What to do if the camera on an iPhone becomes cloudy and stops focusing. Dust on the iPhone camera
Six months ago, I noticed a problem in the pictures I took on my iPhone. Different photographs were marked with a spot in the same place in the frame. Having carefully examined the glass above the microscopic lens of the camera, I found a small speck of dust and removed it by tapping on the body with my hand.
After a while, the dust became so much that it became physically impossible to take normal pictures. I turned to a specialized service in order not only to fix the problem itself, but also to find its underlying cause. As it turned out, the matter could not be limited to simple glass cleaning. Over the year, a lot of dirt has accumulated inside, and your situation, most likely, does not differ from mine for the better! You just don't know about it yet.
For answers to my questions, I turned to the MacPlus.ru service. The guys were invited to their workshop to show and tell where the dust inside the case comes from and how to properly clean it. Household tools are not suitable for this at all. Neither cotton swabs nor the tube of a vacuum cleaner will produce the best results. Before that, I gave my smartphone twice at the mercy of "home-grown" masters, and each time after that the dust appeared again, literally in a few days.
A master named Alexander began the process methodically: it is not the first time they have a device with such a problem, not the tenth or even the fiftieth. Little has changed from the generation of the Apple smartphone: the iPhone has never been completely sealed, and therefore the virgin cleanliness of its internal components is only temporary.
We are dealing with an iPhone 5, which means that the disassembly process begins by unscrewing the bolts next to the Lightning port. These microscopic screws are as easy to lose as it is difficult to find a common screwdriver for them. By the way, we are dealing with the standard , and its special kind TS1... To do this, you will have to purchase a special tool.
But then comes an important point that allows you to distinguish a real professional from a "home-grown" expert who studied on roller skates with Youtube... In no case should you detach the display from the main part using a suction cup. Careless use of force leads to the detachment of the glass from the display module, which turns the whole "sandwich" into a little useful set of iron. If once, after repair, you notice that stains or tiny bubbles have appeared under the glass above the screen, you are faced with the work of an amateur.
We lift the screen module and see an extremely sad picture. I have been using my smartphone for a little over a year, but I never put it in dusty places, hid it under a dusty pillow, or kept it in my jeans pocket for a long time. But the dust has somehow accumulated, and it's not just a lot. In the place of the master, I would have chuckled, but, as it turned out, all this is an absolutely ordinary picture. The only difference is that someone is lucky, and dust does not get on the glass above the camera module longer.
To assess the full extent of dust contamination, the EMI shielding is removed from the iPhone 5's motherboard. In part, she stopped the spread of particles. As luck would have it, the hearth fell on the camera, and it happened for a reason.
According to the master, the problem could appear after the smartphone fell on a hard surface. In such cases, the relative tightness of the bezel around the screen could be compromised. And slowly, particle by particle, dust filled the entire upper, inner part of the case. So why did the previous calls to other service companies not bring the desired result? It's just that there, most likely, the cleaning was done manually.
All bolts and elements of the smartphone are stacked in a tray with cells. Losing any of the spare parts is unprofitable, first of all, for the mechanic himself: the second such spare part is not always available. God forbid losing any of this at home, not to mention damaging any loop. And there are a lot of plumes here.
After removing all loose elements, Alexander takes a powerful air blower running on a compressor. It is almost impossible to get rid of dust in the case without such a thing. By intelligently adjusting the air flow, you can remove all dirt from sensitive electronic components without damaging any of them. The process takes almost a minute. Right after that, the smartphone looks like new - compared to what it was before. But we're not done yet.
Since the dust probably got on the optics in the camera, you will have to carefully clean it, and at the same time walk with a cotton swab on the glass inside. Pay attention to the size of the flash: its power, sufficient to illuminate dark rooms as a flashlight, does not in any way correlate with the microscopic size of the module. And there is a lot of dust on it too. Time for manual work, and very careful.
After walking with a cotton swab along the inner wall of the back of the case, the master starts assembling the smartphone. Spare parts fit in the reverse order, carefully and without haste. Trembling hands in this matter are the worst enemy. Calmness during this process determines the difference between a barely noticeable "click" of the inserted ribbon cable and a broken contact pad.
There was a dirty and dusty iPhone. Became clean. It all took about 5 minutes. The other fifteen I looked at the "insides" of the device. Say what you like, but only Apple knows how to do hardware as well as the design of the case. Black motherboard, strictly spaced main chips, incredible component density per millimeter. Alexander also agrees: other manufacturers almost always ignore everything that an ordinary user cannot see. It is for this attention to detail that we love the products of the "apple" company.
