How to Fix Front Camera Not Working After Water Damage

Have you accidentally spilled liquid on your phone? Is your phone’s front camera not working after water damage? For many of us, the first instinct is to panic, and it reaches an extreme when you don’t know what to do next.

If your phone’s front camera is not working after water damage, this happens due to a liquid accumulation inside the phone. You can get the camera working again by putting the phone in the bag of uncooked rice or silica gel to get rid of the moisture.

If you have ever tried to fix a water-damaged phone or its camera, you know that it can be a real pain, but don’t worry. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to fix your front camera after it has been damaged by liquid spillage.

Why is my phone front camera not working after water damage?

There are a few possible reasons why, after water damage, your front camera is not working.

• The water damage may have caused a short circuit in the camera’s circuitry. 
• The water damage may have corrupted the camera’s software, preventing it from functioning correctly.
• Camera lens or other components are physically damaged by water, rendering it inoperable.

How do you fix a water damaged front camera?

Below are some simple solutions that you can try to fix the front camera not working after water damage.

Try restarting your device

If the front camera is not working or the lens is showing a bad quality after water damage, you should first restart your device. This will resolve any minor software glitches that have been generated due to moisture. To do so:

• First, press and hold the Power button (Android) or Volume + Home button (iPhone).
• Once the menu appears, tap on the Restart option.
• After the restart, open your device’s front camera to verify the fix.

Keep your device in dry places

After a water damage incident, it is essential to keep your device as dry as possible. If there are any moisture pockets present in your device, they can cause damage to the camera circuit and may even render the device unusable.

To prevent this from happening, avoid using your phone in humid environments and keep it in a cool and dry place. Do not expose your device to sudden temperature changes.

Next, take a microfiber cloth and dry out the device’s external parts, especially the camera lens. Also, remove the battery and wipe it too. Ensure not to wipe too aggressively as it will further damage the camera lens.

Use a bag of uncooked rice

One of the most popular methods for drying out your wet device or the front camera is to put it in a bag of uncooked rice. Rice will absorb the moisture from the phone, helping to dry it out any moisture that is trapped and affecting the camera circuit or lens.

To do this:

• First, press the Power button to switch off your phone.
• Place your phone in a bag of uncooked rice, seal it tightly, and leave the phone in the rice for 24-48 hours.
• After 24-48 hours, remove the phone from the bag and check if the front camera is working fine now.

Put your phone in a silica gel

If you have any silica gel bags, you can put your phone in them. The silica gel will aid in absorbing moisture from the phone and might resolve the short circuit issue.

To do so:

• Turn off your phone, take a sealed bag and fill it with silica gel.
• Put your device in the bag.
• Seal the bag tightly.
• Now, wait for at least 24-48 hours and make sure to keep it in a dry place.
• Finally, turn on your device, launch the front camera and verify the fix.

Use a vacuum cleaner

Another popular method for drying out a water-damaged camera is to use a vacuum cleaner to suck out the moisture from the camera lens.

To do this:

• Power off your device by pressing the Power button and bringing the phone closer to the vacuum cleaner.
• Be sure that the vacuum cleaner is not set to “Max” mode, as this can damage the phone.
• Move the vacuum cleaner around the phone, covering all wet areas.
• After a few hours, turn on the phone and check if the front camera has started working.

Use a hairdryer

You can also use a hairdryer to dry out water from your front camera. The heat from the hairdryer will evaporate the water, clearing the camera lens.

To do this:

• Make sure to switch off your phone.
• Turn on the hairdryer and blow the air on the phone.
• Be sure to keep the hairdryer moving, as keeping it in one spot for too long can damage the phone.
• After a few minutes, turn off the hairdryer and wait for a few hours.
• Finally, turn on your device and launch the front camera to see if it is working.

How do I Factory Reset my device?

If your phone camera is still not working or showing a black screen, you may need to factory reset your phone to fix the camera software problem. To factory reset your phone:

• Go to the device Settings>General Management.
• Here, tap the Reset option and select Factory Data Reset.
• Now, scroll down and tap on the Reset option to factory reset your device.
• After the Reset, your device will restart. 
• Launch the front camera and see if it is working now.

Note: Factory resetting will delete all the data on your phone, so be sure to back up your data.

Conclusion

If you have accidentally dropped your phone in the water while working or recording a video and found that your front camera is malfunctioning, we’ve outlined a few DIY solutions for you in this comprehensive guide to get your camera up and running again as quickly as possible. 

However, if the problem persists, you may need to replace the camera lens or circuit by visiting a repair center.