THE owner of an iPhone X went to desperate lengths to fix his mobile camera, and then internet sleuths came to his rescue.
A Reddit user based in New Zealand drew the fascination of netizens around the globe with a June 23 post that posed a simple question.
"How do I remove this dot on camera?" the user wrote above a photo of a hospital waiting room sporting a dark, circular blot.
"I’ve tried wiping the camera and violently throwing it onto my bed as other posts have recommended but it isn’t going away," the user wrote.
Other Redditors chimed in, with many suggesting that the sensors in his iPhone camera had suffered damage.
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Some mockingly asked if he'd filmed the eclipse, knowing that extended exposure to the sun can damage any phone camera.
"Sensor damage does not look anything like this," another user asserted.
"This is dust on the sensor. Live with it or go to an Apple Store. You could try whacking your phone and hoping it dislodges it."
"A burned sensor don’t look like that, stop saying he pointed it at the sun, it’s dust," another netizen wrote.
"You can’t remove it by yourself, you have to take it to a repair shop or directly to Apple."
While it is uncommon, dust can get under your phone camera lens, causing dark spots to appear in photos.
However, this is thought to be the result of a manufacturing defect.
One user pointed out that dust cleaning should be free if a device is still under Apple warranty. (Customers can check their coverage online.)
You can make an appointment online or in the Apple Support app, available on iOS.
While it is possible to remove the camera lens and clean the dust yourself, it is best to take it to a professional to avoid further damage.
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Moreover, it is important to clean the lens regularly. Even though dust won't cause permanent damage, grimy buildup can mask scratches, cracks and other signs of damage.
Think of the lens like a magnifying glass. When pointing your phone camera at the sun, the sensor tries to detect and filter light. However, too much can overwhelm it and cause damage.
To skirt around this issue, professional photographers recommend taking photos with lower exposure settings.
Don't use the timelapse function on your phone camera, which leads to extended exposure in the sun.
To exercise utmost caution, you can purchase a solar filter, a sheet that covers your camera lens.