It all started with two bolts, and it will end with two bolts. The screws snap into place, the smartphone turns on and the camera is checked. In principle, this is optional. It is enough to look at the camera again and see a huge difference.
The iPhone 5 camera, like other smartphones, gradually accumulates dust, resulting in a deterioration in the quality of photos. Hence, the question arises: how to clean the camera on the iPhone 5? The procedure is not the most difficult, but rather painstaking. The main difficulty lies in the need for complete disassembly of the device. Without appropriate experience and suitable tools, it is better not to do this on your own, but to entrust the work to professionals. The iPhone 5 is designed with a ton of small parts inside the device. Moreover, with careless disassembly, there is a high risk of damage to the display module cables and the screen itself.
Usually, the need to clean the camera is rare, especially if the gadget is in a case and is used carefully.
However, small dust particles often end up inside the device. They can accumulate in completely different places, including the camera glass. After a certain time, they will become quite noticeable, including in terms of the quality of the images. Usually, the signs of contamination are the appearance of unnecessary elements, spots, purple dots and other defects in the photographs. This indicates the need for cleaning, and preferably not at home, since the situation can only be aggravated.
How to clean a camera on an iPhone 5
There is little you can do on your own. Naturally, with a vacuum cleaner and other improvised means, the problem cannot be eliminated. The case is tightly closed, although not sealed, so it is impossible to somehow extract the dust without disassembling. At home, you can disassemble the gadget. To do this, you need a set of screwdrivers, a plastic spatula or pick, tweezers, and a silicone suction cup. But, due to the complexity of the design, without the appropriate skills, it will not work to disassemble the gadget without damaging the internal components. The slightest damage can cause serious problems, which will lead to the need for expensive repairs.
If you are able to disassemble the smartphone yourself, you can clean it yourself. Carefully disassemble the device, and after reaching the camera glass, thoroughly clean it with a lint-free cloth. You can also use plain tape to remove dust particles. It is recommended to work in a clean room, where there is practically no dust, otherwise the glass may become more dirty. You can check the quality of cleaning in the light. At the end of the procedure, reassemble the smartphone in the reverse order.
Sometimes image defects can be caused by the failure of the camera itself, which requires its replacement. You can buy a new camera module from GSM-Forsage. The assortment of the company also includes all kinds of other spare parts for the iPhone, as well as any phones, smartphones, tablets from other manufacturers.
After some time after buying a smartphone, a problem is often discovered: in the pictures taken with the iPhone, in different frames in the same place, there is inexplicably a stain. Taking a closer look at the small iPhone lens reveals a speck of dust under the glass. Removing it will not be difficult, just tap the body with your finger.
After a while, the dust will become so much that it will become simply unrealistic to take pictures. In this case, unfortunately, tapping is no longer enough. A huge amount of microscopic dust has accumulated inside, which cannot be removed so easily.
There is dust in the iPhone 5 camera - it won't be difficult to remove it
Bayon experts want to tell smartphone owners on operating system iOS, where does the dust inside their devices come from and how to remove it from there. None of the handy tools that you find at home are suitable for these purposes, and there can be no talk of a vacuum cleaner pipe at all.
Remember that if you yourself decide to open the iPhone case, then the device will be removed from the warranty. Here you will have to make a choice in favor of one of two options: solve the problem yourself or repair and clean your smartphone in a service center.
Apple products are not completely sealed. Little changes in their design from model to model. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before a smartphone gets clogged from the inside.
How to disassemble iPhone 5
First you need to unscrew the bolts. Yes, exactly those bolts that are next to the Lightning port.
As you have already noticed, standard screwdrivers will not work with such screws. Moreover, they are very small, so you need to be careful not to lose them. To remove the case of a smartphone, you need to purchase a special screwdriver with the Pentalobe standard, more precisely, its special version TS1
When detaching the display from the case, the main thing is not to overdo it. An inaccurate force can cause the glass to detach from the display module. After that, it will be impossible to use the smartphone.
After the screen module is raised, you will see an unpleasant picture: a huge amount of dust has accumulated in the case. Even if it has not yet penetrated under the glass above the camera, it is only a matter of time, you should know that it is already in the body of your device anyway.
If you remove the EMI shielding from the motherboard, you can see how much dust has accumulated in your iPhone. Basically, thanks to electromagnetic protection, dust does not penetrate so much into especially important parts of the device.
