Device issues can occur at any time to any device regardless of whether it is new or old, less or more smart and powerful. While it may sound bizarre for a new high-end device to already cause trouble to users at a very early stage, it is inevitable.
Recent claims that surface online have it that some owners of Apple’s new iPhone 7 Plus smartphone are already having some issues regarding an erratic camera app. For some reason, the stock camera is randomly freezing up or crashing. Among other problems iPhone 7 Plus have encountered would include but not limited to no flash or flash not working and blurry or out of focus images. Why do such problems happen to a new powerful device and how to fix it? Read on to get help.
In an effort to address of those who are attempting to fix minor issues with the built-in camera app on this new iPhone by themselves, I have created a rundown of generic solutions and suggested workarounds anyone can use whenever necessary.
As to our readers who have other issues, visit our iPhone 7 Plus troubleshooting page for we have already addressed a lot of issues with this device. There could already be existing solutions to your problems so try to find issues that are similar with yours but if you need further assistance, then feel free to contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire.
What causes the iPhone 7 Plus camera app to become erratic?
Problems like random crashes and apps freezing are tagged among other software-related issues, particularly on performance.
In most instances a problem can occur on an application due to corrupt contents that are messing up with certain app’s internal functions. For example, when you download a corrupted multimedia file and store it in the same location where your other camera photos and videos are saved. There is a higher chance that the corrupt content can likewise affect other files, which then could result to another problem especially when any of these files are opened and managed using the built-in camera application. So you might think it is the camera app is faulty but actually, a corrupted file is to blame. The app can crash, become sluggish or unresponsive as it attempts to process a corrupted content which would not respond to input commands.
Other factors that can affect the iPhone’s camera app function and results would include misconfigured settings on the camera app. Sometimes, you are not getting a photo or video output you expect due to incorrect settings or some apps properties are not configured properly. For example, failure to adjust image settings or some options need to be disabled or enabled so as to produce quality photos and videos.
Bad software updates can also cause similar problems to occur on the iPhone’s camera application.
Memory issues like insufficient memory can also give you some trouble when using the iPhone camera especially when storing new photos or videos taken using the stock app. Needless to say, these processes would require the device to have sufficient storage space for allocation of new files produced by the camera app. This however may not likely be the case considering that the iPhone 7 Plus is still new and equipped with higher storage capacity. There shouldn’t be any issue when it comes to storage space. But this may vary between users. Some iPhone owners are fond of adding new complex apps to their new device without realizing that their device is already running out of internal storage space. At this point, it will no longer be able to allocate new files so you’ll just wonder why you can no longer save your photos or videos.
You can actually get some hints from the error prompts and messages that show up when something goes wrong while using the iPhone 7 Plus camera. That being said, be sure to read the message details before closing it.
In worst cases, the camera app can become problematic because the physical camera is actually damaged.
Hardware damage can occur to an iPhone from prior incidents of dropping and getting wet. Although each of these new iPhone components is built sturdy, they may not be able to withstand severe impacts from hard drops.
Problems with the camera application that are inflicted by a defective hardware generally require a professional aide to fix. If this is the case, a better option for you is to take your device to an Apple Genius bar for service. Fixing hardware-related issues on an iPhone by your self is not recommended so as to prevent the problem from getting worse.
How to deal with software-related issues with the iPhone 7 Plus camera app?
If you are certain that the problem you are dealing with is not caused by hardware damage, then you may attempt to fix it using any of the suggested workarounds and generic solutions that are applicable to your situation.
Listed below are a few recommended procedures that are generally used to address any issues, affecting the iPhone’s built-in camera application. It wouldn’t hurt to try any of these methods before taking your new iPhone to a service center and pay for a tech fee.
General Troubleshooting Methods for Camera Issues
You can try any of the subsequent methods if you are not sure what exactly triggers the stock camera app on your iPhone 7 Plus to become erratic or unreliable. Be sure to test the camera after completing each method to see if the problem has already been resolved. Otherwise, proceed to the next method available.
Step 1. Quit and restart the camera app.
If this is the first time you encounter a problem while using the built-in camera app on your new iPhone 7 Plus, then most likely it is just among other minor software glitches affecting the apps function. Minor as they are, these glitches can be dealt with initially by quitting and restarting the camera app. Just like what you usually do when using a computer program and all of a sudden that program became sluggish, lagging, or freezing. In order to get that program back up and running fine again, all you need is to exit and then re-open the program after a few moments. The same concept is applied to various apps in mobile devices.
To quit the camera app, follow these steps:
- Double-tap or quickly press the Home key twice. Doing so will open a new window that contains all your recently opened apps. These apps are in standby mode.
- Swipe right or left until you see the Camera app preview screen.
- Swipe up on the Camera app’s preview to close or quit the app.
After doing so, open the camera app and try to see if the problem has already been fixed. If not, try other methods.
Step 2. Restart or reboot your iPhone 7 Plus.
Majority if not all minor issues in mobile devices that are software-related can be rectified by a simple restart or reboot. The process is also known as soft reset. If the problem you’re currently dealing with is triggered by random software glitches affecting the stock camera, then it will likely be resolved by performing a soft reset.
- To restart/reboot/soft reset your iPhone 7 Plus, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the red slider appears. Drag the slider to power off your device completely. Wait for at least 30 seconds, then press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again until the Apple logo shows up.
Alternatively, you can force your iPhone 7 Plus to restart especially if the camera app is unresponsive and causes the device to freeze.
- To force restart your iPhone 7 Plus, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and Volume Down key simultaneously for approximately 10 seconds and then release both keys when the Apple logo appears.
After your iPhone reboots, open the camera app again and see if that has fixed the problem.
Step 3. Check and manage internal memory.
