My camera doesn’t seem to work anymore after updating to IOS 26.1. It turns dark immediately I open the camera App. It’s impossible to take pictures with both front and back camera.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: camera glitch after updating IOS 26.1
iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 26
If the camera does not work even after a restart, it may indicate a hardware issue.
In my case, however, restarting the device or changing the system language temporarily restored the camera, but the issue reappeared after a few hours or a few days. When launching the Camera app, the preview appears briefly, becomes blurred (similar to the transition during lens switching), and then freezes after a few seconds.
Even after erasing the device and restoring from a backup, the problem reoccurred a few days later. Over time, the frequency of the issue gradually increased, which made it seem like something abnormal was progressing.
After that, I reset all settings and used the device with default settings only, and the problem has not recurred for over a week.
I have not yet identified which specific setting was responsible, but the non-default camera-related settings I previously used were:
• Video resolution set to 4K
• ProRAW controls enabled
• All “Preserve Settings” options enabled
• Liquid Glass disabled via Accessibility settings
Do any of you experiencing similar issues have these settings in common?
If the camera does not work even after a restart, it may indicate a hardware issue.
In my case, however, restarting the device or changing the system language temporarily restored the camera, but the issue reappeared after a few hours or a few days. When launching the Camera app, the preview appears briefly, becomes blurred (similar to the transition during lens switching), and then freezes after a few seconds.
Even after erasing the device and restoring from a backup, the problem reoccurred a few days later. Over time, the frequency of the issue gradually increased, which made it seem like something abnormal was progressing.
After that, I reset all settings and used the device with default settings only, and the problem has not recurred for over a week.
I have not yet identified which specific setting was responsible, but the non-default camera-related settings I previously used were:
• Video resolution set to 4K
• ProRAW controls enabled
• All “Preserve Settings” options enabled
• Liquid Glass disabled via Accessibility settings
Do any of you experiencing similar issues have these settings in common?
Try checking step by step, from software issues to hardware.Follow these steps:
If the issue persists, try resetting all settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings). This won’t delete your data but will reset system settings.
Also, check if there’s a newer iOS update available, as Apple sometimes releases quick fixes for bugs.
If none of these work and both front and rear cameras are completely black, it could be a hardware issue triggered or exposed after the update, and you may need to contactApple Support , Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support, or visit an Apple Store for diagnosis.
kikiki210 wrote:
• Try checking step by step, from software issues to hardware.Follow these steps:
Restart your iPhone
• Force close the Camera app and reopen it
• Check if the camera works in other apps (like FaceTime or Instagram)
• Make sure there are no restrictions enabled (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions)
If the issue persists, you can try a system repair tool to fix iPhone issues or reset all settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings). This won’t delete your data but will reset system settings.
Also, check if there’s a newer iOS update available, as Apple sometimes releases quick fixes for bugs.
If none of these work and both front and rear cameras are completely black, it could be a hardware issue triggered or exposed after the update, and you may need to contactApple Support , Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support, or visit an Apple Store for diagnosis.
btw, Product Feedback - Apple,
That's not it. It's the OS. I've tested this on my iPhone 13 and the various iOS 26 updates and 26.3.1 appears to solve the problem most of the time.
Sometimes, it still displays a black screen when the Camera app is launched from the Lock Screen and low power mode may have an effect on this failure behavior.
It's an OS level issue and you can cell this because it's not just within the Camera app where the camera fails. It fails when the camera is launched from Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc, etc, etc…
FYI, I've been an Apple registered developer for 16 years.
You need to have Apple perform diagnostics on your iPhone. It can be done in person at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can also contact Apple Support and request remote diagnostics.
If you’re in the US, please call 1-800-MY-APPLE, or outside the US, consult the support articles below. In Canada, call 1-800-263-3394.
Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
Hi, if all camera apps are failing I suggest having Apple do diagnostics on your device. There is a good chance you have a hardware failure and not a software issue.
You need to have Apple perform diagnostics on your iPhone. It can be done in person at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can also contact Apple Support and request remote diagnostics.
If you’re in the US, please call 1-800-MY-APPLE, or outside the US, consult the support articles below. In Canada, call 1-800-263-3394.
Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
Hi, this is not Apple Support. Apple and Apple Support do not participate here. Everyone posting and commenting are fellow Apple users, just like you.
You need to have Apple perform diagnostics on your iPhone. It can be done in person at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can also contact Apple Support and request remote diagnostics over the phone.
If you don’t want to go this route, I get it. But Apple needs your feedback or they won’t be aware of your situation. Feedback is essential in these situations.
If you’re in the US, please call 1-800-MY-APPLE, or outside the US, consult the support articles below. In Canada, call 1-800-263-3394.
Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
kikiki210 wrote:
• Try checking step by step, from software issues to hardware.Follow these steps:
Restart your iPhone
• Force close the Camera app and reopen it
• Check if the camera works in other apps (like FaceTime or Instagram)
• Make sure there are no restrictions enabled (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions)
If the issue persists, try resetting all settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings). This won’t delete your data but will reset system settings.
