How To Tell Your Apple Inc. iPhone 6 Plus Camera Needs A Replacement

If you’re finding that photos from your iPhone 6 Plus are always coming out blurry, you’re not alone. Apple has launched a replacement program for the smartphone following a number of user complaints about blurry shots taken by its built-in rear camera, which unlike the smaller iPhone 6 has optical image stabilization.

Customers experiencing blurry photos with the iPhone 6 Plus can visit Apple’s support website to check their eligibility. After checking their phone’s serial number with the website, iPhone users can contact Apple technical support or schedule a Genius Bar appointment with a local Apple Store to replace the faulty camera. Alternatively, customers can also visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Apple iPhone 6 Plus owners should perform a backup via iTunes or iCloud before bringing it in for repair.

“Apple has determined that, in a small percentage of iPhone 6 Plus devices, the iSight camera has a component that may fail, causing your photos to look blurry,” Apple explained on its support page. “The affected units fall into a limited serial number range and were sold primarily between September 2014 and January 2015.”

While Apple didn't disclose what part of the camera was causing the blurry photos, users experiencing the problem have speculated that it may be in part due to the moving optical image stabilizer of the iPhone 6 Plus -- a feature absent from the smaller iPhone 6. Apple customers have found as well that the stabilizer can be affected when the iPhone 6 is enclosed in a metallic or magnetic case.

Although a serial number of an iPhone may fall into that range, the camera may not necessarily be experiencing the described problems. If you’re not sure your iPhone is exhibiting the symptoms, here’s a look at a photo and video from one affected device, which was posted on an Apple discussion thread.

Keep in mind that damage such as a cracked screen will also have to be fixed before Apple will replace the faulty iSight camera.

Reports of blurry or wobbly iPhone cameras cropped up as early as October, according to the thread. While Apple replaced a number of those devices, this is the first time it has publicly acknowledged the problem with some of its iPhone 6 Plus cameras.