To ensure everything is okay with your iPhone’s storage function, check the device memory status regularly and manage storage if necessary. This is a must-do for heavy iPhone users who are fond of downloading apps and tweaks to try on their new device.
When your iPhone is running low on storage, chances are you would experience frequent lags, freezes, crashes and other performance issues transpiring on your device. So if you often experience any of these symptoms while using the camera app, you better check your memory status and manage storage if necessary.
- To do so, head over to Settings-> General-> Storage & iCloud Storage.
Doing so will get you to a menu or screen containing more details about your iPhone’s internal memory allocation.
- To view how much storage each apps is using, tap Manage Storage.
- Finally, tap an app from the list to view more information about its memory usage.
Apple has designed its iOS devices including iPhones to optimize storage automatically by removing temporary files and clearing cache files. If by any chance your iPhone gets full and the iOS can no longer free up more space, most likely you’ll be prompted with a Storage Almost Full alert. This is your cue to do your part in doing whatever means necessary to free up some space of your iPhone’s memory storage.
Quitting all running apps in the background (standby mode) can also help free up some space of your iPhone’s internal storage. So you might as well consider closing them if needed.
Here’s how to force close running apps on your iPhone:
- Double tap or quickly press the Home key twice until the apps previews appear.
- Swipe up on each app’s preview to close the app.
- To view more apps in standby mode, swipe right or left and then swipe up on the app’s preview to close it.
After doing all these, try to open the camera app and see if it is already working fine and error-free.
Step 4. Update iOS on your iPhone 7 Plus.
Apple is constantly rolling out small updates following a major iOS release to address whatever issues transpiring in the existing platform or enhance some features of the iPhone. Since software updates also contain bug fixes, users are encouraged to keep their iOS software up-to-date. And should the problem you are dealing with the iPhone’s camera is caused by a software bug, then this can be addressed by installing the latest version of iOS for your iPhone.
- To check if an update is available, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update. You will be notified if an update is available for your iPhone. To continue with iOS update installation, tap the option to Download and Install.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the iOS update installation process.
Specific Solutions to a problem with the iPhone’s stock camera application
There are certain issues with the iPhone’s built-in camera app that are already tagged as resolved. This means that you can use a specific solution to fix the problem. Below are some specific problems with the stock camera app along with their respective solutions. Read further and see if the problem you have is listed and if so, then try the given solution.
Problem 1: No Flash or Flash is Not Working
Recommended Solution: Try to test the LED flash and see if it is working. You can use the Control Center to test the LED flash of your iPhone. To do so, open the Control Center and then tap the Flashlight icon located at the bottom-leftmost corner or the control center panel. If the LED flash turns on, it is working. If not, try to check the flash settings on your iPhone 7 Plus. To do so, tap the black lightning bolt icon or flash icon located on the upper left of the screen and then choose a different setting. Test the camera app again after switching to a different setting to see if there are any changes.
An alert message saying that “the flash is disabled” is likely to appear when you take extended video with the flash turned on or use the iPhone in a very warm environment. In this case, you need to let your iPhone cool down until you can use it again.
Problem 2: Blurred Photos, Dark Spots on captured Photos, Out of Focus
Recommended Solution: Clean the camera lens. It is possible that you are getting blurred photos or dark spots are showing on your captured photos because the camera lens is covered with dust or dirt. To rule out this possibility, check the lens for any dirt or debris. If necessary, clean it up using a microfiber cloth. Try to take a new photo after the lens is all clean.
With photos that are out of focus, try to take any metallic case or magnetic lens there you are using any. Metallic cases or magnetic lens can cause interference on the iPhone’s optical image stabilization, and thereby produce poor quality images and videos from the stock camera.
Take a photo without a case or magnetic lens on your iPhone and see the results.
Also be sure to focus on a certain person or object before capturing or simply tap the object or person on the preview screen to let the camera make necessary adjustments. You will then see the screen pulse or the screen briefly goes in and out of focus. If you move too far in any direction, the camera will refocus to the center. Be sure to adjust the focus before you begin recording a video using video mode on your iPhone camera.
Problem 3: Missing Camera app
Recommended Solution: Use Spotlight search to find the camera app on your device. By default, it is placed on the Home screen but can also be removed or transferred to a different folder. If you know the exact location as to where the Camera app was moved or transferred to, then you can just head straight to that folder.
The camera app can also become invisible when restricted. To check and ensure the app is not restricted, go to Settings-> General-> Restrictions-> Allow-> Camera. Doing so will turn off any restrictions imposed to the application and ensure that the camera can launch or become visible on the devices without any restriction.
Problem 4: Black Camera Viewfinder Screen or Closed Lens
Recommended Solution: Make sure nothing is blocking the camera lens while taking a photo. If nothing is blocking the lens and yet still you are seeing a black screen on the camera app, try to force close the app, reboot your iPhone and the open the camera app again.
Alternatively, you can try switching between the front and rear cameras. If the black screen only occurs to any of the iPhone cameras, then it means that something is wrong that camera and therefore needs to be diagnosed by a technician.
Tip: If you have tried every recommended solutions and workarounds in this post but to no avail, you can try to install alternative camera app that is compatible with your iPhone 7 Plus on the App Store.
Contact Apple Support or your iPhone carrier for further assistance and recommendations
You need to escalate the problem especially if you’ve exerted all efforts in an attempt to fix it but only to end up having the same issues with the iPhone 7 Plus camera application. Be sure to let them know of what you’ve done so far. If you’re iPhone is still under warranty, try to ask if you are eligible for it and then opt to avail for warranties instead.
Engage with us
If you have other issues with your Apple iPhone 7 Plus, we are always willing to help. Contact us through our iPhone issues questionnaire and provide us with all necessary information about your problem so we can find a solution to your issue.