Opening your iPhone Camera app to capture a moment, only to find the “Video” option has vanished from the sliding menu, is a disorienting experience. Whether you are using an iPhone 13, 15, or the latest iPhone 16, 17 series, this issue is rarely a hardware failure.
📸 iOS Camera UI Diagnostic Hub
| 🔴 Identify Trigger | 🔵 Hub Solution Path |
|---|---|
During a Call FaceTime/WhatsApp active. |
End Background VoIP |
Greyed Out Camera restricted by OS. |
Check Screen Time |
At the asavvyweb iOS laboratory, our diagnostics indicate that 85% of these cases are caused by “Resource Locking.” iOS is designed to hide the Video option if the Microphone is currently in use by another app (like a background WhatsApp call) or if system restrictions have disabled video recording capabilities.
Identify Your UI Failure Mode
Before resetting your phone, understand that iOS intentionally hides the Video option if the hardware resources (specifically the Microphone) are locked by another process.
| Symptom (The What) | Hidden Cause (The Why) | Difficulty |
| Video Tab Totally Gone | VoIP Resource Conflict (A call is active in background). | Easy |
| Option Flashes & Disappears | VRAM Cache Error (Camera app has “zombie” temporary files). | Medium |
| Camera App Crashes on Video | Storage Logic Lock (Less than 500MB free space). | Medium |
| Missing after Update | Corrupted “Preserve Settings” configuration. | Hard |
Follow this technical hierarchy to restore your camera UI.
Method 1: The VoIP Resource Check (Most Common Cause)
If you are on an active voice or video call, iOS automatically disables the native Camera’s video recording function because the microphone audio stream cannot be split between two high-priority apps simultaneously.
Check your Dynamic Island or Status Bar: Is there a green or orange dot indicating the microphone is in use?
Close Background Apps: Swipe up to enter the App Switcher.
Terminate Calls: Ensure FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, or Discord are completely closed.
Relaunch Camera: Once the microphone resource is freed, the Video tab will reappear.
Method 2: Resetting “Preserve Settings” Logic
The iPhone Camera has a feature called “Preserve Settings” that remembers your last used mode. If this preference file gets corrupted during an iOS update, the camera may get stuck in a “Photo-Only” logic loop or camera button missing on iPhone.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll down and select Camera.
Tap on Preserve Settings.
Toggle all switches (Camera Mode, Creative Controls, etc.) to OFF.
Force close the Camera app and reopen it. This forces the app to rebuild its default UI layout, bringing the Video option back.
Method 3: Resolving “QuickTake” UI Confusion
On modern iPhones (XR and later), the interface emphasizes “QuickTake.” Sometimes, users believe the video option is gone because the UI has shifted.
The Workaround: In Photo mode, simply press and hold the white Shutter button. The shutter will turn red and begin recording video instantly.
The Fix: This is a feature, not a bug. However, if the actual “Video” text is missing from the bottom slider, proceed to Method 4.
Method 4: The Content & Privacy Unblock
If you or a parent set up Screen Time restrictions, the camera’s ability to record (which implies data writing) might be blocked.
Go to Settings > Screen Time.
Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Select Allowed Apps.
Ensure Camera is toggled ON.
Go back and check Microphone permissions as well. If the camera lacks mic access, the video option may disappear.
Method 5: The RAM Flush (Force Restart)
If a background process has crashed and is holding the camera driver hostage, a UI restart won’t fix it. You must flush the system RAM.
Press and quickly release Volume Up.
Press and quickly release Volume Down.
Press and hold the Side Power Button.
Keep holding until the screen goes black and the Apple Logo appears (approx 15 seconds).
This “Cold Boot” clears the cache partition where the temporary camera UI glitch was stored.
Method 6: Check for “Storage Logic Lock”
If your iPhone internal storage is critically low (under 500MB free), iOS will disable high-bandwidth features like 4K Video Recording to prevent data corruption.
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Check your available space.
- If the bar is red/full, delete 2-3 large video files or offload unused apps.
- Once space is cleared (aim for 1GB+), the Video tab will reappear instantly.
Method 7: Reset All Settings (The Config Flush)
If the camera UI is still broken, the configuration file linking the Camera App to the Hardware Drivers may be corrupted.
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset > Reset All Settings.
- Note: This will NOT delete your photos or apps. It only resets Wi-Fi passwords, alarms, and layout configurations. This forces the Camera App to rebuild its default factory state.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why is the Video option missing during a call?
A: This is normal behavior. iOS cannot split the microphone audio input between a VoIP call (WhatsApp/FaceTime) and the Camera Video recorder simultaneously. You must end the call to record video.
Q: Can a broken microphone cause the video option to disappear?
A: Yes. If the rear microphone hardware fails the initial boot check, the Camera app may hide the Video tab because it cannot capture audio. Test your mic in Voice Memos to verify hardware health.
Q: Did the iOS 18 update move the video button?
A: No, but it enabled “QuickTake” by default. If you don’t see the Video tab, try holding down the white Shutter button in Photo mode—it will switch to video recording automatically.