App not accessing camera

Bug Reports
1

Platform: iPhone 16 Pro

App version number, if a mobile app issue: Version 2.17.2

Browser, if a website issue:

URLs (aka web addresses) of any relevant observations or pages:

Screenshots of what you are seeing:

IMG_6580
IMG_65801206×2622 77.2 KB

IMG_6579
IMG_65791206×2622 136 KB

Description of problem: Upon downloading the latest update (August 18, 2025) Seek identifies the subject but when I press the camera button, I get the two black screens.

Step 1: I have restarted the app, then deleted and reloaded the app (losing ALL of my previous obs)

Step 2: Restarted my phone, checked the time setting, confirmed all permissions

Step 3: Checked for software updates

2

I’m sorry to hear that. Do you backup your phone regularly? If so, you may be able to restore the observations from a backup.

We just released a beta version that should log more information that may provide some insight into this specific camera problem. If possible, can you please join our beta program, update the app to the new version, and if it fails again send us a log file from Seek?

To test out the beta version:

  1. Download Apple’s TestFlight app from the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/testflight/id899247664
  2. Open up this link on your device: https://testflight.apple.com/join/LM5oO3P7
  3. Sign up for the beta program and update the app via TestFlight
  4. Open up the app and re-create the error.
  5. To send a log file, please make sure you’re logged in to iNaturalist in Seek. Then, go to the About screen and tap on the version number.
3

I’ve experienced this same exact thing. I finally got a new phone (unrelated reasons) and the app still does the same thing. I had hundreds of observations through seek that are all gone because I tried to fix this issue.