Camera Test

How to test your phone camera

1. Press Start camera and choose Allow when the browser asks. The front camera opens first.
2. On a phone or tablet, press Switch front / back to test the back camera. On a laptop with more than one camera, pick each one from the camera list.
3. Read the Resolution and Frame rate for each camera. Point the camera at something bright and then something dark to see whether it focuses and adjusts exposure.
4. Press Take photo to save a still from the current camera and check it for blur, spots or a colour cast.
5. Every camera you test is listed under the stats, so you can compare them. Press Stop when you are done.

What the camera test shows

Resolution is the video size the camera delivers to the browser, up to the 1920x1080 this test asks for. Phone cameras take photos at 12 MP or more, but browsers receive video, so 1080p (2.1 MP) or 720p is normal here and does not mean your camera is limited. A camera that only gives 640x480 when the other one gives 1080p is either an older sensor or is being throttled by the system.

Frame rate is measured from the frames that actually arrive. 30 fps is normal; 24-29 is fine; 15 or lower means the camera is in a low-light mode or the phone is busy. Try again with more light before blaming the hardware.

Facing tells you which camera is on. Phones with several back lenses show them as one "back" camera to the browser; the system picks the main lens. Laptops report "Unknown" when the camera does not say which way it faces, which is normal.

If a camera starts, shows a clear picture, focuses and reports a steady frame rate, it works. A black picture with a frame rate, a green or pink tint, or a picture that never sharpens are hardware or driver faults.

Testing a phone camera before buying or after a repair

This camera test is the quickest way to check a second-hand phone or a phone back from repair. Start the front camera, switch to the back camera, and look for the usual problems: a camera that does not start at all (a disconnected flex cable or a failed sensor), a black or very dark picture (a dead sensor or a lens cover left in the case), spots that stay in the same place when you move the phone (dust or damage on the sensor), a pink or green tint (a damaged sensor or a bad repair), and a picture that stays blurry close up (a stuck focus motor, which is common after a drop). The Flash button appears on phones whose browser can control the torch, so you can check the LED too.

For a laptop webcam with more detail, including resolution choices up to 4K, use the webcam test. To check your face lighting before a call, the online mirror adds brightness and zoom controls.

Front camera vs back camera

The front camera on a phone is tuned for selfies and video calls: a wide lens, lower resolution, and a mirrored preview so that it feels like a mirror (this test mirrors the front camera the same way; the photo you save is mirrored too, like a phone selfie). The back camera is the main camera with the larger sensor, autofocus and the flash. Both should start here. If one does not, the fixes below cover the common causes.

Common problems and fixes

The back camera does not start

Close the camera app and any app that uses the camera (video calls, scanners), then press Start again. On Android, check that the browser has camera permission in Settings, Apps. If the back camera fails in every app, restart the phone; if it still fails, the camera module or its flex cable is faulty.

The permission prompt never appears

The site was blocked earlier. Tap the lock icon in the address bar and allow the camera, or on iPhone go to Settings, Safari, Camera and choose Ask or Allow. The page must be loaded over HTTPS.

The picture is black but the frame rate shows a number

The camera is sending frames with no image: a lens cover, a case blocking the lens, or a sensor fault. Remove the case and clean the lens; if the picture is still black in the phone's own camera app, the hardware has failed.

The picture is blurry or will not focus

Clean the lens with a soft cloth; fingerprints are the usual cause. The front camera on most phones has fixed focus and is blurry close up by design. A back camera that never sharpens has a stuck focus motor, often after a drop or a magnet (some mounts and cases) sitting next to the lens.