Fixing the Blinking/Flickering Problem with Your iPhone Camera
If your iPhone’s camera is flickering or blinking, it can affect the quality of your photos and videos. This flickering can appear as a rapid shutter movement or a screen anomaly, causing blurriness in images or recordings. It can occur intermittently or persistently, affecting both the default Camera app and third-party applications like Instagram. It may also impact the functionality of both the front and back cameras on different iPhone models.
Before troubleshooting, ensure that the camera is not zoomed in, as this can amplify camera movement and contribute to flickering. Modifying lighting conditions can also help identify flickering issues, as certain types of lights (such as LEDs) operate at frequencies that can interfere with the camera sensor. Experiment by moving to a different room or going outdoors.
Some flickering may occur when launching the Camera app as it adjusts to lighting conditions, but persistent flickering is not normal and may indicate a problem. It is also normal for the camera to flicker when pointed at an electronic screen due to the screen’s refresh rate, but this should not persist.
Here are some basic troubleshooting steps you can try:
- Remove any case, film, or accessory that could interfere with the camera’s functionality.
- Relaunch any apps (like Instagram) where the camera flickers.
- Try accessing the Camera app through the Lock Screen or Control Center to see if the flickering persists. If it doesn’t, you can use this as a temporary workaround.
- Restart your iPhone or perform a force restart.
- Make sure to update both the Camera app and the iOS software on your iPhone.
If the issue persists, you can try the following steps:
Clear the iPhone’s RAM: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Assistive Touch and enable it. Then go to Settings > General > Shut Down and tap on the Assistive Touch icon on the power off slider screen. Press the Home button. Restart your iPhone and test the camera app again.
Disconnect the AirPods or disable Bluetooth: Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap on the Info icon next to your AirPods, and select “Forget This Device.” Restart your iPhone and observe if the camera performance improves. If necessary, disable Bluetooth from Settings > Bluetooth and restart your device again.
Disable Night Mode or Deep Fusion: Night Mode and Deep Fusion can cause flickering. To disable Night Mode, access Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings and turn off Night Mode. Restart your device and check if the issue is resolved. To disable Deep Fusion, go to Settings > Camera, deactivate “Photos Capture Outside the Frame,” and restart your iPhone.
Disable Macro Mode: Transitioning between camera lenses in Macro Mode can lead to flickering. Within Settings > Camera, turn off Macro Control and restart your iPhone. Reopen the Camera app to see if the flickering persists.
Adjust the Camera Exposure: Incorrect camera exposure can cause flickering as the camera tries to adapt to the light. In the Camera app, select Photo mode and adjust the Exposure setting to a lower level, such as -0.7, and observe any changes.
Match Video FPS to Light Frequency: Misalignment between the camera’s FPS and artificial lighting frequency could cause flickering. Visit Settings > Camera > Record Video and choose a frame rate that matches the power supply standard of your location, such as 4K at 30 FPS. Restart your iPhone.
Lock Camera Settings: Disabling automatic camera switching in variable lighting might prevent flickering, but consider how this affects auto-exposure and white balance. Go to Settings > Camera > Record Video, activate Lock Camera, and restart your device. Open the Camera app again to test the adjustment.
Reset All iPhone Settings: If an incorrect setting is causing flickering, a reset to default settings may be necessary. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. After resetting, check if the flickering is resolved.
If the problem persists, you may consider a factory reset or contacting Apple Support for further assistance or a possible replacement if your device is still under warranty. In the meantime, you can use third-party camera apps as alternatives.