The HTC One M8 camera has been criticized by many for its low resolution, which leads to a serious lack of details in its images. However, there is another problem with the One M8’s camera that most consumers are affected by, but are completely oblivious of. The camera lens on the back of the M8 is extremely easy to scratch and beyond a certain threshold, these scratches can severely deteriorate the image quality of the handset.

Don’t believe me? Check out the images posted by ugxvibe below to see for yourself:

Before the camera lens was scratched severely

After the lens was severely scratched in day-to-day usage

HTC is not really openly accepting this issue but it is replacing the units for some of the affected users. You can try your luck at your nearest HTC service center or alternatively try the methods listed below, which have worked successfully for many users. Thankfully, the scratches are not on the camera lens but on the oleophobic coating of the glass, which can be easily removed, provided you have access to some toothpaste, a toothbrush or a cotton swab.

• Simply take some toothpaste and apply it on the rear camera lens of the One M8. Then, use the cotton swab to spread it evenly on the glass and move it in a clockwise direction for sometime. When you are done, use a microfiber cloth plus a drop of water to clean off the residue. You should now notice that all the scratches have vanished and the glass is back to its original state.
• You can also use a drop of water and then use the edge of a credit card to peel off the coating.
• Alternatively, you can also use some wood polish liquid to remove the coating.

Check out the video below if you would like some video guidance before trying it out yourself.

The issue, and the fixes above, are also applicable to the One M7 as well as the front-facing camera lens of the One M8. In case the above methods do not restore the image quality of your One M8 back to its original state, contact your nearest HTC service center for a replacement or drop them an email.

The camera lens on my One M8 was also pretty badly scratched but the toothpaste method completely erased all the scratches and restored the camera performance back to its original state.

Did you notice a similar improvement on your M8 after trying the steps above? Drop in a comment and let us know!