How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

Same problem here. It's easy to test it with a take a photo to an A4 text document with main camera (disable macro mode because it is using the wide camera).

Is it some batches of camera lens problem or affected to whole series of 16 pro max? I think Apple should recall or replace the camera module sooner or later instead of fixing the camera algorithm could be fixed.

How was the Macro Control set in Settings app? The way macro works is different than prior iOS versions. Different lenses behave differently. The macro lens (13mm .5X) focuses closer than non-macro lenses.

>>Control automatic macro switching

You can control when Camera automatically switches to the Ultra Wide camera for capturing macro photos and videos.

1. Open Camera on your iPhone.
2. Get close to your subject.
3. When you get within macro distance of your subject,  appears on the screen.
4. Tap  to turn off automatic macro switching.
5. Tip: If the photo or video becomes blurry, you can back up or tap .5x to switch to the Ultra Wide camera.
6. Tap  to turn automatic macro switching back on.

To turn off the manual Macro Control when taking photos and videos, go to Settings  > Camera, then turn off Macro Control.

If you want to maintain your Macro Control setting between camera sessions, go to Settings  > Camera > Preserve Settings, then turn on Macro Control.

Take macro photos and videos with your iPhone camera - Apple Support

I just bought today a new IPhone 15 plus for £900, and I can not believe that the camera is useless. All pictures are blurred, focus is all messed up. I did hear it from others, but kind of did not believe it. Well now I have it in my hands, now I am experiencing it and the waste of £900. This is a joke. I was not mean to listen and buy just because the brand. Iphone is not anymore a good brand that what you buy is worth the money. It became something that is not that good, is just a brand selling low quality technology. Turning it back for sure, and making sure to share my experience to everyone.

Hey y’all! I think I figured it out. I had to tap and HOLD my finger on where I’m trying to get the camera to focus (specifically my nails freshly painted) and it clicked into place for me! You might have to tap, hold, and drag as well. Hope this helps!!

Nice work mate, I also posted heaps of examples early on in this thread between iPhone 11 Pro Max, 13 pro, 14pro max and 16 pro max.

It’s obvious there is a problem, and I don’t care that some people in here are defending the lens and how it works because of the curvature of the lens, etc. No matter what, it’s unacceptable that in this day-in-age an iPhone 16 Pro/MAX can’t take a photo of a basic menu at 1x zoom without it being blurry and smudgy out to the edges(from a normal/reasonable distance) when clearly we haven’t had this issue before with previous iPhones!

My issue is that, most people who buy the iPhone 16 Pro/MAX, 90% of its use is in fact just random photos of info sheets, product numbers, menus, scanning a document, etc. (easy stuff) and maybe the 10% of the time it is used as a “pro photo shooting” feature, so Apple should have known better, really! Just add the extra “flat lens” and have 4 lenses on the back 🤣🤣 it’s a shame, I have to now use the 2x zoom to get sharp texts on an A4 on a desk but I have to be nearly standing up to take it, and even then it uses the 12MP lens not the 24MP

Yes I see your point, but I’m not the one missing the point when 99.9% of the people in here are complaining about the same issue as I am complaining which is that everyday “text on A4” at 1x zoom being blurry and smudgy out to the edges 🤷🏻.

No one is saying the lens is bad for taking photos of subjects. So really whilst I know what you’re saying, but this very thread is the point that the iP16 pro/max takes bad photos up close at 1x zoom of “TEXT” on a sheet of paper

Exactly the same issue with my 16 Pro. Support recommended to update to latest iOS (18.3.1). Makes no difference. I am a teacher and use the iPhone a lot to photograph printed text for smartboard use. But even my iPad Air 4 produces sharper Images than my new iPhone (13 pro was much better).

This appears to be a hardware issue. How does Apple handle this?

I can reproduce the focus issue at will because I understand the complaint

---with my iPhone 16 Pro Max locked down on a heavy tripod and using a remote bluetooth shutter release and the surface of the camera's image sensor in parallel with the detail (depth of field) I want in focus---

maybe my iPhone 16 Pro Max is defective, too -- maybe I don't know how to use the camera, either (tap focus, and zoom in to 100 percent to evaluate pixel sharpness)

but plenty of examples already posted on this thread illustrate what I am seeing here, too -- and some obvious user errors and unclarities in posts

u-tubers not talking about the issue are most likely involved with sponsors or agendas (if they are real camera operators or just editorializing their bias or weak expertise, or just not interested in the issue)

I am a firm believer in SEEING IS BELIEVING...

+++++

someone made the comment new posters aren't reading this thread before they post -- who can blame them -- this thread has become unreadable for most people except that they can see they are not the only ones, and at least one poster said they were told Apple is aware of the complaint

at that point I would just mark this "me too" and move on -- unless you want to have lengthy conversations and spend more time testing/ troubleshooting steps for Advisors who may or may not be keen or able to put your results in the hands of someone who can actually do something about it

Thank you. What distance were you? You said normal distance. What is that exactly? To a landscape photographer, it’s probably 20+ meters, to a street photographer maybe 10 meters, to a portrait photographer maybe 5 meters or less, to a still life photographer maybe 1 to 2 meters, but to a closeup or macro photographer what is normal?

