iPhone 7 Camera Not Working? Here's Why And The Real Fix!

David Lynch

MARCH 11, 2017

Your iPhone 7 camera doesn't work and you don't know how or why it happened. The camera of your iPhone 7 is one of the most technologically advanced smartphone cameras ever built, so when something goes wrong, you're bound to notice. In this article, I'll show you what to do when your iPhone 7 camera is not working so you can get back to taking amazing pictures.

Let's Clear The Air

Before we dive into the troubleshooting guide, I want to acknowledge the fact that there is a lot of misinformation when it comes to iPhone 7 cameras that won't work. First, many people will tell you that you definitely have a hardware problem — this is 100% false. When your iPhone 7 camera is not working, you're sometimes dealing with a software problem such as an app crash. If that's the case (we can't be certain if it is yet), then there wouldn't be anything physically wrong with your iPhone 7 camera and you wouldn't have to get any hardware repaired.

Another common misconception is how to actually solve the software problem when your iPhone 7 camera won't work. Other websites will tell you that you can't do much more than a hard reset, which is also wrong. Our guide will walk you through four comprehensive software troubleshooting steps you can perform to help accurately diagnose why your iPhone 7 camera is not working.

A Quick Story About My Friend's "Broken" iPhone Camera

Once when I was in college, a friend of mine asked me to take a picture for her using her iPhone. To my surprise, every picture I took came out totally black and I couldn't figure out why. As it turned out, she had put her case on the wrong way and it was covering the camera on her iPhone! So, when your iPhone 7 camera is not working, double-check to make sure that nothing is blocking or covering up the camera!

Are You Using A Third-Party Camera App?

Sometimes your iPhone 7 camera won't work because you are using a third-party camera app. If the third-party app you're using is old or needs an update, your problem may be with the app, not with the actual hardware of your iPhone's camera. If your iPhone 7 camera doesn't work when you use the third-party app, try using your iPhone's built-in Camera app. If your camera works with one app but not the other, then you've identified that the problem is with your specific third-party app, not the actual camera on your iPhone. If your iPhone 7 camera is not working in either app, follow our step-by-step troubleshooting guide to diagnose and fix your problem!

How To Fix An iPhone 7 Camera That's Not Working

8 Steps Total
1.

Turn Your iPhone Off And Back On

When you turn off your iPhone, the operating system shuts down all the little background programs that keep your iPhone running. When you turn your iPhone back on, all those little background programs start fresh, and sometimes that’s enough to fix a simple software glitch.

How Do I Turn My iPhone Off And Back On?

  1. Press and hold the power button (iPhones without Face ID) or the side button and either volume button (iPhones with Face ID) until "slide to power off" appears on the screen.
  2. Use your finger to swipe the red power icon across the screen from left to right.
  3. Wait for your iPhone to turn all the way off. This may take up to 30 seconds.
  4. To turn your iPhone on again, press and hold the power button (iPhones without Face ID) or side button (iPhones with Face ID) again until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
  5. Let go of the power button or side button and wait for your iPhone to turn on.
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2.

Close Out Of All Of Your Apps

Closing out of your apps is like turning your iPhone off and back on — it gives your apps a fresh start. If one of the apps that you have open crashes in the background, it may prevent other apps you have open from functioning properly. It can be difficult to identify which specific app or apps are malfunctioning, so we'll close them all to save time.

How Do I Close Out Of All Of My Apps?

  1. Double-press the Home button to view the apps your currently have open.
  2. Use your finger to swipe up on the apps to close them.
  3. You'll know all your apps are closed when you only see a preview of your lock screen.
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3.

Reset All Settings

Many iPhone problems are caused when Settings isn't set up correctly or by corruption within individual Settings app files. Restoring the Settings app back to factory defaults doesn't fix every iPhone software problem, but it is a go-to fix for Apple technicians because it does solve a lot of problems that would be very difficult to to track down by hand.

How Do I Reset All Settings?

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap Transfer Or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Tap Reset All Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode, if prompted.
  7. Tap Reset All Settings again to confirm your decision.
  8. Your iPhone will shut down, complete the reset, and turn itself on again will automatically turn back on when the reset finishes.
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4.

Back Up Your iPhone

It's important to back up your iPhone before doing any major restores (such as a DFU restore). If something goes wrong while you're trying to fix your iPhone, having a back up means you won't lose any of your data (such as contacts, photos, apps, and more). Restoring from a back up is a lot more convenient than having to go and reenter all the information that was saved on your iPhone.

How Do I Back Up My iPhone?

There are a few different ways to back up your iPhone:

Backup Your iPhone Using iCloud

  1. If you have a WiFi connection, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap on Your Name at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap iCloud.
  5. Scroll down and tap on iCloud Backup.
  6. Make sure the switch next to iCloud Backup is on. You'll know the switch is on when the switch is green.
  7. Tap Back Up Now.
  8. A status bar will appear to tell you how much time is remaining.

Backup Your iPhone Using iTunes

  1. Plug the Lightning connector on your Lightning cable (charging cable) into the Lightning port on your iPhone.
  2. Plug the other end of your Lightning cable into a USB port on your computer.
  3. Open iTunes on your computer.
  4. Click on the iPhone icon in the upper left hand corner of iTunes.
  5. Click the circle next to "iCloud" or "This computer" to select whether you want to backup your iPhone to iCloud or your computer.
  6. Click Back Up Now to backup your iPhone.
  7. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.

Backup Your iPhone Using Finder (Macs Running Catalina 10.15 or newer)

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a charging cable.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Click on your iPhone under Locations.
  4. Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
  5. Click Back Up Now.
  6. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.
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5.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
  5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. You'll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
  2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
  3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
  6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
  9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
  10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.
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6.

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

  1. Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
  2. Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

  1. Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
  2. When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
  3. Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.
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7.

Repair Your iPhone Through Amazon Home Services

Amazon Home Services sends a vetted technician directly to you, whether you're at home or the office. They'll fix your iPhone directly on the spot. Amazon Home Services repairs typically take between 30–60 minutes.

  1. Go to Amazon's Home Service web page.
  2. Select your iPhone model.
  3. Choose the address you'd like the technician to come to.
  4. Select a date and time to schedule your appointment.
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8.

Upgrade Your iPhone 7

With a wide selection of new smartphones available, you may want to consider upgrading your iPhone 7 instead of having it repaired. iPhone 7 repairs can get expensive, especially if more than one component is broken.

Your money may be better spent as a down payment on a new phone. Some carriers will even give you huge discounts on the latest smartphones when you switch!

New phones have many improved features that your iPhone 7 doesn't. They have faster processors, longer better life, better cameras, facial recognition software, and much more!

How Do I Upgrade My iPhone 7?

  1. Click here to head to the UpPhone phone comparison tool.
  2. Sort the tool by selecting brands, models, storage capacities, operating systems, and more!
  3. Click on the name of a phone to learn more, or view compatible plans by clicking on the "# plans" button.
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Say Cheese!

We've successfully fixed the problem with your iPhone's camera. Now you'll know exactly what to do the next time your iPhone 7 camera is not connecting, so we encourage you to share this article on social media with your friends and family so they don't run into the same problem. Thanks for taking the time to read this article. Feel free to leave a comment down below if you have any other questions!

  1. Turn Your iPhone Off And Back On
  2. Close Out Of All Of Your Apps
  3. Reset All Settings
  4. Back Up Your iPhone
  5. DFU Restore Your iPhone
  6. Repair Your iPhone With Apple
  7. Repair Your iPhone Through Amazon Home Services
  8. Upgrade Your iPhone 7

Applies To: iPhone 7

AUTHOR

David Lynch

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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