Is your iPad Pro camera not working? Several users have reported that their iPad Pro camera is freezing randomly. At times, the camera app would just freeze or show a black screen, failing to launch. Other users have stated that the shutter button would become unresponsive and not let them take photos. Although iPad Pro camera not working is no doubt upsetting, it’s luckily quite easy to fix on your own in most cases. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPad Pro camera is not working and show you how to fix the issue.
First off, it would be better to get to the root of the problem, trying to figure out the reasons why your iPad Pro camera won’t take pictures or videos.
Why isn’t my iPad Pro camera working?
There are several reasons your iPad Pro camera may be malfunctioning. Some of the most common culprits include:
- Something is blocking the lens.
- The lens is dirty.
- A third-party app is glitching.
- The iPadOS is outdated.
Whether you’re dealing with one of these issues or something else entirely, here are some things to try.
Ways to fix iPad Pro camera not working issue
1. Force Quit the Camera App and Relaunch It
The problem with your camera may be the Camera app. Whether it’s frozen or not loading correctly, quitting the application could be all you need to do. So, make sure to try this nifty trick before moving onto other solutions.
To quit the Camera app, open the App Switcher, then swipe up on the Camera app.
When too many apps remain open in the background, it tends to create problems and slow down your iPad over time. So, I would also recommend you to force quit all open apps on your iPad Pro. Now, launch the Camera app once again to see if it has started to work as expected.
2. Restart Your iPad
Another simple trick that you should try to resolve iPad Pro camera freezing or not working issue is to restart your device. . While restarting the iPad may sound like an unlikely solution, you’d be surprised how many times this resolves problems. When you restart your iPad, you clear the temporary memory of errors or hung-up apps. While some tech folks joke about turning things off and back on, it fixes many problems.
To restart iPad Pro with home button:
Press and hold the power button and then drag the “power off” slider to turn off your iPad. Then, press and hold the power button again to turn on your device.
To restart iPad Pro with Face ID:
Press and hold the power and either of the Volume button and then drag the “power off” slider to turn off your iPad. Then, press and hold the power button again to turn on your device. This should hopefully fix the iPad Pro camera lag, freezing, and other similar issues.
3. Hard Reset Your iPad
Whenever my iPad faces a common issue, I usually go for a hard reset to iron out random software bugs, and it doesn’t disappoint me on most occasions. Given the high reliability, I’m going to count on it to resolve the iPad Pro camera not working problem as well.
To Force restart iPad Pro with home button:
hold down the Power and Home button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo shows up.
To Force restart iPad Pro with Face ID:
Press and quickly release the volume up button. Then, press and quickly release the volume down button. After that, hold down the Power button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo shows up.
4. Declutter Your iPad
While decluttering the iPad may not seem to be a surefire solution to fixing the iPad Pro camera not working issue, it is related some way or the other. We all know how abnormally and sluggish a cluttered device feels. If a device does not have enough free space, it will face several issues, including overheating, freezing, and the dreaded black screen of death. So, do not think that you are shooting in the dark with this one!
Before you wipe the redundant data, go to the Settings app -> General -> iPad Storage. Now, iPadOS will present a breakdown of how the storage has been used on the iPad. Besides, you will also be able to check how much storage each app consumes. It will not only help you nab the storage-hogging culprits but also give you a fair perspective about what you need to clean up.
5. Update Software on Your iPad
If none of the tricks mentioned above help resolve the camera not working on iPad Pro, there is a high chance that the issue is due to a specific software bug. Apple continuously improves and updates the operating system (iPadOS) on your iPad. Updates to the Camera app are included in those iPadOS updates.
If you haven’t updated your iPadOS software recently, your iPad Pro camera not working issue may be the result of outdated software. Check to see if your device has the most current version of iPadOS that is appropriate for your iPad.
Navigate to the Settings app on your iPad -> General -> Software Update. Next, download and install the latest version of iPadOS on your iPad. This could be helpful in solving the camera freezing, black screen, or other issues on your iPad Pro.
6. Remove barriers
Take off any case, accessory (especially anything metal or magnetic), or film that could be blocking the lens.
7. Clean your iPad Pro and camera lens
You may think your camera is broken—especially if the images are turning out fuzzy—when it really just needs a good cleaning. Be sure to regularly (and gently) wipe both the rear and front-facing lenses on your device with a dry microfiber cloth to remove any dust or lint. For more stubborn debris, spritz the cloth with a mild lens cleaner, then gently dab the lens clean.
8. Check your app permissions
When your iPad Pro camera doesn’t work while you’re using a third-party app, you may think the app is to blame. But it’s possible that you never granted it permission to use your camera. Here’s how to check:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Camera.
- On the list of apps, make sure the app you want to use is switched on.
If the camera still doesn’t work after that, try switching back to your default camera app.
9. Reset the iPad to default settings
Sometimes you or another app may change settings on your iPad Pro that cause your camera or Camera app to stop working or malfunction. One way to eliminate this possibility is to reset all the settings on your iPad.
The nice thing with the iPad is that you can reset settings without losing your data, photos, and other personal documents. It is almost like a factory reset without the hassle of reloading and backing up everything.
Go to Settings app on your iPad > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset -> Reset All Settings. Now, iOS may also ask you to enter your Screen Time passcode if you have set it up. Finally, hit the “Reset All Settings” button to finish.
10. Restore Your iPad As New
Yeah, we are back to square one all over again! If you are still trying to resolve the camera app not working or freezing issue on your iPad Pro, I would recommend you to restore your device as new. Due to the high reliability of this method, experts call it a nuclear solution as it has the knack for troubleshooting even complex iPad problems.
A factory reset deletes all your data on the iPad, so make sure you have backed up your iPad via iCloud or iTunes/Finder. Once you have backed up your device, open iTunes on your Mac running macOS Mojave or earlier or PC running Windows.
Do note that you will need to launch Finder on your Mac running macOS Catalina or later. Next, select your device and then click on Restore iPad. After that, follow the on-screen instructions to restore your iPad Pro and fix the camera not working or freezing issue.
Note:
You can also restore your device without a computer. Head over to Settings app -> General -> Transfer or Reset iPad -> Erase All Content and Settings. After that, set up your device again. Along the way, restore your iPad from an iCloud backup.
11. Maybe your iPad Pro camera is broken?
If none of the proposed solutions can fix your iPad Pro camera not working issue, find an Apple Store or authorized Apple technician to have your device serviced. Or chat with Apple online. Remember that there also remains a possibility for mechanical or hardware problems with your camera, which are impossible to fix with software tweaks.
In all other cases, iPad Pro camera not working should no longer be a problem for you.
These are the tips to fix Camera app Not working issue on iPad Pro
That’s it! I guess the camera app has started to work normally on your iPad Pro again. Having faced this issue myself, I can vouch for the viability of the solutions mentioned above in troubleshooting the camera not working issue on the iPad Pro. So, I’m pretty sure that the smile is back on your face, and so are your fun-filled photography endeavors.
See also: iPad Pro Speakers Not Working? Here’s How To Fix The Problem
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