What Does A Laser Do To Your Phone’s Camera?

In an espionage-type movie, one of the characters might dubiously aim a laser pointer at a security camera to disable it. The idea is that the laser overpowers the lens and permanently cooks the image sensor inside. Is that just Hollywood magic at work, or is it something that can really happen? It turns out, yes, it can happen to all kinds of cameras, provided the right class of laser is used. There’s even an experimental spy laser that can read text up to a mile away.

And yes, lasers can damage your phone’s camera too. You might even be more likely to encounter a high-powered laser out in the wild with your phone than in comparable situations since lasers are commonly found at public events, used by the venue, event organizers, or someone simply in the crowd. Large concerts, open festivals, clubs, theaters, and other major events often use heavy, neon laser lighting, and if one of those lasers is strong enough and focused directly on your camera’s lens, it can cause minor visual errors after brief exposure. If prolonged, it could lead to permanent damage.

Lasers can cause everything from temporary effects — saturated pixels, weird colors, and bright spots — to permanent damage — from large, unruly black spots and burnt patches, to disfigured lines or broken-looking capture fields. What you want to look out for is a Class 3B laser or above — potentially a Class 3R — to avoid temporary artifacts and glare in your videos and photos.

Lasers are classified by their strength and power, with the weakest being Class 1. These are often found in laser printers and optical disc drives. The next level is Class 2, with up to 1 milliwatt of power, which includes laser pointers. They can create a temporary glare on direct contact but won’t cause lasting damage. Class 3R is where things start to ramp up, with up to 5 milliwatts of power. These are rated as high-power laser pointers intended for long distances or big rooms.

They’re also found inside alignment and leveling tools and similar gadgets. Class 3R lasers can cause temporary interference and glare if directly pointed at a camera lens, but it’s unlikely they will cause severe damage. Most consumer-grade lasers are between Class 1 and Class 3R. Class 3B lasers — a step up from 3R — range from 5 milliwatts to 500 milliwatts in power. They’re mainly relegated to specialist devices, for lab use, industrial applications, and professional settings. They can damage a camera and its internal sensor permanently, but they have to be pointed directly at the camera lens for a good amount of time.

Your car’s lidar emitter has a laser that can destroy your phone’s camera like this through direct exposure. Class 4 lasers, with over 500 milliwatts of power, are especially high-risk. They’re meant for specialized tasks like welding, cutting, or medical use and will absolutely damage your camera, and the effects can be immediate, with no chance for recovery. Class 4 lasers are also dangerous for your body and health.

It varies from location to location, and from one venue type to another. Large, outdoor venues and open-air concerts, for example, might use a much stronger laser than a club, as most of the lighting would be directed up and away from the crowds. That said, most indoor venue and club lasers are Class 3B to Class 4, so they could cause permanent lens damage under the right exposure times and may even cause eye injuries in some rare cases if the beams aren’t safely directed.

It’s not an immediate threat to your phone’s camera or internal sensors, but it is certainly something to remain aware of while attending these types of events. The United States has laws and regulations in place to mitigate injury from high-powered lasers. Laser manufacturers must remain compliant, ensuring they follow said regulations when developing products. That doesn’t mean event organizers or venue owners always follow the rules when deploying systems. It’s probably best to err on the side of caution with your mobile devices and point-and-shoot cameras when bright, neon lasers are flinging around.

This also means that high-powered laser weapons are a real thing, too. They’re nothing like you’d see in “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” with rapid light beams or loud “pew pews,” but they do exist. In fact, the current generation of U.S. military laser weapons is nothing compared to what’s coming. You’ll want to keep your phone’s camera away from all of those lasers for sure.