iPhone 7/7+ camera issue opens to black/blurry screen with auto-focus flickering

[chrono1081]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to determine if its a hardware or software thing, I have an iPhone 7+ and I find on occasion the rear camera will just show black. The front facing camera works if I toggle to that but the back does not.

Killing the camera app doesn't seem to work, restarting *usually* does, but sometimes I have to restart a second time for it to start.

I haven't seen any other reports of this which leads me to think maybe I just have a bum phone that I need to get swapped.

 

[LunkerHunter]

Took my phone to the Apple Store. Genius Bar ran diagnostics and confirmed the Camera/Flash module was faulty. They replaced it in about an hour, good to go now.

 

[dillonm]

Took my phone to the Apple Store. Genius Bar ran diagnostics and confirmed the Camera/Flash module was faulty. They replaced it in about an hour, good to go now.

Yeah, I have had two phones replaced - and now all three phones have the same problem. If it is hardware, then why does the camera work fine when using third party apps?

 

[macfacts]

Submit bug report on apples website. Can't fix what they don't know about.

Apple should be testing themselves instead of relying on customers to do that work.

 

[chrono1081]

Apple should be testing themselves instead of relying on customers to do that work.

That's not how it works. They do plenty of testing, but there are things you never find until millions of people begin using your product.

 

[cookieme]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to determine if its a hardware or software thing, I have an iPhone 7+ and I find on occasion the rear camera will just show black. The front facing camera works if I toggle to that but the back does not.

Killing the camera app doesn't seem to work, restarting *usually* does, but sometimes I have to restart a second time for it to start.

I haven't seen any other reports of this which leads me to think maybe I just have a bum phone that I need to get swapped.

It's a hardware issue and you should have it replaced! When only one of the camera exhibits this behaviour it's definitely hardware and not software.

 

[LunkerHunter]

Yeah, I have had two phones replaced - and now all three phones have the same problem. If it is hardware, then why does the camera work fine when using third party apps?

Not sure if you have the same issue as me, mine wouldn't work in multiple third party camera apps, dropbox, or even my banking app to capture check deposits. Also, the flash wouldn't work when trying to use the flashlight. So my camera/flash module was dead.

 

[johndorry]

Not sure if you have the same issue as me, mine wouldn't work in multiple third party camera apps, dropbox, or even my banking app to capture check deposits. Also, the flash wouldn't work when trying to use the flashlight. So my camera/flash module was dead.

Same here.

Both cameras affected. Apple ran a inspector check: hardware issue...

10.0.2 killed the camera module

For now, the 7 Plus has: yellowish screen, hissing A10 sound, camera, gps.. problems. nicely done

 

[verdi1987]

Well yesterday morning my iPhone 7 Plus camera shutter appeared have become faulty. Every time I opened the camera app I was greeted with a black screen when using the rear facing camera. I have had this happen randomly before but a simple restart took care of the issue. I went through all the troubleshooting I could by killing the app, force restart, and then DFU restore and clean setup. After hours of this process I was still greeted with the same issue. Luckily Apple set me up with express replacement. This is my first phone to have a camera module fail and I have had multiple iPhones for every generation. Anyone else have this issue?

My iPhone 7 Plus rear camera appears to have failed today.

I have tried a hard- and soft-reset to no avail.

It appears to be an issue with the telephoto lens. In Photo (standard), Portrait, Square, and Video modes, no image is displayed on the screen, and I am unable to switch between lenses.

Panoramic photo and slow-motion and time-lapse video work. However, in pano-mode I cannot switch to the telephoto lens.

The FaceTime camera works.

Third-party camera apps that were working now claim they don't have access to the camera when they in fact are granted access in the Privacy settings.

 

[tl01]

This happened with my 7 plus for a few days and then it stopped happening.

 

[verdi1987]

I left my phone off for a while and then turned it back on, and now the camera is working again. Previous soft and hard resets had failed to resolve the issue. I wonder if it is heat related. I had read another post by someone who indicated his phone got hot when the camera issue occurred.

I was lying outside when the issue happened, but it wasn’t exceptionally warm (about 80 degrees).

 

[cookieme]

I was hoping that iOS 10.1 would solve this once and for all, but I'm still occasionally having this camera issue, e.g. camera app opens and it has trouble focusing (yellow square comes on and off) and switching cameras doesn't help.

 

[dillonm]

I was hoping that iOS 10.1 would solve this once and for all, but I'm still occasionally having this camera issue, e.g. camera app opens and it has trouble focusing (yellow square comes on and off) and switching cameras doesn't help.

Same issue here

 

[cookieme]

I just had a long chat with Apple Support. They ran remote diagnostics and all the hardware passed!

They said they have no record of a similar issue and that the last troubleshooting step I can take is to do an iTunes restore in recovery mode. Choosing "Restore" in step 4.