The camera, unfortunately, is not a place where dust does not penetrate. The experts say that the problem of dust in the case could be caused by the fall of the smartphone. As a result of the impact, the tightness of the bezel around the display is broken. This is the reason for the inside of the iPhone to get dirty, but you can clean it yourself.
Be careful when disassembling the smartphone; for convenience, all bolts and parts of the smartphone must be placed in a niche. Losing any part will cost you a lot. Be careful not to damage the cables, there are a lot of them in the iPhone 5.
You can remove dust from the iPhone 5 using an airflow source. Adjust the air flow so that it blows out dust, but is not too strong. In this way, dust is removed from all surfaces of the device. This does not damage any part. The time of this action will take no more than a minute, and the smartphone will again acquire a presentable look.
However, cleaning the smartphone from dust is not over yet. The main task is to remove dust from the camera, and we have not done that yet.
This is where the cotton swabs come in handy. Use them to clean the camera optics from dirt. You can also wipe the inside of the display with a cotton swab.
Reassemble the iPhone upside-down. The main thing is not to rush and not worry, and then everything will work out.
A small video to help:
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2. These bolts are very small in size, so it is both difficult to find a screwdriver for them, and it is elementary to lose them. Your best bet is to purchase a dedicated iPhone tool. Next, we need to detach the display from the main body. If you watched the videos on how to do this, then remember that you should never detach the display with suction cups, although this is shown in the video.
3. The fact is that if you apply force incorrectly, then disconnecting the glass from the case, you will not get a phone, but a useless piece of iron. Therefore, if you nevertheless gave your phone for professional cleaning, and then noticed streaks or bubbles on the screen, it means that it was not a professional who acted here.
4. Next, lift the screen module and see how dusty our phone is. After that, it is necessary to remove the electromagnetic protection from the motherboard. It is this part of the phone that partially protects it from dust. But it happens that the tightness in the case is broken, for example, in the event of a blow or fall of the phone, and dust easily gets into the depths of the case.
5. Put all bolts and small parts in a plate. The point is that it is unforgivable to lose any element. And be careful with cables, because damage to them can lead to phone failure.
6. Once we have removed all loose elements, use the air blower that runs on the compressor. However, adjust the airflow wisely to blow out all the dust without disturbing the electronic components. So be careful.
7. Now proceed to the gentle manual cleaning. We will need to carefully clean the camera optics, flash and inner glass. To do this, take a cotton swab and gently wipe it. Then we wipe the inner wall of the back of the case and you can start assembling the smartphone. Do not rush to assemble, so as not to forget any element.
8. When installing the loop, you should hear a barely noticeable "click", and not the sound of a breaking part. Now you can enjoy your clean iPhone. The whole cleaning took us five minutes. Finally, insert the bolts, turn on the smartphone and check the camera. We hope you succeed and notice the difference in camera performance!
A professional answer to a painful question.
At some point, iPhones, due to their compactness and mobility, replaced cameras for many. With each new generation of iPhone, the quality of shooting on Apple smartphones steadily growing closer to DSLRs. However, it often happens that iPhone shots suddenly become insufficiently clear or blurry. Even setting focus manually, it is not possible to achieve the same clarity. What to do?
Why the camera on the iPhone becomes cloudy and stops focusing and what to do about it
1. The first and simplest reason is a dirty camera lens. In this case, everything is elementary - clean the camera lens. Dirty or dirty camera glass can interfere with focusing! We do this with a special lens wiper.
2. True, in most cases, the rags remain powerless. Dust and dirt can enter the iPhone's body and build up between the lens and the protective glass of the camera. In this case, you cannot do without parsing the phone. Note that most often the problem manifests itself on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone SE - the most popular iPhone models in Russia. Conclusion - we turn to specialists, or we disassemble the iPhone with our own hands and carry out cleaning.
3. Not less rarely, scratches on the camera glass interfere with focusing. Scratches are also very scattering and blurring the focus and the picture as a whole. Here it is necessary to replace the lens glass at the service center! The problem often manifests itself on the iPhone 6/6 Plus and newer, as in these models the camera protrudes from the body, often in contact with various, including numbers and sharp objects. 
4. The saddest reason for which the pictures on the iPhone are blurry is the dust getting on the lens matrix or the breakdown of the zoom of the camera itself. There is only one solution to these problems - replacing the camera in the service! 