The camera test in Device Status⁺ helps you inspect the live image and compare available cameras. A preview check is a starting point; it does not replace recording and replaying a photo or video.
Check the available cameras
- Clean the outer camera glass with an appropriate soft cloth and remove any obstructing accessory.
- Open Hardware → Camera and allow camera access.
- Point the rear camera at a well-lit scene containing text and distant objects.
- Switch between the camera options exposed on your model, including the front camera.
- Compare sharpness, persistent spots, unusual tint and image stability.
- Change between a nearby subject and a distant one, allowing time for focus to settle.
Stay within a reasonable focus distance. A subject extremely close to a lens can be blurred even when that camera works correctly.
What should you record?
Note the specific camera option and conditions that reproduce a defect. A smudge that disappears after cleaning is different from a spot that stays in the same image location across scenes.
If the preview is black, check permission and close other camera sessions before repeating. Low-light noise alone is not enough to diagnose a faulty camera.
Finish with a saved recording
Use the system Camera app to take a photo and record a short video, then replay both. That checks a capture-and-save path beyond this preview test.
For a separate light-output check, see the flashlight test.
Ready to try it?
Device Status⁺ · Monitor and test your iPhone hardware
Free on the App Store