iPhone – Non-Genuine Camera Warning / Important Camera Message

In another attempt to limit third-party repairs, Apple is monitoring for non-genuine camera replacements.

Apples latest devices starting from the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max customers will see the Non-Genuine Camera Warning message if the camera is not replaced by Apple.

Apple has rolled out a notifications alert for non-genuine camera replacements for the iPhone. Apple explained it was to protect customers from damaged, poor quality, or used cameras that can lead to safety or performance issues. These notifications also don’t stop users from using the phone, but again can affect future servicing.

Apple furthermore tries to justify this action by claiming it is for customer safety for using genuine parts that are installed by Apple, authorized service providers or certified technicians. Anyone else might not follow proper safety and repair procedures and could result in improper function or issues with camera quality or safety.

The truth is Apple has designed the new phones to only work and function properly without any error messages with the original camera that was installed on the phone when sold. In all honesty it does not even matter if you swap two original cameras from the same model phone they still will give the error message. In order to make another camera functional without getting the error message necessary information has to be read from the original camera in addition to some hardware components that need to be applied to the new camera.

So if you recently replaced your camera by a third-party without the necessary modifications from the original camera to the new camera you can expect to see the Important Camera Message appears on the lock screen for four days and in the Settings app for 15 days.

After that the message will remain in the About page within Settings. The message states that Apple was “unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple camera” with a link to learn more.

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With the new restrictions this it allows Apple not to service your phone under the 1 year manufacturers warranty.

Although the awareness this brings to light is good as the camera is something we all use everyday and a poor quality camera can effect the picture quality as well as the battery life and functionality but in this case it is yet another of Apples attempt to completely kill third-party repairs.