Even though smartphone cameras have come a long way, some issues may prevent you from taking a good picture. A blurry camera is one of them. Software and hardware issues can cause a blurry camera, depending on your device and environment. So, if you are wondering why your camera is blurry, keep reading.
In this guide, I will explain why your camera is blurry and some easy ways to fix the problem.
Why Is My Camera Blurry? Solved
Your smartphone camera is blurry due to external factors such as dust or debris on the lens. You can solve this problem by cleaning the lens. However, you may want to use a third-party camera application or change the auto-focus settings on the device.
What Is A Blurry Camera?
People generally mean two things when they say their camera is blurry.
- First, when they open the camera application on their smartphone, they would see a blurry preview of what is in front of the device.
- Second, a blurry camera creates a blurred image when capturing a picture. However, this situation may not always have a blurry image preview before capturing.
As you can understand, these two situations may have different reasons.
- For instance, if you see a blurred preview of the image beforehand, it could very well be the issue with the camera lens or the protective measures.
- On the other hand, if you do not see a blurred image in the preview but still get a blurred photo, the reason could be the bugs with autofocus or camera software.
Don’t worry; we have covered both scenarios through this guide.
Reasons for a Blurry Camera on Smartphones
First, I will list the reasons your phone shows a blurry preview on the camera.
- The camera lens is blurred due to dirt or dust
- Remaining moisture or vapor inside the lens
- A broken camera module/security layer
- Liquid damage affecting the camera module
- An incompatible and unclear protective case
Now, here are some reasons your phone captures a blurry image.
- Issues with the default or third-party camera app
- Faults within the camera autofocus function
- Performance issues with the smartphone
- Issues with the camera capture module
As you might know, these issues may overlap at times.
So, I have provided a comprehensive set of fixes for both situations.
How to Fix the Blurry Camera on Your Phone
I shall start with some simple solutions and suggest complex ones further down the line.
#1 Clean the Camera Lens
The first step you should take while coming across a blurry camera is to clean the lens. Your smartphone is vulnerable to dust and other debris in the atmosphere, and the camera lens is no exception. So, you should ensure that such debris does not block the view of the camera lens.
Even though you can clear the camera lens using any available cloth, I recommend using a microfiber cloth for security reasons. These clothes can remove the debris from the camera lens without harming the glass structure.
If you find some sticky object on the camera lens, try using a screen cleaning liquid. These liquids contain isopropyl alcohol but may also contain some other substances. You will have a clear lens and crisp pictures in a second or two.
#2 Remove Moisture/Vapor
Another common reason for a blurry camera is the presence of moisture or vapor. This might happen if there is a sudden change in the atmospheric temperature or the weather in general.
For instance, I have encountered additional moisture and vapor in the camera module after going through rain or suddenly shifting from a hot space to a cold one. These situations are common when you leave an AC room or car for a super-hot day outside.
Removing moisture or vapor from the camera module is a little tricky, though.
You cannot simply wipe a cloth and remove both of these elements. Instead, patience is key here. You have to wait until the vapor or the moisture has been absorbed.
But you can always try putting the camera lens close to a packet of silica gel or any other absorbent.
#3 Adjust Focus Settings
Even though smartphone cameras are small, they contain enough hardware for focus and other instruments.
Check whether the focus settings are right if you do not find moisture, vapor, or dust on the camera lens. In particular, you should check whether your smartphone is designed to autofocus by default.
This means that when you launch the camera, it will understand the scenario and set up autofocus so that you have a clear picture.
If this option is disabled, your camera may have trouble focusing on the subject and show you a blurry image.
So, I recommend opening the camera app, going to Settings, and optimizing the Focus Settings.
On most devices, including iPhone models, camera applications are designed to enable autofocus by default. So, unless you have changed the camera settings, this would not be a problem.
#4 Update Software and Firmware
On iPhone and Android smartphones, you can use the default camera app instead of third-party ones. In this case, phone software and camera firmware issues can cause problems such as blurry pictures.
On some devices, updating the camera app specifically is impossible. In these instances, the only solution is updating the phone software.
- You can do this on your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
- On Android, you have two methods. You can, of course, update the software to the latest version, which I always recommend.
- But you can also search the Play Store for the camera app. If you find an app already installed on your devices, you should check if an update is available.
With these steps, you can avoid potential camera firmware and system software issues.
#5 Check Camera Settings
If the blurry picture does not go away after updating the system software in the camera app, you should see if you have made significant changes to the camera settings.
On the iPhone, there is a limit to the changes you can make to the camera because of the walled-garden setup. But on Android, you may find additional options for customizing the camera, image format, etc.
