iPhone camera turns on by itself? Here’s how to fix it

Why does my iPhone camera turn on by itself?

The iOS system is a highly sophisticated OS, but that doesn’t stop it from being glitchy from time to time. iPhone cameras can turn on randomly for various reasons, such as the following:

1. Software glitches from a bug in the iOS system
2. New iPhone settings that can trigger the camera app accidentally
3. Third-party applications that have access to the iPhone camera
4. Settings that you’ve migrated or changed from a previous device model
5. Malware or other software problems caused by a compromised iPhone

In most cases, an iPhone camera turning on can be attributed to regular software glitches or similar issues. However, if you’re not entirely sure why your iPhone camera turns on by itself, it’s best to have a list of potential fixes so you can ensure your device’s safety.

What to do if my iPhone camera turns on by itself

If your iPhone camera turns on by itself, and you can’t immediately figure out what’s wrong with your device, you can try several different approaches to identify and fix the problem.

Restart your iPhone

The first thing that you should do when you find that your iPhone camera turns on by itself is to simply restart your device. This process might fix the issue causing your iPhone’s camera to turn on by itself.

Here’s how you can restart your iPhone depending on your device model:

• For iPhone SE (1st generation) and iPhone 5: Press and hold the top button until the power-off option appears on your lock screen.
• For iPhone 6, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, or iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd gen): Hold down the side button on the right, then release it when you see the power-off option on your lock screen.
• For iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and all later iPhones: Press and hold the volume button and side button until the power-off option appears on your lock screen.

If you can’t bring up the power-off slider, you can try to restart your iPhone. Here’s how you can restart depending on your device model:

For iPhones running iOS versions 16 and above (iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or any iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13 models):

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button, followed by the volume-down button.
2. Press and hold the side button.
3. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

For iPhone 7:

1. Press and hold the volume-down and side button at the same time.
2. Release both buttons once you see the Apple logo.

iPhone 6s or iPhone SE (1st gen):

1. Press and hold the “Home” and “Sleep/Wake” buttons simultaneously.
2. When you see the Apple logo, let go of both buttons.

Update iOS to the latest version

Apple releases different security updates and bug fixes with each new iOS version, so it’s crucial that your device has the latest iOS patch. If you aren’t sure whether your device has the latest update, you can do the following:

1. Go to your “Settings,” then select “General.”
2. Under “General,” select “Software update.”
3. Check if your iPhone has the latest iOS version and any pending updates.
4. To enable automatic updates, click “Automatic updates.”
5. Toggle on “iOS updates” under “Automatically install” and “Automatically download.”

With automatic updates, your iPhone will automatically download any software updates overnight. In the morning, once these updates are ready to install, an indicator will appear on your lock screen.

Check apps’ access to your iPhone camera

Some applications may cause your iPhone camera to turn on by itself, especially if you’ve installed applications that need access to your camera. To revoke camera access, you’ll need to check which apps have access to your camera:

1. Go to your “Settings,” then click “Privacy & security.”
2. Tap on “Camera.”

Following the steps above should bring up a list of all the applications that have access to your iPhone’s camera. From this list, you can choose to block or allow camera access to ensure that no unnecessary applications are using your camera.

Reset camera settings

If your camera isn’t being used by any applications or if you’ve removed or disabled the applications, the next step will be changing the camera settings. To do this, you should:

1. Navigate to your “Settings,” then click “Camera.”
2. From “Camera,” click “Preserve settings.”
3. Toggle all settings off.

These options are only accessible if your iPhone is running iOS version 15 or higher. Once you’ve toggled off all these settings, you can move on to the next step and reset your iPhone system’s settings to their default.

Reset all iPhone settings to their default

Resetting your iPhone settings to their default will affect your camera settings (and any applications that may be using your camera), which can fix any settings that may have been overlooked in the previous steps. To reset your settings, you should:

1. Navigate to “Settings,” then click “General.”
2. Select “Transfer or reset iPhone.”
3. Click “Reset,” then “Reset all settings.”

Following the steps above will reset your iPhone’s settings to default, which includes your camera settings. Resetting to default settings will not erase any data or media, though you may have to input your desired camera settings again after the reset. This method also works on iPhones running iOS version 15 or below.

Investigate your iPhone for security threats

Hackers can hijack some iPhones via mobile spyware, which can infect your iPhone with malicious applications or other types of unsafe content. You may also get hacked via viruses on your iPhone, but this is less likely. This spyware can then use and take over the iPhone’s various functions, including the camera.

Some signs you should watch out for include applications that ask for broad permissions for functions they don’t need or recent downloads from suspicious emails that you may have accidentally opened. Removing these app permissions or deleting these downloads can stop your iPhone camera from turning on by itself.

However, not all unrecognized activity or applications on your phone are malicious — sometimes, it’s just a sign of other device-related issues.

Reset your device to factory settings

If you’ve tried all of the above solutions, but your iPhone camera still turns on by itself, the last thing you can do is reset your iPhone to its factory settings. This step will remove all content and settings from your iPhone, including settings and applications that may affect your iPhone camera.

1. Navigate to “Settings,” then click “General.”
2. Select “Transfer or Reset iPhone.”
3. Choose “Erase all content and settings.”

Following the steps above should effectively wipe your iPhone clear of any data, settings, or applications you’ve installed on it, which should also fix the issue of your iPhone camera turning on by itself.

Contact Apple support

Alternatively, if your iPhone camera still turns on by itself, and you don’t want to factory reset your device, you can take it to your nearest Apple store and/or contact Apple support for help. This is also the best way to know if your iPhone has been hacked.

Contacting Apple support is crucial if you think your iPhone has been affected by malware because this may indicate a potential vulnerability in the iPhone iOS. However, your device may need to be kept and/or examined by Apple for a while.

Conclusion

Following the solutions above, you can quickly fix obvious issues and restore your iPhone to normal. For extra device security, consider iPhone security solutions and safe practices to prevent mobile spyware or malware from compromising your camera.