After the restore I should setup the iPhone as new and not restore my data via iTunes. In other words install all apps and set them up again etc.

If the problem doesn't persist than case closed.

If the problem persists than Apple said they will escalate (whatever that means) alternatively I have to send it in for service (repairs) even though all the hardware checks out.

For a new iPhone less than a month old this is pretty **** especially if it needs to be repaired and they don't just replace it.

 

[FunkyTang]

It's a hardware issue and you should have it replaced! When only one of the camera exhibits this behaviour it's definitely hardware and not software.

It's probably not a hardware issue. I saw the issue on my 6s when using 10.0 and I never saw it when using. 9.x.

Also, there is a small blurb about a fix in the 10.1 official release.

 

[dillonm]

I just had a long chat with Apple Support. They ran remote diagnostics and all the hardware passed!

They said they have no record of a similar issue and that the last troubleshooting step I can take is to do an iTunes restore in recovery mode. Choosing "Restore" in step 4.

After the restore I should setup the iPhone as new and not restore my data via iTunes. In other words install all apps and set them up again etc.

If the problem doesn't persist than case closed.

If the problem persists than Apple said they will escalate (whatever that means) alternatively I have to send it in for service (repairs) even though all the hardware checks out.

For a new iPhone less than a month old this is pretty **** especially if it needs to be repaired and they don't just replace it.

I am on my third phone (all having this exact issue) even after 10.1 update (all phones set up as new). An apple senior advisor had me log some files so he could forward them to the engineering team. This is the response I just got back.

 

[cookieme]

I am on my third phone (all having this exact issue) even after 10.1 update (all phones set up as new). An apple senior advisor had me log some files so he could forward them to the engineering team. This is the response I just got back.

Wow. This is crazy three new phones and you've done what I was told e.g. restores and setup and new and running 10.1 and still having this issue!

Thank you for sharing the reply you got.

I wonder if I can contact Apple Support again with my case number and see if they will do the same thing. I've spoken to them twice already and they kept saying they have not heard similar complaints.

It's all well and good that they look at your phone and provide you a new one, but I hope this fourth phone doesn't have the same issue.

 

[dillonm]

Wow. This is crazy three new phones and you've done what I was told e.g. restores and setup and new and running 10.1 and still having this issue!

Thank you for sharing the reply you got.

I wonder if I can someone contact Apple Support again with my case number and see if they will do the same thing. I've spoken to them twice already and they kept saying they have not heard similar complaints.

It's all well and good that they look at your phone and provide you a new one, but I hope this fourth phone doesn't have the same issue.

Yeah, I definitely encourage you to do that if you're still having the same issue! Clearly they found something that they want to look at so, maybe it isn't just a software thing

 

[cookieme]

Now that it's the weekend I'll try an iTunes restore in recovery mode with 10.1 and if the issue comes up before Monday I'll contact them first thing and share this thread and your screenshot.

Please keep us updated and I'll do the same.
[doublepost=1478275431][/doublepost]@dillonm has Apple run diagnostics on any of the phones before they exchanged them? Did diagnostics show any hardware issues?

 

[dillonm]

[doublepost=1478275431][/doublepost]@dillonm has Apple run diagnostics on any of the phones before they exchanged them? Did diagnostics show any hardware issues?[/QUOTE]

They ran diagnostic on the the phone I have now when I first got in contact with them. The diagnostic showed no hardware issues. So, not sure what it is they will be looking at, but I really hope this replacement is my last.

 

[cookieme]

Ok that's exactly what happened when they ran diagnostics on mine. They said everything was ok with emphasis on the camera not reporting any hardware issues.

Are you going to keep using this phone until the replacement arrives and than send it to them? This is the option I'd prefer as I don't have a backup phone. Sold my old iPhone when I got this one.

 

[dillonm]

Ok that's exactly what happened when they ran diagnostics on mine. They said everything was ok with emphasis on the camera not reporting any hardware issues.

Are you going to keep using this phone until the replacement arrives and than send it to them? This is the option I'd prefer as I don't have a backup phone. Sold my old iPhone when I got this one.

Yep, I don't have a backup phone so I will be waiting for the replacement then sending mine back once I get it.

 

[camhabib]

Wondering if anyone else has come across this. Periodically, I'll open the camera app and the preview will be dark blue for a second and then switch to a black preview with no image showing. If I switch to the video mode, the correct image will appear on the screen, sometimes continuing to work if I switch to the photo setting again, sometimes just going back to a black screen once I switch. Sometimes it takes a restart to fix the issue, other times a lock and unlock seems to do the trick.

 

[jjk454ss]

I did see this on my iPhone 7 is well, I only saw the black screen once in a while, but it sounds like maybe the same issue. I exchange the phone for a 7+ and have not seen the issue since.

 

[aristobrat]

I've had that happen before too.