Recently, I’ve seen my iPhone camera freeze randomly. Sometimes the camera app freezes or fails to launch showing a black screen. Other times, the shutter button was unresponsive and wouldn’t let me click photos. The camera freezing issue on my iPhone was so persistent that I had to stop using the camera app for a while. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one with this problem, and millions of other iPhone owners have faced it over the years. And iOS 14 did not fix this problem like its predecessors. But as with common iOS problems, there are several reliable tips and tricks to fix iPhone camera freezing issue. So let’s not waste any more time and try these workable fixes to get your iPhone camera working again!
7 Tips to Fix iPhone Camera Freezing Issue (2021)
First of all, it would be better to get to the root of the problem by trying to find the reasons why the iPhone camera app suddenly stopped working or freezing.
Why is iPhone Camera Freezing?
There is no definitive answer as to why the camera app on iPhone randomly freezes. However, there are some possible reasons why the stock camera app on an iOS device becomes unresponsive. As far as I can tell from personal experience, the problem is caused by occasional software bugs.
Also, you should not rule out the possibility of bugs preventing the camera app from working normally. Let’s go through each aspect and try to fix the badly working camera app on your iPhone. It is worth noting that most of these tricks also work in fixing the camera app not working issue on iPad. So no matter if you are experiencing camera problems on your iPhone or iPad, check out these tips to fix the problem.
1. Force Quit Camera App and Restart
In some cases, you can fix iPhone camera freezing issue by forcing the camera app to quit and restart. So be sure to try this nifty trick before moving on to other solutions.
Force Quit Camera App on iPhone with Face ID: Swipe up from the bottom and then hold across the middle of the screen. Then swipe up on the app card to close the camera app.
Force Quit Apps on iPhone with Touch ID: Press the home button twice and then swipe up on the app card to exit the app.
When you have too many apps open in the background, it tends to cause problems and slow down your iPhone over time. Therefore, I also recommend that you force quit all open apps on your iPhone. Now, launch the Camera app once again to see if it starts working as expected.
2. Restart Your iPhone
Another simple trick that you should try to fix the camera freezing or not working issue is to restart your iPhone. Sometimes, all you need to fix various software problems is a quick reboot.
Restart your iPhone with Face ID: Press and hold the volume button and side button at the same time. Then drag the “turn off” slider to turn off your iPhone. Now wait for a while and then press and hold the side button to restart your device.
Restart your iPhone with Touch ID: Press and hold the power button and then drag the “power off” slider to turn off your iPhone. Then press and hold the power button again to turn on your device. This should hopefully fix camera lag, freezing and other similar issues.
3. Hard Reset Your iPhone
When my iPhone encounters a general problem, I usually go for a hard reset to fix random software glitches, and in most cases it doesn’t disappoint. Considering the high reliability, I will trust that it will also fix the camera freezing issue. Note that the hard reset process varies by iPhone models. So, check the instructions below.
Hard reset iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone with Face ID: Press and quickly release the volume up button. Next, press and quickly release the volume down button. After that, hold down the side button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
Hard reset iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Press and hold the side button and volume down button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
Hard reset iPhone 6s or earlier: Press and hold the power button and home button at the same time until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
4. Reset All Settings
I mostly choose this radical solution when simple tricks fail to fix permanent iOS problems. And I have to give him credit for saving me several times. Note that it will remove all existing settings and return them to their factory defaults. So you will have to suffer the pain of rebuilding everything according to your needs.
Go to Settings app on your iOS device-> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Now iOS can also ask you to enter your Screen Time passcode if you set it up. Finally, hit the “Reset All Settings” button to finish.
5. Deploy Your iPhone
While keeping iPhone clutter free doesn’t seem like a surefire solution to solving iPhone camera freezing issue, it is related in one way or another. We all know how abnormal and slow a messy device can feel. If a device does not have enough free space, it will face various issues such as overheating, crashing, running out of battery, freezing and the dreaded black screen of death. So don’t think you’re shooting in the dark with this one!
Before deleting excess data, go to: Settings app -> General -> iPhone Storage. Now, iOS will provide a breakdown of how the storage is used on the iPhone. You will also be able to control how much storage each app consumes. Not only will it help you catch storage-busting criminals, it will also give you a fair perspective on what you need to clean up.
6. Update the Software on Your iPhone
If none of the above-mentioned tricks help to fix camera freezing on your iOS device, then there is a good chance that the problem is caused by a certain software bug. As Apple continues to improve iOS with frequent updates and bug fixes, you rely on software update to fix camera problems on your iPhone.
go to: Settings app on your iPhone -> General -> Software Update. Next, download and install the latest version of iOS on your iPhone. This can be helpful in fixing camera freezing, black screen or other issues on your iOS device.
7. Last Resort: Restore Your iPhone As New
Yes, we’re all over the place! If you are still trying to fix the camera app not working or freezing issue on your iPhone, I recommend restoring your device as new. Due to the high reliability of this method, experts call it a nuclear solution, as it has the ability to troubleshoot even complex iPhone problems.
But before you go for this radical solution, make sure you have successfully backed up your iPhone via iCloud or iTunes/Finder. After backing up your device, open iTunes on your Mac running macOS Mojave or earlier, or your PC running Windows.
Note that you will need to launch Finder on your Mac running macOS Catalina or later. Next, select your device and then click Restore iPhone. After that, follow the onscreen instructions to restore your iPhone and fix the camera freezing issue.
note:
- You can also restore your device without a computer. get over your head Settings app -> General -> Reset -> Erase All Content and Settings. After that, set up your device again. Along the way, restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup.
Pro Tips to Fix Camera App Not Working on iPhone
This much! I think the camera app has started behaving normally on your iPhone again. After encountering this issue myself, I can vouch for the viability of the above-mentioned solutions in fixing camera freezing issues on iPhone. So I’m pretty sure the smile is back on your face, and so are your fun-filled mobile photography endeavors. In that case, check out the best photo editing apps and post your stunning selfies on apps like Instagram.
But before you go on a long photography spree, be sure to share your feedback by revealing what works and what doesn’t in the comments below. Your feedback may be helpful for friends facing the same issue.
