IPhone 12 flash light and back camera not functioning

[vituadi]

Hi,

An iPhone 12 had been badly damaged and both screen and back glass was broken. Before spending time on fixing the back glass I replaced the front screen and checked all camera functions by recording videos using both the front and back camera. It all worked fine, also the sound. I did not check the flash light. After replacing the back glass, when turning on the back camera, it freezes after a few seconds. No photo or video can be taken. The freeze stops after yet a few seconds but freezes again after some more seconds. The flash light does not work. Front camera is working fine including Face recognition. I have disconnected and reconnected both the screen and front and back cameras from the motherboard but no improvement. I have tried with a back camera from another iPhone 12 and it also freezes, i.e. it does not seem to be a back camera HW problem.

Anyone having any idea of what the problem might be?

 

[vituadi]

Thanks, @tonyph for your reply. I have done 1 and also updated to the latest iOS. I think No 3 remains, which I will try but I doubt it will make a difference since the back camera worked fine before the back glass change.

 

[P_Watt]

Hi,

An iPhone 12 had been badly damaged and both screen and back glass was broken. Before spending time on fixing the back glass I replaced the front screen and checked all camera functions by recording videos using both the front and back camera. It all worked fine, also the sound. I did not check the flash light. After replacing the back glass, when turning on the back camera, it freezes after a few seconds. No photo or video can be taken. The freeze stops after yet a few seconds but freezes again after some more seconds. The flash light does not work. Front camera is working fine including Face recognition. I have disconnected and reconnected both the screen and front and back cameras from the motherboard but no improvement. I have tried with a back camera from another iPhone 12 and it also freezes, i.e. it does not seem to be a back camera HW problem.

Anyone having any idea of what the problem might be?

Cameras and associated components are not swappable without Apple's secure configuration software. Swap any one and the others tumble. See the iFixit research on repairability.

 

[JPack]

Did you transplant the wireless charging coil from the cracked back?

The wireless charging coil is paired with the specific iPhone. If you use don't use the original, the rear camera won’t work.

 

[vituadi]

I removed the cracked glass from the rear, without removing the wireless charging coil.

I will start to buy a new flash. It’s fairly cheap. I believe it’s not a coincidence that the flash AND the rear camera aren’t working. My assumption now is that the broken flash is affecting the rear camera. However, when I disconnect the flash the rear camera exhibits the same error - it freezes after a few seconds of adjusting its focus, thereafter the freeze stops and then it freezes again and so forth.