How to find your missing Camera icon on iPhone and iPad
Written by Karolina Peistariene on
Find the missing Camera icon with these simple solutions
The Camera app is essential for capturing our precious memories, whether they're happy, funny, or sad. It became one of the most used apps, and it would be inconvenient to get by without it. So, what should you do if it suddenly disappears from your device?
The Camera app is a built-in application, meaning it can't just disappear. It comes with the device. By default, you should see it on your Home screen.
If it's not there, usually it gets removed from the screen by accident. It can also be under Screen Time restrictions or limits. These cases are easily solvable, and the app can quickly be found.
But there can also be software or device system issues, which need a more in-depth solution.
Video on How to find your missing Camera icon on iPhone and iPad
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Method 1. Search in the App Library
- Method 2. Turn off Camera restrictions
- Method 3. Delete App Limits
- Method 4. Reset your Home screen layout
- Method 5. Restart your device
- Method 6. Reset your device to factory settings
- Video on How to find your missing Camera icon on iPhone and iPad
Search in the App Library
As mentioned before, the Camera app is a built-in application, so it can't be deleted. Usually, what happens is it gets accidentally removed from your screen. You can always find it in the App Library.
To find the Camera app in the App Library, follow the steps below:
1. On the home screen, swipe to the left until you open the App Library. "App Library" will be written on the search bar at the top.
2. Tap on the search bar and type in "Camera".
3. Tap, hold, and drag the Camera app until you're on the Home or other screen and release the app in a preferred location.
Turn off Camera restrictions
If you're using the Screen Time feature, the Camera app can have restrictions put on it. Remove the restrictions to see the app.
To remove Camera app restrictions, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app and go to "Screen Time".
2. Tap on "Content & Privacy Restrictions".
3. Go to "Allowed Apps".
4. If asked, enter your iPhone passcode.
5. Next to "Camera", make sure the switch is green.
Delete App Limits
If removing camera restrictions didn't help, delete app limits to ensure there aren't any on the Camera app.
To delete app limits, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app and go to "Screen Time".
2. Tap on "App Limits".
3. If there is a limit on "All Apps & Categories", "Creativity", or "Camera", tap on it.
4. You can edit the list by tapping "Edit List" and deselect only the Camera app.
5. Or you can delete the limit by tapping "Delete Limit" twice.
Reset your Home screen layout
If you still can't see the Camera app on your Home screen of the App Library, reset the screen layout. This method may remove all your customization, as it restores the original screen you saw when you first turned on the device.
Your data and downloaded application won't be deleted, so don't worry. You will only have to rearrange everything again.
To reset your Home screen layout, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app and go to "General".
2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap "Transfer or Reset iPhone".
3. Tap on "Reset" and select "Reset Home Screen Layout".
4. Confirm the selection.
5. Now check if the Camera app has reappeared.
Restart your device
If a software bug or glitch is responsible for the missing Camera app, a quick system restart should help get it back.
To restart an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, or later, follow the steps below:
1. Press and hold one of the two-volume buttons as well as the side button (top button for iPad) until you see a "slide to power off" option.
For iPads with the Home button, you only need to press the top button.
2. Slide on the power-off option and wait while your device turns off.
3. Now, press the side button (top button for iPad) until you see the Apple logo.
4. When your iPhone or iPad is turned on, check if you can find the Camera app.
To restart an older iPhone, follow the steps in this how-to guide by Apple.
Reset your device to factory settings
If nothing helped and the Camera app is still missing, there might be bigger issues with your device system. I recommend a full device reset.
This method will reset settings and layouts and delete all your apps and data. Before performing a total reset, back up your data so you can restore it when setting up the device again.
To reset your iPhone or iPad to factory settings, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app and go to "General".
2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap "Transfer or Reset iPhone".
3. Select "Erase All Content and Settings".
4. Tap "Continue" and follow the instructions to erase your device.
5. When the process is finished, follow the instructions to set it up again and restore your backed-up data.
6. The Camera app should be on your Home screen.
For more in-depth information on Factory reset, check out the guide on How to Factory Reset Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod?.
I hope you found the guide helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
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