Samsung Galaxy photos blurry or out of focus: fixes

By Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 5 steps · Published 6 October 2026

Device

Android

Shown on

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16

App

Camera

Path

Camera › Settings › Reset settings if it persists

Real screenshots

4 of 5 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Step by step

1. Clean the lens

   A fingerprint on the lens makes every photo soft and hazy. Wipe it with a soft cloth; check the case is not covering part of the lens.

   Done

2. 

   Tap to focus

   In the viewfinder, tap the thing you want sharp. The camera focuses and sets the brightness on that spot. Keep still until the shutter sound.

   Done

3. 

   Step back or change the zoom

   Very close subjects cannot be in focus. Move back a little, or use the 1x lens instead of the .6 ultra wide for close-ups.

   Done

4. 

   Check the camera settings

   Open Camera, the settings gear. The A57 has Scene detection and Shot suggestions here, but not the Scene optimizer and Tracking auto-focus that Samsung's help page mentions for other models.

   Done

5. 

   Reset the camera settings

   At the bottom of Camera settings, Reset settings puts every camera option back to the default. Your photos stay. We did not tap it.

   Done

About this guide

Most blurry phone photos come from a smudged lens, a subject too close for the lens, or movement in low light. Settings only matter after those three. We only looked at these screens on our phone and changed nothing.

The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy A57 5G with One UI 8.5 and Android 16, in Dark mode. Other Galaxy phones on One UI 8 use the same menus; on older One UI versions a few names and positions differ.

Good to know

Samsung's page also mentions a Focus enhancer (a flower icon) for close-ups on some models; we did not see one in the A57's viewfinder.

If the camera shows an error instead of a blurry picture, see "Camera failed" on a Samsung Galaxy.

If one lens is always blurry even after cleaning and reset, it may be damaged; Samsung service can check it.

In short: Clean the lens, tap to focus, step back, hold still; Camera, Settings, Reset settings if it persists.