Camera Control on Apple iPhone 16 not working? Ways to fix the issue

The Apple iPhone 16 series – all devices across the range from the iPhone 16 to the iPhone 16 Pro Max – now come with the Camera Control button. This useful specialised button on the iPhone is made to make your photography a fair bit easier, letting you quickly activate the camera, scroll through, and adjust various settings such as exposure, zoom, and tone, and finally even take pictures or record videos. 

The Camera Control feature is a big advantage for those who often take pictures and videos on their iPhones. However, there are times when it may not work properly. The fix for this is often simple, having to do with either software or physical aspects around your iPhone 16 series smartphone. We have compiled easy fixes for you to try out on your own; check them:

Common reasons why your iPhone 16's Camera Control button won't work

Take a look at these common issues, as well as solutions, related to the Camera Control button on iPhone 16:

1) Software issues

2) Cases and protective covers

3) Settings deactivated

4) Wrong gestures

5) Damage to the iPhone

1) Software issues

At times, software issues and glitches can interfere with the working of the camera control button. This is usually fixed in one of two ways – a quick restart of the phone or a software update. Usually, the former will do the trick, rebooting the software and refreshing the system to get things working smoothly again. That said, it’s worth taking a look at the software version and updating to the latest regularly, to ensure everything runs smoothly.

2) Cases and protective covers

The Camera Control button is a hardware-based feature, and therefore some protective cases and covers for the iPhone 16 series may cause it to not work correctly. If the case does not properly toggle the button, this could cause it to not work, while the touch-sensitive gestures could be hampered by the button being covered or inaccessible by the case. Remove the protective case and try to use the Camera Control button again to fix this.

3) Settings deactivated

The Camera Control functionality may have been deactivated (or not turned on in the first place) on the iPhone 16. Go into the settings on your iPhone, navigate to Camera, and tap Camera Control. Set it up according to your preferences here. Additional settings to look at are in the Display and Brightness section (to ensure that Camera Control works even with the screen off) and Accessibility settings (to customise the force and speed for using the force-touch Camera Control button properly).

4) Wrong gestures

At times, you might be using the wrong gestures for the Camera Control button. This force and touch-sensitive button requires somewhat precise gestures to work properly, so review how you’re using the button and figure out the right gestures to make it work.

5) Damage to the iPhone

In some cases, damage to the iPhone itself may cause the Camera Control button to stop working. You might have dropped the iPhone in a way that caused damage to the button itself. There is no easy fix for it if this is the case – you’ll have to take the iPhone to a service centre and get it repaired to fix the feature.

ALSO READ: iPhone 16 series Camera Control feature explained

Next time you face an issue with the Camera Control button, try one of the above fixes to resolve the issue.