diff --git a/apps/tests/camera-tests.ts b/apps/tests/camera-tests.ts
index 639de8147..ca2f74262 100644
--- a/apps/tests/camera-tests.ts
+++ b/apps/tests/camera-tests.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import camera = require("camera");
 // << camera-require
 
+import TKUnit = require("./TKUnit");
+
 export var test_takePicture = function () {
     // >> camera-take-picture
     camera.takePicture().then(result => {
@@ -9,3 +11,10 @@ export var test_takePicture = function () {
     });
     // << camera-take-picture
 };
+
+export var test_isCameraAvailable = function () {
+    // >> camera-is-availabile
+    var availability = camera.isAvailable();
+    // >> camera-is-availabile
+    TKUnit.assertTrue(availability == true || availability == false, "Availability should return a Boolean");
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/tests/camera.md b/apps/tests/camera.md
index 9feea38d3..34f1aa89e 100644
--- a/apps/tests/camera.md
+++ b/apps/tests/camera.md
@@ -10,3 +10,6 @@ Using a camera requires the camera module.
 
 ### Taking a picture.
 <snippet id='camera-take-picture'/>
+
+### Check for availability
+<snippet id='camera-is-availabile'/>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/camera/Readme.md b/camera/Readme.md
index 582581ad9..7ec0ba343 100644
--- a/camera/Readme.md
+++ b/camera/Readme.md
@@ -8,4 +8,7 @@ camera.takePicture({"cameraPosition": camera.CameraPosition.BACK, "flashMode": c
     console.log('pic canceled');
 });
 
+if(camera.isAvailable()){
+   console.log('you may take a picture');   
+}
 ```
diff --git a/camera/camera.android.ts b/camera/camera.android.ts
index 82a7485bf..3731cd0da 100644
--- a/camera/camera.android.ts
+++ b/camera/camera.android.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,12 @@ export var takePicture = function (options?): Promise<any> {
     });
 }
 
+export var isAvailable = function () {
+    var utils: typeof utilsModule = require("utils/utils");
+    
+    return utils.ad.getApplicationContext().getPackageManager().hasSystemFeature(android.content.pm.PackageManager.FEATURE_CAMERA)
+}
+
 var calculateInSampleSize = function (imageWidth, imageHeight, reqWidth, reqHeight) {
     var sampleSize = 1;
     if (imageWidth > reqWidth && imageHeight > reqHeight) {
diff --git a/camera/camera.d.ts b/camera/camera.d.ts
index 0b9132892..d9e5562ca 100644
--- a/camera/camera.d.ts
+++ b/camera/camera.d.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ declare module "camera" {
      * @param options - Optional parameter for setting different camera options.
      */
     export function takePicture(options?: CameraOptions): Promise<imageSource.ImageSource>;
+    
+    /**
+     * Is the camera available to use
+     */
+    export function isAvailable(): Boolean;
 
     export interface CameraOptions {
         /**
diff --git a/camera/camera.ios.ts b/camera/camera.ios.ts
index 23c57dee6..400a28a49 100644
--- a/camera/camera.ios.ts
+++ b/camera/camera.ios.ts
@@ -124,3 +124,7 @@ export var takePicture = function (options): Promise<any> {
         }
     });
 }
+
+export var isAvailable = function () {
+    return UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(UIImagePickerControllerSourceType.UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera);
+}