Why Your iPhone Camera Keeps Refocusing (And How To Stop It)

iPhones undoubtedly boast some of the best cameras in the smartphone industry, with a simple yet effective interface that can make even the least technologically inclined user look like a professional photographer. However, Apple's cameras deal with their fair share of problems, including flickering and constant refocusing.

If your iPhone camera struggles to maintain focus, impeding your ability to take a picture, a few things could be the cause. While a dirty camera is the likeliest culprit, chances are you've already thought of that. If you're using an app that's not the default camera — there are plenty of great iPhone camera apps – check to see if the issue persists with the primary camera app. If it doesn't, your problem is with the specific app, not your camera. Apple's App Store offers an incredible amount of apps, but third-party applications can easily be the root of the problem.

Another likely cause could be environmental factors like poor lighting confusing your iPhone camera, causing it to be unable to focus. However, it could also be a software bug or hardware issue impeding your camera's abilities. If that's the case, don't worry; there are simple solutions to most of these problems.

If you face some of the above issues, resulting in your iPhone camera constantly refocusing, you should first clean your cameras. Using a microfiber cloth to prevent damage to the lenses, give both the front and back cameras a quick wipe-down to see if it eliminates the issue. Another simple solution is to increase the lighting in the area or change the angle of your picture. Poor lighting can easily impede a camera's focus, and the problem can continue if there are many moving things in the background, preventing an iPhone camera from focusing on one or two subjects.

Similarly, cases, external lenses, or other accessories could confuse your camera, preventing it from focusing. Try removing any you have on your iPhone and see if the issue persists. If it does, it's likely a software issue causing the problem. In that case, fall back to the age-old solution of restarting your iPhone or force restarting it if it's frozen, which ensures every component inside the device turns off and back on. You should also check if you have the latest iOS update installed, as Apple could have patched the software bug plaguing your phone with its latest update.

Unfortunately, if you've exhausted all the above methods and your iPhone camera continues refocusing, you'll need to contact Apple directly. Chances are, you're dealing with an internal hardware issue, meaning there might be some physical damage to your camera that isn't visible. Maybe you accidentally dropped it one too many times, knocking one of the lenses slightly out of place. If that's the case, it'll likely need a repair, and officially, only Apple can fix it.

If you have AppleCare+, it should cover the cost of any repair, but you'll need to contact Apple Support to figure out the best option for the repairs. They may send you to an Apple Store, or if you don't have one nearby, you may need to mail your iPhone to them. Whatever the case, if nothing listed here has helped focus your camera, contact Apple as soon as possible to resolve the problem.