Did you bother reading my post of May 4th where I explained iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max don’t focus as close as previous models? I also explained how if macro switching is enabled, the switch to 13mm .5X lens happens further from the subject.

Apple changed the specs, it’s just different from prior models. You said it should be simple to use under normal conditions. I’d say, macro photography is not normal for the millions that make up the vast majority of iPhone users. Normal iPhone users take pictures of friends, their trips, scenery, sunsets, the times of their lives. Normal to the vast majority is not being 10 centimeters from their subjects.

So far I don’t understand how AI (as opposed to Deep Fusion and computational photography in general) specifically affects iPhone photography.

But AI (understood as Apple Intelligence) will have a lot of other functions though that will probably make the 16 Pro be regarded as a milestone in iPhone history.

But for me this model will always be remembered as the first iPhone that delivers worse photos than its predecessors (at least in an area that really matters to me and some other folks around here).

jeremyfromcobham

>>The camera is broken and you need Apple to replace it. I've just got back from one of their stores and they agreed the camera is the problem.....

if your iPhone camera is broken it will be replaced or repaired under the original warranty or AppleCare

if it is just an engineering issue (bad design) that's going to hit Apple's reputation

jeremyfromcobham

>>Apple wont admit it but the camera is the issue!!

I think you just stated an Apple Genius (I presume what you meant) just acknowledged the problem during your Apple Store appointment -- those people don't make those statements lightly -- document that in your CASE NUMBER and call back in a few days to confirm the conversation has been clearly noted

meantime, be sure to mark this thread ME TOO -- those numbers matter (I think)

I absolutely agree!! I despise the poor quality of the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera and wish I’d never gotten rid of my 12 Pro Max, which took astounding photos that make the 16 Pro Max’s camera look like the piece of garbage that it most certainly is. This has totally upended my faith in Apple after decades of loyalty.

I have iPhone pro max 16 and notice the 24mm lens fusion camera ALWAYS seems to shoot wide open f/1.78 at shutter speeds over 1/2000th second in full daylight:

here is my post with a few more details and example screenshot:

Why is my iPhone Pro Max 16 shooting wide… - Apple Community

the camera focus issues appear to be by APPLE DESIGN and you can bet they are aware of how their camera lenses perform

basic 101:

shooting WIDE OPEN provides least depth of field and the edges typically blur extreme out of focus

this is why photographers stop down when they want to increase edge to edge sharpness in wide angle lenses

if you've ever shot a fast f/1.2 50mm kit lens on a film or digital 35mm SLR style camera you would be amazed how all over the place the focus goes (artistic if you can control it, unusable wide open for a lot of people)

some of the samples I see in the text look like they have some HDR effects going on with at least over sharpening (and you can turn off View Full HDR in your camera settings for more organic preview) -- and the quality of a consumer lens vs the perfect bed of pixels you desire

the HDR effect I am talking about shows a normal preview on the screen then quickly shifts to horrible before your eyes when the HDR preview kicks in -- the actual file isn't horrible, the software showing the preview is

what does Photoshop or Lightroom show at 100 percent actual pixels is what counts...

Apple changed what lens is used for macro photos. It used to use the 24mm 1X lens and now it uses the 13mm .5X for macro photos. It requires learning how the new macro works and how you have to adjust settings to optimize your experience. Please review the App support article i linked to below.

Take macro photos and videos with your iPhone camera - Apple Support

In the camera industry camera manufactures, some models are refreshed every year to 18 month, depending on the cost. No one wants their $5000+ camera updated every 12 months. But less expensive models are updated as stated above. If you’re upgrading from a previous model, there is always a learning curve while you adjust to changes in hardware and software.

It seems that smart phone users demand improvements, but don’t want to apply themselves to learn new hardware and software and learn to take advantage of the improvements they demanded.

Learn your equipment via various means such as asking questions here and in more specialized communities on the internet. Larger metropolitan areas offer adult education classes and you can often times hire private tutors for a low rate. If you’re looking for free opportunities, Apple Retail Stores offer free classes and many websites offer free tutorials in the hopes of selling you a membership.

iPhones are evolving and becoming more serious photographic tools. In recent years, with every new model release, you see YouTube videos from dozens, maybe even hundreds, comparing iPhones to cameras costing $100’s and even $1,000’s more than an entire iPhone.

Apple uses computational photography, which is just a name for AI, to make the kinds of images you express a desire for. “We want point and shoot photography where we don't see parts of the image, or peoples faces, blurred.” In order to produce those kinds of images you have to learn how to use the tools that deliver those results. If you want better results, you have to learn to use the options and settings Apple provides.

How much time to you spend learning your new camera? It’s a fair question if you expect to continually get results that meet your expectations. You basically have two choices. Learn your iPhone or learn a separate camera that better meets your expectations. But believe me, I’ve used them all, Pixels, Samsungs and the myriad Chinese offerings. I could purchase any smart I like, but year after year I chose iPhone. In my personal experience, it’s the best smart phone camera available.

Apple doesn’t read these comments on this forum so everyone should send feedback to the Apple link and hopefully if they get enough complaints they will fix the camera focus issue because it is a real big problem and just not fair. Here’s the link. Product Feedback - Apple