iPhone 14 Pro Owners Complain of 'Slow' Camera App

Some iPhone 14 Pro owners are having problems with the Camera app, with multiple complaints on the MacRumors forums suggesting that the camera can take several seconds to load when it is opened.

iphone 14 pro rear cameras
Affected users are seeing the Camera app take four to five seconds to activate after the Camera app icon is tapped, with the problem occurring after the camera has been opened once already. From MacRumors reader Sephiroth0:

I have the same issue with my iPhone 14 Pro (non Max). When restarting the phone and starting the camera app the camera turns on immediately. After closing and opening the camera app it always takes 4 - 5 seconds for the camera to turn on. I've tested other apps using the camera and there it it turns on instantly. I assume this is a SW bug.

The problem does not happen if the Camera app has been manually closed and reopened, or after a software restart. It seems to exclusively occur when the Camera app has been running in the background, and this is not a problem that appears to be affecting all users. The complaints are primarily from ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and Pro Max users, and it happens in all photo modes.

In our own testing, we ran into the same issue with the Camera app taking several seconds to open, but it did not happen every time that we opened the app, just on occasion. MacRumors readers have noticed that the issue is limited to the Camera app and does not affect third-party camera apps, and it also does not appear to happen when the Camera app is set to video mode instead of photo mode.

The iOS 16.0.1 update does not appear to fix the issue for those who are impacted. Restarting the ‌iPhone‌ does not provide a permanent fix, and neither does factory resetting the device. Some MacRumors readers have speculated that it could be a RAM management issue. From MacRumors forum member xyz2610, who also shared a video:

I've just discovered that it may be a RAM management issue with the camera app. When I clear my iPhone 14 Pro's RAM by first enabling Assistive Touch in the Accessibility Settings, then press Volume Up, Volume Down and hold the Power Button until the shutdown menu comes up and then long press the Home Button on the Assistive Touch menu to clear the RAM, the Camera App always launches quickly on the first try. For subsequent camera app launches, however, the app still takes around 5 seconds to open.

Slow loading is not the only issue affecting the Camera. ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models have also run into a static or clicking noise coming from the camera, and there is a major problem when recording video using third-party apps. In apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, the camera vibrates uncontrollably, causing shaky footage. Unlike the slow loading Camera app, this issue is limited to third-party apps.

Multiple MacRumors readers have reported camera issues to Apple, and it is likely that a fix is in the works. We could soon see an iOS 16 update that will address the multitude of bugs that the new devices appear to be experiencing.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Apple Smart Glasses Launching in 2026

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week. Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
maxresdefault

OpenAI Buys Jony Ive's AI Startup to 'Completely Reimagine What It Means to Use a Computer'

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:27 am PDT by
OpenAI is acquiring io, the hardware-based AI startup co-created by Jony Ive, OpenAI announced today. Ive has been working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on io for two years, and the duo expects to develop a family of AI devices. In a video shared by OpenAI, Altman and Ive outlined their partnership and what they expect to create as a result of the merger. "I have a growing sense that everything ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...

Top Rated Comments

kirk.vino Avatar
35 months ago
This might be some sort of a record for the number of issues during a new iPhone release.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brian3uk Avatar
35 months ago
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Apple needs to stop trying to release new hardware and major iOS versions at the same time. They clearly cannot manage to do them simultaneously. Release the new phones with stable software and then do the upgrade later. Save everyone a lot of headaches.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F23 Avatar
35 months ago
all the iPhone 14 pro issues seem to come from iOS 16 being a mess, not the hardware itself. so at least the issues can be fixed
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TroyBoy30 Avatar
35 months ago
no prob here
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LogicalApex Avatar
35 months ago
Works fine for me on my iPhone 14 Pro 512GB.

Not that it helps those impacted. Hopefully it gets sorted soon.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Paddle1 Avatar
35 months ago
Is iOS 17 going to have to be another optimization release like iOS 12?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)