6 Fixes for iPhone Camera Black Screen

Quick Tips

• The first course of action is to determine whether it’s a hardware or software issue.
• Restart the camera and iPhone, update iOS, enable/disable the flashlight, and disable features like Live Photos,  VoiceOver, or Location Access to deal with a software-related glitch.
• For hardware-related issues, contact Apple Support or an expert technician to get it resolved.

Basic Troubleshooting

• Switch between the back and front camera: The camera may be stuck between front or back camera modes, between lenses, etc., leading to a black screen. Switch between the cameras to resolve the issue.
• Is the iPhone getting too hot: Excessive heat can affect the camera’s performance and lead to temporary malfunctions, such as a black screen. Check your iPhone’s temperature and try again after it cools down.
• Force quit and restart the Camera app: The easiest way to fix an iPhone showing a black camera screen is to close and reopen the Camera app. This will reset any plausible glitch, resolving the issue.
• Force restart iPhone: If restarting the Camera app didn’t stop your iPhone from showing a black screen, resetting your phone altogether might help solve the problem.
• Turn on and turn off the flashlight: If the camera isn’t recognizing or capturing the light from its surroundings. You can fix the camera by providing flash light assistance.
• Disable Low Power mode: Glitches could happen and the camera screen may turn black on your iPhone when the battery is too low or low power mode is enabled. In such scenarios, disable low power mode.
• Update iOS: Apple proactively tracks and resolves unfortunate bugs with their upcoming update. Check if an update is available and download it.

Fix 1. Turn off Live Photo

Sometimes, other features can hamper the functionality of a specific feature. So, let’s try and disable/enable related features, starting with Live Photos.

Open the Camera app and tap the Live Photo icon from the top-right corner. When disabled, the icon will have a slash (/) over it (see screenshot for ref).

Fix 2. Disable Location Access for Camera

Step 1: Launch Settings → Privacy. Tap Location Services.

Step 2: Select Camera.

Step 3: Now, choose Never or Ask Next Time.

Once done, open the Camera app to ensure the problem is resolved. Or else, hop on to the next fix.

Fix 3. Turn off the VoiceOver Feature

VoiceOver is an accessibility feature providing spoken feedback for visually impaired users. However, some users have mentioned that having VoiceOver activated can cause problems for the Camera app.

So, let’s turn off the feature temporarily to see whether that fixes the iPhone camera black screen issue. Notably, in VoiceOver mode, tapping once selects an item and twice activates it.

Step 1: Launch Settings → Accessibility. Tap VoiceOver and double-tap it.

Step 2: Tap the VoiceOver toggle and double-tap to turn off the toggle.

Now, launch the Camera app and see if the issue is fixed. You can turn on the VoiceOver feature again as required.

Fix 4. Run iPhone’s Diagnostics Check

You can employ a diagnostic test on the iPhone to ensure whether the issue is software or hardware-related.

Note: It’s a typical step, so if you’re not comfortable with it, feel free to skip this one out.

Step 1: Turn off your iPhone. Press and hold both the volume up and volume down buttons.

Step 2: While holding down the buttons do one of the following,

• Plug the iPhone into a power adapter (preferably 18W or higher).
• Connect to a computer. Ensure that the computer is on and connected to power.

Step 3: As the Apple logo appears on the screen, release the buttons. A message regarding the diagnostic mode will appear on the screen. Tap Start Session to initiate it.

Depending upon the result, whether the issue is hardware or software-related, the course of action might change. In either case, you might have to contact Apple Support for assistance.

Fix 5. Reset All Settings

Although a stern step, if nothing else is working in your favor, an iPhone reset is the last resort. Alongside erasing and restoring all settings, it will eradicate the bug or glitch causing the black screen on the iPhone camera.

Step 1: Launch Settings → General.

Step 2: Scroll down and select Transfer or Reset iPhone. Tap Reset.

Step 3: Tap Reset All Settings and enter your passcode.

Fix 6. Contact Apple Support

If nothing has worked out or the diagnostic results show some severe issue, it’s time to pull out the biggest gun. Contact Apple and let an Apple-trained Genius guide you.

Initially, they’ll take you through almost the same steps mentioned above. So, tell them what troubleshooting steps you’ve already taken to save time and energy.

FAQs