iPhone 12 Camera Not Working

It’s possible that the problem isn’t with your camera’s hardware, but rather the software that you’re using is failing to produce a good image. This can be especially prevalent when using third party camera apps like those intended to film youtube videos or manipulate photos with instagram filters. Try opening your phone’s default camera app (Apple calls this “Camera”) and see if an image shows up there. Be sure to toggle the front camera/back camera button if you are experiencing an issue with just one of the cameras, as this may help turn on a camera that is having trouble.

Other apps putting a strain on your phone’s hardware can also prevent your camera app from showing an image. If you have tons of apps open and running on your phone, try putting all your apps to sleep before opening the camera app. To close background applications:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen while on the home screen.
2. Hold your finger in the center of the screen to open the app manager.
3. Swipe the app up and off the screen to close it.
4. Repeat for each app that’s currently open until no apps remain.
5. Return to the home screen and open the camera app to check if your problem has been fixed.

If your screen is still showing nothing from the camera, try restarting your phone to reset the camera app. You can restart your phone by following these steps:

1. Hold the right-side button along with either the volume up or volume down button until the “Slide to Power Off” prompt appears on the screen.
2. Slide the slider across the screen.
3. Once the phone has finished powering down, hold the right-side button until the Apple logo appears.

It may sound silly, but it’s possible that your camera isn’t showing an image because it’s being blocked by something. Make sure that you aren’t covering your camera’s lens with any objects—like your fingers or a phone case. Most phone cases have cutouts for the iPhone 12’s camera placements, but it’s possible that the case is upside down, or a component of the case is blocking your camera’s view.

If you’re seeing an image but it isn’t clear, you may just have some dirt or grime sitting on your camera lens. Inspect the lens for any visible smudging before wiping the lens clean with a microfiber cloth. Once the lens has been cleaned, try using your camera again to see if your blurry images just got clearer.

While you may have ruled out an issue with the software responsible for displaying the image the camera sees, it’s also possible that the problem is originating from the software responsible for operating the camera’s hardware. To rule out your phone’s operating system as the culprit, you should first be sure to update to the latest version of iOS. To update your phone’s software:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to the General settings tab.
3. From the general settings tab, navigate to the Software Update menu.
4. Select either the Download and Install or Install Now option from the menu.

Your phone may restart after the updates have been installed. Once you’re running the latest version of iOS, you can try a few additional things to rule out some of the more frequent software glitches affecting the camera.

One of these common software glitches occurs because of the Voice-Over feature on the phone. To shut it off:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to the Accessibility settings tab.
3. From the accessibility settings tab, navigate to the VoiceOver menu.
4. Toggle the VoiceOver option to off.

Another common software glitch is that the flash becomes desynchronized from the camera module, which can cause an error that shuts down the entire module. To fix it:

1. Swipe down from the upper right-hand corner where the battery status icon is located to open the Control Center.
2. Press the Flashlight icon to turn on the flashlight.
3. Press the right-hand button to put the screen to sleep, leaving the flashlight activated.
4. Wait 30 seconds.
5. Turn the screen back on and use the Control Center to turn the Flashlight off.

Once you’ve done all this, open the camera app and see if your problem has been resolved.

If your camera continues to show a black screen and you don’t suspect the camera to be physically damaged by impact or water infiltration, your last result for a software fix is to perform a DFU (Device Firmware Update) reset. However, be aware that this may clear some or all data currently on your phone, so you’ll want to perform a backup to avoid losing precious data. To enter DFU mode on your phone:

1. Backup your phone.
2. Plug your phone into a computer with the latest version of iTunes downloaded using the USB to Lightning cable.
3. Press and immediately release the volume up button.
4. Press and immediately release the volume down button.
5. Press and hold the power button until the screen turns black.
6. As soon as the screen turns black, press and hold the volume down button, continuing to hold down the power button. Count to 5.
7. Once 5 seconds have passed, release the power button but continue holding the volume down button. Count to 10. The screen should remain black.
8. You can now release the volume down button. If performed correctly a prompt should appear on your computer screen saying: “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.”
9. From here, follow the prompts on your computer to select and install the desired version of iOS for your device.
10. Exit DFU mode by performing a force restart on your phone.

If you’ve followed all of the above steps and your camera still doesn’t work, you can confidently rule out software issues as the culprit for your camera woes.

If your phone sustained a recent impact, if the back glass of your phone was shattered, or if you’ve been mounting your phone to your motorcycle, the camera module may have been physically damaged and will need to be replaced. Depending on the condition of your phone, you may be able to get Apple to fix the issue, but your luck may vary. Luckily, the fix is totally doable by the average user, so pull out the screwdrivers and get ready for the guide link.

If you’re ready to replace the camera yourself, you can do so by following our iPhone 12 Rear-Facing Cameras Replacement guide.