Apple promises new iPhone 13 setting to fix macro mode switching

By Stephen Warwick
published

Iphone 13 Camera
Iphone 13 Camera (Image credit: Rene Ritchie)

What you need to know

  • The first reviews of the iPhone 13 are in.
  • Some users have noticed an issue with the iPhone 13's macro camera.
  • Apple says a software change will stop the iPhone from automatically switching to the feature.

Apple says it will roll out a software change in iOS 15 to stop the iPhone 13 automatically switching to the macro camera up close.

Reviews of the new device that have landed today note an issue with the camera that causes the iPhone to switch to macro photography mode when you get up close to a subject, even if you don't want it to. As noted by Input, this happens in both video and photo modes, but there is currently a 'lock camera' option for video:

The fact that there is a "Lock Camera" setting under the Camera section within the Setting app, which disables the automatic camera switching for video recording is proof enough that Apple knows people wouldn't want this. To my disappointment, there is no setting to turn off the camera switching for still photos. Not yet at least.

Apple seems to have initially stated that this is simply how the camera is supposed to work, before changing its mind at the last minute. The company stated:

A new setting will be added in a software update this fall to turn off automatic camera switching when shooting at close distances for macro photography and video.

Input's review states "I'd be more than happy to recommend the iPhone 13 Pro assuming it fixes this very annoying camera user experience. At launch, though, the iPhone 13 Pro camera is broken in my opinion."

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Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9