofocus unreliable, and also the switchover from laser autofocus to contrast-detect autofocus, at longer distances, also unreliable. The "solutions" to the problem that rely on hitting the phone may momentarily improve the pressure contact. To overcome the autofocus problem the solution might then to be to press on the back of the phone where these pressure contacts are, i.e., about 1/2" above and 1/4" to the left of the flash emitter.

The GPS problem might be due to similar intermittent pressure contacts between the GPS antenna and the motherboard, but these are not the same

contacts as those that affect autofocus.

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Using this information, I tested with some different magnets and magnet placements and found that the location described by Einstein (above) indeed seems to be the right spot.

* No change with a weak magnet in any location near the camera.

* Major improvement with a stronger magnet, but only if I got it in the right location and held it firmly so it didn't move.

* Problem totally gone with a very-strong magnet, even if I didn't keep it perfectly/precisely in place.

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Makes me wonder how the problem started. I'm thinking one or more of:

* Time. Connector like this is bound to start failing after some time.

* Using a magnetic dashboard mount in the car. Could a magnet in the "wrong" place cause premature failure of the connection?

* Heat. I'm in Texas and during the summer, the dashboard mount gets too hot to touch when the car is parked. That heat migrates to the phone after I attach it, even with the A/C blasting.

* Swollen battery. I had a battery that got so swollen that the power button became intermittent and the screen showed a discolored strip where the battery was causing pressure. The tech even had a difficult time getting the battery out for replacement.

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The auto-focus problem has gotten gradually worse of the past year to the point where the camera is nearly unusable (unless I want to take tons of extra shots in hopes that at least one will be in focus). It would be really nice to know the cause(s) since in some cases there would be no point in repairing because the problem would likely resurface at some point, anyway.

Now I need to decide whether to go for the cable/connector repair or just get a new phone (the devil I don't know).

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Just replace the camera. Cheap solution and it fixes the problem

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I replaced the camera. No improvement. Then I replaced the phone (for a Samsung). That fixed it.

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El hierro (4th post up) has the answer; see my comment. The cable which might be to blame is illustrated at

https://www.diymobilerepair.com/lg-g5-le...

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Did you ever figure out a fix or did you send it in? I suddenly have the same issue with mine.

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2 Comments:

Emily,

Yes, I ended up buying a camera on eBay and replacing it as shown in the video above. Unfortunately, the camera must have been a slightly different model, so it has the opposite problem: it's now locked in close focus. So it was kind of a waste of time, and the procedure to get the glass off was nerve-wracking: I felt at times like the glass would break.

Next time, I'll just return it to LG for warranty repair.

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Thanks for the response! I guess I'll suck it up and send it in.

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I had the same problem too and i was worried about camera losing focus even my camera glass is broken few weeks ago and its not repaired yet. But it resolved and i dont know how cause my habbit is to drop my G5 and when i saw this post saying that it can be resolved by hitting... i did it twice hitting my hand in quite a force and even battery was low ....... Either one was a problem .

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Ok, Now I have the same problem with my G5, the camera is locked in the close focus, this problem came with another problem at the same time, seems that the micro sd card (32) I had installed in my phone has been damaged, I can open the files I had on it through my phone but I cant save any other file on it (i.e save a new picture) also I cant erase any file stored on the SD card, I also cant format it, tried to open the sd card on my computer and my computer cant read the card.

This is very annoying this is a new phone!

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Any other way to fix this other than replacing the camera?

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No that I know, I have bought a camera replacement on eBay and worked as a charm, there are a couple of sellers that sell this 16 Mp Camera on eBay, before you buy it check that the replacement fit on the the model of your phone (check in the settings the model of your phone and that the camera support that model in the description of the seller). Good Luck!

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Hi econsejo,

How did your replacement camera working? I was a little apprehension buying from China seller. How long it takes to arrive? Was it difficult to replace it?

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I replaced it following a tutorial in youtube, its pretty easy to disassemble the LG G5, it took no more than a week (Ipaid the fast delivery, just some dolars more).

Again, just be sure about the model of your phone (mine was LG-H840) and also be sure you buy the 16 Mp camera (as you know the G5 has 2 front cameras)

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Hi Econsejo

How about the picture quality from ebay EOM Camera? Is the quality same with the original one? Until now is your camera from ebay still good?

Could you give ebay seller link of your camera?

Thanx in advance for your explanation

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Force stop Google Fit app . Search google how to . I think that will fix the issue.

Actually I also installed another camera Open Camera and when i opened it the camera was ok.

Now i dont which one fixed it but as most people are saying Google Fit so should it be.

Hope this works for you too guys

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i recently update to 8.0 and i had the same problem with the camera, and this update fix this issue,

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I've got 7.0 and when I check for an update, it says I am running the latest version. How can I get it to update to 8.0?

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This is what worked for me:

LGG5 camera stuck in close focus. Will not change focus to things far away.

With camera open, shook the phone, image would jump into focus then out again.

Cleaned lenses, no change

In Camera settings, turned off “Steady recording”

Camera will now focus properly.

Tapped phone on table one time

Turned steady recording back on, focus still works.

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SOLVED. OK guys. After much trial and error I have found a fix for me. I downloaded camera fv-5 lite. Focused worked for a while. Went back to blurry photos. Downloaded fv-5 pro. Same problem. After much trial and error determine problem must be a continuous focusing problem. Chose continuous focus on camera fv-5 lite and camera FV pro. No problem sense. To choose continuous focus it is the circular arrow. Hope this works for you. Camera fv-5 pro is an excellent app especially if you are a photographer with a DSLR. Controls are very similar.

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SOLVED FOR REAL THIS TIME I THINK. See my explanation above about installing Camera FV-5 Pro. While I love the app, it did NOT solved the problem. I still recommend you get it.

What has solved it so far is this: Go to settings/Apps/Google Play Services/Permissions. Turn off Body Sensors and Camera. ALSO, Go to Settings/Apps/Google Play services for instant Apps/Permissions. Turn off Camera.

The first step did not repair but when doing both it does. Seems at some time or the other I have downloaded an app such as Google Fit or something that affected the camera focus mechanism. I’ll keep you posted.

I would still get the Camera FV-5 Pro app. You’ll love it.

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Note explanation above. Did not fix camera. UNISTALLED GOOGLE PLAY SERVICES FOR INSTANT APPS. Camera now working fine even with OIS back on. We'll see how long. Folks say it re installs itself. We'll see.

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Did not last. Ordered this camera LiXiongBao on Amazon. Watched a video on YouTube. Sharp pointed knife for a crew driver and a nail file to get case off. 30 minutes had it installed. New camera working fine.

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I tried all of the violent and software “solved!” “remedies” to no avail. Finally I bit the bullet and disassembled the phone and replaced the camera. The only tough part is getting the cement off the display. However, my re-assembly was faulty and I lost the function of the down Vol button. Now I have to use the up Vol button to get the on-screen slider, and use that. Also, you need the down Vol button for screen shots, but there are several free apps that put a screen shot soft button on your home screen, or use the Home button to make screen shots. My camera replacement has worked fine for about seventeen months now.

I installed Item name: 3-L-234 0TO(em) “OEM Back Main Rear Camera Cam Module Parts For LG G6 G5 G4 V10 V30[LG G5 +Tools]” from E-1 Products Inc. on eBay.

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https://okadtech.com/lg-g5-camera-focus-...

Go and solve this irritating problem and then thanks me later

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Eric Bakes will be eternally grateful.
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