Also, check if there’s a newer iOS update available, as Apple sometimes releases quick fixes for bugs.
If none of these work and both front and rear cameras are completely black, it could be a hardware issue triggered or exposed after the update, and you may need to contactApple Support , Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support, or visit an Apple Store for diagnosis.
what abt update to the new ios
Nani30 wrote:
Seriously regretting the iOS 26.1 update 🙂. Having multiple problems: camera shows a blank screen, contact posters disappear, battery is draining super fast, and the phone is heating up! The camera issues affect other apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp too. Anyone else facing this mess? #iOS261 #Apple #iPhoneProblems #TechSupport"
Sounds like the phone needs repair.
The process of erasing and setting up again can very often fix a glitch.
Resources…
Backing Up: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Restoring: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support
If that fails, prepare it for repair and Official Apple Support
Wonderful tip Embraosrs! Thank you very much! I did what you suggested and it works great! The only thing I additionally did was the reset restart (pressing volume up, volume down, and press the right (big) button until it restarts and shows the apple logo. When it started I tested the camera and everything was working normally.
Just wanted to come in here and report that I do have the same the same camera issue. It started with iOS 26.0 and has continued through the current update to iOS 26.2. Every time it has triggered for me, I have been in a third-party app. Either the Walmart app utilizing a QR code scanner, a grocery store app utilizing a barcode scanner. But I have also noticed this within Apple messages app. When I press the + button to open the Camera app within Messages to take a picture. Once this event happens, all camera utilizing apps are black screen. It does not matter if I close all the apps and reopen them. It does not matter if it’s a first party or third-party app. Just a black screen. The only resolution is to reboot the phone. Then it will work for five or six days and then eventually fail again.
I’m starting to suspect this issue is coming from a memory‑management bug in the iOS camera subsystem. The analytics logs show that the small camera extensions used by apps like Walmart Pay, Messages, and other QR/scan utilities are repeatedly getting killed for exceeding their ~170 MB memory limit, even though they’re only doing lightweight camera tasks. That pattern suggests the underlying camera service is slowly leaking or over‑allocating memory over several days of uptime, pushing these extensions over their cap. After enough of those crashes build up, the main camera daemon itself becomes unstable, which lines up with the Camera app freezing or refusing to open. Everything in the logs points to a software‑level issue rather than hardware.
Based on the analytics and the repeatable pattern, this doesn’t behave like a hardware issue. Hardware failures don’t fix themselves for five or six days after a reboot, and they don’t selectively break only after lightweight camera extensions have been repeatedly terminated for hitting a memory cap. A hardware problem would show immediate, persistent symptoms, not a slow buildup over several days of uptime. Resetting settings also wouldn’t stop a memory‑allocation issue inside the camera subsystem, which is why people report that it doesn’t help. The behavior lines up far more closely with a software regression introduced in iOS 26.x that affects the camera service over time.
Although I obviously can’t confirm this on my own, the pattern I’m seeing makes me think this may only affect a subset of users rather than everyone on iOS 26.x. The fact that it takes several days of uptime to trigger, combined with how quietly the memory leak builds, could explain why many people never notice it or assume it’s an isolated hardware failure. It also wouldn’t surprise me if this ends up being device‑specific or tied to certain usage patterns, since the analytics show a very particular failure chain that not every user would hit. I’m sharing this in case others with similar symptoms can compare notes.
my setup, iPhone 16 plus , ios26. Issue only occurs inside third‑party camera extensions (QR scanners, barcode scanners, Messages inline camera), never in the primary Camera app until after the bug triggers
i’ll post later if I find out more. But at this point. I’m waiting on Apple engineers to fix this with the firmware update. But based on the last couple updates, and this problem persisting, I won’t keep my fingers crossed.
Camera is functioning correctly with update to IOS 26.2. So much for the “ bad hardware” comments.
I solved my problem by disabling the Macro
with the macro setting it seems to default to zoom and you can’t get out of it
I turned it off and it’s a week and no more problems
I just got a certified refurbished iPhone 15, and it's doing this exact same behavior. I also just did a full reset, not restoring from backup, same results. The native camera app does all the laggy stop-and-go stuff, and even will just freeze entirely. I can record videos sometimes, but it pretty much won't take pictures. It will often make all the indications that it did take a picture, but it never saves them. However, if I use another app, like Procam, all three cameras work correctly right out of the gate, and the pictures taken are stored to Photos. Maybe that's still a hardware problem, but it sure seems odd that a third-party camera app seems to do what the native app can't.
Darmok-N-Jalad wrote:
It is from Apple's own Certified Refurbished store. I've never had a problem going that route before, but this is definitely troublesome. The native camera app is seemingly refusing to take photos.
Then take advantage of your one year warranty and schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar --> https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/
iPhone camera not working after iOS 26 update
