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How to Unlock Camera in League of Legends (Easy Fix for Camera Lock)

SELVA MOONBELL

16 th  July 2025 Edited at: 16th July 2025
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A lot of players, especially newer ones, get confused when the camera suddenly locks to their chosen champion. It can feel like a camera lock bug, but in most cases, it’s just a setting you can change. This can be especially frustrating for players transitioning from other gaming genres where the camera is always free.

Camera lock is a built-in feature in League of Legends. It's meant to help players follow their champion easily, but it can also get in the way if you don’t know how to turn it off. For new players, the transition to free camera can feel like a steep learning curve. In this guide, you’ll learn how to unlock the camera, why it sometimes locks by default, how to fix it if the usual methods don’t work, and how to use the feature to enhance your map awareness and gameplay in League's intricate world of teamfighting and vision control.

Understanding the camera in League is crucial, as good camera control gatekeeps you out of fundamental mechanics. Learning to toggle between locked and unlocked camera modes with a single key press can help you stay aware, plan movements, and make informed decisions based on what’s happening outside your screen’s immediate focus.


How to Unlock the Camera in League of Legends

The camera in League can be either locked to your champion or freely movable. Being able to unlock the camera is one key advantage in managing potential threats during the ever changing flow of a match. Here's how to toggle it:

Use the Default Toggle Key

  • Press Y on your keyboard.

    This is the default keyboard hotkey and the simplest method to switch between locked and unlocked camera modes. If it doesn’t work, it might have been changed. See the section on hotkey settings below.

locked camera
locked camera
  • This in game toggle button lets you seamlessly switch to unlocked mode, which is especially helpful in teamfights and during roaming.

Use Mouse to Pan the Screen

  • Edge pan: If you prefer locked camera, move your mouse to the edge of the screen. If this doesn’t move the camera, edge pan might be turned off.
  • Middle mouse button: Hold it down and drag to move the camera freely.
  • Arrow Keys: It's a bit of a stretch, and we don't recommend it, but you can move the camera with your arrow keys. Please change your hotkeys before you cramp your hands doing that, though, it’s not ideal for the fast paced nature of most games.

You can turn edge pan on/off by:

  1. Opening the in-game menu (hit Esc).
  1. Going to "Hotkeys" > "Camera Control".
  1. Finding the Edge Screen Scroll option and enabling it

Change Settings in the Game Menu

To change camera lock settings directly:

  1. Press Esc to open the menu.
  1. Go to the "Hotkeys" tab.
  1. Select “Camera Control”.
  1. Check or reassign the Toggle Camera Lock key (usually Y).
How to change the camera lock key
How to change the camera lock key
  1. Make sure “Camera Lock Mode” is set to your desired mode.

These settings only take a few seconds to adjust. You can test them right away in bot games or custom matches—great controlled environments for practice unlocking and finding what works for your muscle memory.


How to Change Camera Settings

Sometimes just unlocking the camera isn’t enough—you might want finer control over how it moves. League of Legends offers many customization options to adapt camera behavior to different player preferences and the strategic intricacies of each match.

Full Lock vs. Semi-Lock

League gives you a few different camera modes. You can find these under:

  • Settings > Game > Camera Lock Mode

Here’s what each mode does:

  • Default Lock: Keeps the camera centered on your chosen champion. Often includes a Fixed Offset option — what that means, is that the camera gives you an offset when playing redside to mitigate blueside advantage. This creates a fixed view, which is easier to manage but reduces map visibility.
  • Semi-Locked: Lets you shift the camera around a bit, but it still moves with your champion. This allows for a seamless transition between awareness and control.
  • Free Camera: No lock at all—you move the camera however you want. Select this unlocked mode if you want full control. It's generally seen as the higher skill ceiling option and great for gathering information, helping players easily survey lanes and jungle paths to see potential threats sooner.

One key advantage of Free Camera is the ability to react to map events in real time without being tethered to your champion, helping you better plan movements and make informed decisions.

Adjust Camera Speed

If the camera feels too slow or too fast when panning, go to:

  • Settings > Game > Camera Move Speed
How to change camera move speed
How to change camera move speed

There are sliders for both Mouse Speed and Keyboard Speed. Adjust your camera movement speed until it feels right for you. Lower values allow more precise positioning, while higher ones support swift movements across the map.

Change or Add Hotkeys

If the Y key doesn’t work or you prefer something else:

  1. Press Esc to open settings.
  1. Go to Hotkeys > Camera Control.
  1. Find Toggle Camera Lock and set it to a new keyboard hotkey.

You can also add alternate keys for edge pan, centering the camera, or dragging functions if you want more ways to control it. Adjusting keybinds to match your muscle memory can help improve your overall gaming experience.


Troubleshooting Tips

If the camera still won't unlock after trying the basic fixes, here are a few more things to check.

Reset Your Keybindings

If you’ve changed a lot of controls or something isn’t working right:

  1. Go to Settings > Hotkeys > Restore Defaults. If you've bound your Settings key to an unknown one, you can bring the menu up with the gear icon right next to your minimap.
  1. Apply the changes and try toggling the camera again (default is Y).

In such cases, a reset often resolves minor conflicts or issues from remapped keys. This is a good fallback if your game remains stuck in the wrong mode or the camera lock won't respond properly.

Reinstall or Repair League (Last Resort)

If camera controls still don’t respond after testing everything:

  • Use the Hextech Repair Tool from Riot Games’ support page.
  • Or reinstall the Legends client completely to reset all files and settings.

This step usually isn’t necessary, but it can fix rare bugs, minor glitches, or corrupted config files. The engine is 15 years old, so you never know. In more extensive measures, it's worth clearing everything out and starting from scratch.

FAQ – League Camera Controls


How do I unlock the camera in ARAM?

Press Y to toggle camera lock. If it doesn’t work, check your control settings under Hotkeys > Camera Control. Some new accounts may have limited camera control in early ARAM games, but this lifts after a few matches as players progress.


Can I unlock the camera in Wild Rift?

No. In Wild Rift, the camera is designed for touchscreen and stays semi-locked. You can drag the screen with your finger, but there’s no full free cam feature like on PC.


Why is the camera stuck on a teammate?

If you’re spectating a game or recently died, the camera may follow another player. To stop this:

  • Tap spacebar to refocus on yourself.
  • Click the small camera icon (top left hand side) to toggle free camera. The small camera icon serves as a toggle between player-follow and free view.
  • In replays, use number keys (1–5) to switch between champions.

How do I disable edge panning?

  1. Open Settings > Game or Settings > Hotkeys > Camera Control.
  1. Look for the Edge Screen Scroll option and turn it off.

Disabling this option prevents the camera from moving when your mouse hits the edge of the screen—useful in the fixed view setup.


Can I lock the camera again if I need to?

Yes. Just press Y again to re-enable camera lock. This can be helpful during intense fights or for newer players who prefer to focus entirely on their chosen champion without added complexity.

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SELVA MOONBELL

Content Writer
Self-professed League historian and lore archivist.
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