Why My iPhone Camera Keeps Refocusing and Unfocusing

You don’t have to lose interest in your iPhone when the unusual like the camera refocusing and unfocusing and blurring photos after setting the focus in photo mode. This is nothing to be worried about. There are some fixes you can consider as the go-to-get to fix these glitches on your iPhone. So, in this article, we will teach you how to fix the iPhone camera keeps refocusing and unfocusing when taking photos.

The camera refocusing and unfocusing occurs mainly while taking photos and videos while it works better when in other modes like Pano, Portrait and Slo-Mo Mode. This tells us that the iPhone’s outer lens cover isn’t cracked or gulp some debris which results in the refocusing effect.

To this effect, cleaning the camera’s outer lens might be part of the solution because the camera works fine while in other modes except in photo mode.

iPhone camera keeps refocusing

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iPhone Camera Keeps Refocusing

It’s possible for your iPhone not to take pictures when it’s refocusing itself. For a clear picture, the camera should be able to focus perfectly on the subject. However, if the refocusing won’t stop you may want to try these tips.

Switch Between the Cameras

The first attempt to fix your iPhone camera refocusing is to try to switch the camera from the back camera to the front camera or vice-versa.

  • Open the “Camera” app.
  • Tap on the camera switch icon at the bottom right.
  • Check the “Focus.”

Once you see “AE/AF Lock” it means that the focus is working fine.

Change the Video Mode

If the refocusing is only happening in photo mode try to switch to video mode to see if the focus isn’t refocusing.

  • Swipe on the camera navigation until you get to the video.
  • Turn on “Focus” and see if it’s flickering.

If it doesn’t then this might be a minor glitch.

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Close and Open the Camera App

This is similar to restarting the camera app. You simply need to close the app from the menu and tap on the app on your home screen to relaunch it.

  • Swipe up from the bottom to access all opened apps on your iPhone.
  • Swipe up to close the camera app.
  • Hit the “Camera” app from your home screen to relaunch it.

Check whether the refocusing and unfocusing repeats itself.

Use Manual Focus Instead

If the glitch only happens on Auto-Focus you should take control and switch to “Manual Focus” which allows you to manually focus on the subject and lock the focus.

  • Open the “Camera” app on your iPhone.
  • Select “Photo” or “Video” depending on the purpose.
  • Long-press the camera screen and let it go once you see “AE/AF Lock.”

The manual focus should work if the refocusing and unfocusing bug has to do with “Auto-Focus.”

Restart your iPhone

Have you thought of restarting your iPhone to fix the camera refocusing and unfocusing from your subject? Here are the steps.

  • Long-press the “Power” + “Volume Up” button.
  • Slider the “Power Off” slider to the right.
  • Enter your “Passcode” to turn off your iPhone if prompted.
  • Wait for a couple of seconds and turn on your iPhone to complete the cycle.

Open the camera app to confirm whether the glitch is gone.

Remove your Casing

If you are using a casing with magnetic properties very close to the camera you should consider removing it. Also, if the casing is blocking part of the iPhone camera lens that can also cause refocusing on the camera. Remove the casing to give your iPhone a breathing space.

Try to open the camera app once you’ve removed the iPhone casing to see if the refocusing and unfocusing are fixed.

Check your iPhone for Update

If the camera glitch is caused by a bug or bug you need to check whether there is an update waiting for you. The new security patch will fix the glitch if it’s a known problem.

  • Open the iPhone “Settings” app.
  • Hit “General.”
  • Tap “Software Update.”
  • Wait for your iPhone to connect to the Apple server to check whether there is an update available.
  • Hit “Install” to download and install the update.

This should fix the glitch if it’s a software security patch problem.

Disconnect your Bluetooth Device

If your AirPod is connected kindly disconnect to see if the error occurs only when an external device such as AirPod is connected to the phone. Here are the steps to take.

  • Open your iPhone “Settings.”
  • Hit “Bluetooth.”
  • Toggle “Off” the Bluetooth.

You can also disconnect all connected “Bluetooth-enabled” devices via the “Control Centre.”

Reset your iPhone

This is a harsh decision though. But this might be your final hope. Do not forget to back up your iPhone before you do this. This will wipe away all your content. But with backup data, you can always restore it.

  • Go to your iPhone “Settings.”
  • Hit “General.”
  • Scroll down and tap “Transfer or Reset iPhone.”
  • Tap “Erase All Content and Settings.”
  • Hit “Continue” from the pop-up where it shows “Erase this iPhone.”

Follow the instruction on the screen to complete the process.

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