So, I recommend reviewing the camera settings and checking for potential changes.
For instance, if you have changed the camera output quality to some higher status, the camera may have trouble processing the request and give you a blurry image or video.
Similarly, additional customization options for focusing and shutter control may cause blurry images.
In these instances, I recommend resetting the Settings to default. You can do this by going to Applications and choosing the Clear Data option from the Camera app.
I have come across similar issues when using third-party applications on Android. One reason is that third-party camera applications have difficulty communicating with phone software and hardware.
#6 Improve Lighting Conditions
Do you get blurry images when trying to capture photos in low light?
In this case, you might want to try improving lighting conditions.
Even though smartphone cameras are optimized to work well in low light conditions, the sensor may sometimes face information overload. As a result, instead of giving you a clear-cut image, the phone may give you a blurry image.
Therefore, if you encounter this issue only in low lighting conditions, you should check whether the sensor can receive sufficient light to process the image.
If the default camera app has trouble capturing good images in low light conditions, you may want to shift to something third-party.
For instance, if the Google Camera app is available on your Android device, it is a good choice. Similarly, you can find options like Halide and VSCO on iPhone.
#7 Inspect Camera Hardware
If you do not have much luck until this point, you should check whether something is wrong with the camera hardware. You might want to review whether you have recently dropped or bumped the smartphone. If there is noticeable damage to the camera module, it will likely provide you with blurry images.
Another possibility that most of us do not consider is protective cases.
Using low-quality protective cases for your smartphone might put a lot of pressure on the camera module. Over time, this pressure can cause multiple elements of the camera module and result in blurred images.
Therefore, it is a good idea to ensure that no factors affect your device’s camera hardware.
#8 Test with Different Apps or Software
I already mentioned scenarios where third-party or default applications may be a better choice for avoiding blurry images.
People often go for third-party applications because they offer many advanced features, but it may not always be the best solution.
Sometimes, these third-party camera applications have trouble optimizing the service or images for your smartphone. As a result, you might have subpar or blurry photos.
So, I always recommend testing the situation with different applications.
For instance, if you always use the default camera application, you should try the same with a third-party camera. On the other hand, if you always rely on a third-party camera application, you should see if the situation improves when moving to the default camera app.
#9 Restore Device to Factory Settings
If you do not have luck even after changing camera applications and settings, you might want to restore your device to factory settings.
While uncommon, temporary issues affecting the camera module can provide blurry images. So, it is a good idea to start everything from a blank slate. These days, thanks to extensive backup options, you do not have to worry about a restore either.
You can always factory reset your device and restore the information you prefer.
- On Android, you can find this option in the System category of the Settings menu.
- On iPhone, you can go to Settings > General > Reset.
You may want to start with the default camera app and update your phone software to the latest version.
#10 Consult Manufacturer or Professional Technician
You can probably guess what this is about as we reach the end of solutions.
If you do not have luck with the nine options I mentioned above, consult the manufacturer or contact a professional technician. It will likely be an issue with the camera module that you cannot fix alone. So, instead of making additional changes to the system or the camera app, you should leave things to a professional.
If your device is still under warranty, things will be easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can fix a blurry camera by removing potential dirt and debris from the lens. If it is a problem due to the autofocus feature, you can turn off autofocus or better optimize it to avoid blurry pictures.
You should first check whether you have enabled autofocus for your camera. Sometimes, your actions override the default setting and put the camera in manual focus. In these instances, you will have to manually adjust the focus to focus on what you want, but you can always turn off this option and enable autofocus.
The blurry picture quality from your smartphone could be due to hardware and software issues. If a blurry picture always appears, you might want to clean the lens or remove sticky substances. On the other hand, if you find blurry picture quality in low-light situations, you might want to improve the lighting conditions.
Your camera may be foggy on your phone because of vapor or moisture. You can remove the situation in both cases by keeping the camera module close to a silica gel packet. It will absorb the moisture and give you better-quality pictures again.
Cameras become blurry due to hardware issues, such as dust and debris on the lens, and software issues, such as firmware miscalculations.
Conclusion
Even though I have covered almost all possible solutions for the issue, I should add that I come across blurry images whenever I use a third-party camera application.
However, I consider this a necessary evil compared to the additional customization and quality I get from these applications, especially the Google Camera app.
Yet, when choosing between a higher feature set and a high-quality image, I will go for the latter and select the default camera app.
2 Comments
I’m sitting here scrubbing the lens for this past hour and all I needed to do is hit the reset button!!..brilliant thanks
my front camera was like blurry cause I dropped it Into the water by accident so I tried what you said about silica gel and it actually worked! thank you so much!!