So you are ready to shoot the perfect selfie, and you open the Camera app on your iPad, and all you get is a black screen. Sometimes you may notice that your iPad’s built-in Camera app is not working properly. When the camera won’t work, you lose one of the your iPad’s key features. In this article, I’ll explain how to fix the problem when your iPad camera is not working or black!
Note: Information in this article applied to iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Is My iPad Camera Broken?
At this point, we don’t know whether your camera problem is being caused by an issue with the software or the hardware on your iPad. However, contrary to common belief, there are plenty of software issues that could be causing the problem. A software crash, outdated iPadOS, or a faulty app could be the reason why your iPad camera is not working or appears to be black!
The steps below will help you diagnose and fix the real reason why your iPad camera isn’t working. We’ll start by cleaning off the camera and addressing smaller software issues. If those steps don’t work, we’ll show you how to perform some deeper software fixes, or where you can get hardware repairs if you need them.
Check Your iPad Case
One time I was at a party and a friend asked me to take a picture of her. To my surprise, all the pictures came out black. She took her iPad back and thought I had done something wrong.
As it turned out, she had put her iPad case on upside down! Her case was blocking the camera on her iPad, causing all the pictures she took to turn out black. This is a pretty common mishap for iPad users, so make sure your iPad case is on correctly.
Clean Off The Camera Lens
If your case is on properly, it’s possible dirt or debris may be obstructing the lens and blacking out your iPad’s camera. It’s easy for gunk or lint to accumulate on a camera lens, especially if you keep your iPad in your pocket most of the day.
Gently wipe off your camera lens with a microfiber cloth to make sure there’s nothing stuck to it!
Close Every App On Your iPad
A lot of iPad software problems can occur when an app crashes. If the Camera app — or another app — crashed in the background of your iPad, it could be the reason your camera’s not working. If an app has crashed on your iPad, closing it might get rid of the error!
First, you’ll want to open the App Switcher. To do this, double tap the Home button (iPads without Face ID), or swipe up from the bottom of your screen (iPads with Face ID).
Once the app switcher is open, use your finger to swipe your apps up and off the top of the screen. You’ll know your apps are closed when they no longer appear in the App Switcher.
Now that you’ve closed all your apps, reopen the Camera app to see if it’s working again. If it’s still black or not working, move on to the next step!
Restart Your iPad
If restarting the Camera app did not fix the problem, restart your iPad. Sometimes, this can fix a minor software glitch making your iPad camera malfunction.
How to restart an iPad without a Home button
- Press and hold either volume button and the top button until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off.
- To turn your device back on, press and hold the top button until you see the Apple logo.
How to restart an iPad with a Home button
- Press and hold the top button until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider, then wait for 30 seconds for your device to turn off.
- Press the power button to turn your iPad on again.
Update Your iPad
The Camera app is a native iPad app, which means it can only be updated by an iPadOS update. Apple releases new updates to introduce new features and resolve known bugs, one of which may be causing the problem with your camera!
- Launch the Settings app.
- Select General.
- Tap Software Update.
- If an update is available, tap Update Now.
Troubleshooting Third-Party Camera Apps
Native iPad apps are usually pretty reliable. Third-party apps, especially apps from smaller developers, are generally more susceptible to bugs and crashes. If you’ve noticed that the iPad camera is not working when you use a third-party camera app, that app may be causing the problem.
While we recommend using the built-in Camera app, there a couple things you can try if you want to keep using your third-party camera app instead.
First, check for an app update. It’s possible you’re using an outdated version of the app, which might be more prone to software crashes. Open the App Store and tap on your account icon in upper right-hand corner of the screen. Scroll down to find the list of your apps with available updates. If you see your third-party camera app in that list, tap Update to its right.
If that doesn’t work, try deleting and reinstalling the app. To uninstall an iPad app, go to your Home screen and press and hold the app’s icon until a drop-down menu appears. Tap Remove App -> Delete App -> Delete to uninstall it from your iPad.
Now that the app has been uninstalled, open the App Store and tap the Search tab at the bottom of the screen. Type in the name of your third-party camera app, then tap the **installation button **(it looks like a little blue cloud icon) to reinstall it.
If the third-party app continues to cause camera malfunctions, try finding a different app or using the native Camera app instead.
Reset All Settings
If the camera on your iPad still appears black or isn’t working at all, there may be a deeper software issue causing the problem.
Reset All Settings erases everything in the Settings app and restores it to factory defaults. When you perform this reset, your saved Wi-Fi passwords will be erased, your Bluetooth devices will be disconnected, and your iPad’s wallpaper will return to its default.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Select General.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPad at the bottom.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings in the pop-up.
- Enter your passcode.
- Confirm you want to go ahead with the reset by tapping Reset All Settings.
Repair Options
If none of our software troubleshooting steps fixed the camera on your iPad, you may need to get it repaired. If your iPad is still covered under warranty, take it to your local Apple Storeto see if they can fix the problem for you. Before you head to the Apple Store, make an appointment with the Genius Bar to avoid any long waits.
Don’t have an Apple Store nearby? Apple also provides support online, over the phone, and through the mail!
Back In Action!
Hopefully, your camera is now working again and you can get back to taking awesome selfies. Next time your iPad camera is not working or appears completely black, you’ll know how to fix the problem! Make sure to share this article on social media, or leave us a comment below if you have other questions about your iPad camera.