IOS 26.0.1 camera are blurry on iPhone 17 Pro Max and older iPhones.

I have contacted Apple senior support for over 3 days about the camera quality, where i take photos of a book page (none macro, normal 1x) and only where it focuses is good quality and the rest of the texts and the edges of the photo and the content of the book are blurry/smudgy. I have only owned my iPhone 17 Pro Max for 5 days, my IOS 18.5 six years old iPhone 11 Pro Max outperforms today’s iPhone, with much sharper photo and clarity all sides and edges. Not even the senior support could point out if it was a hardware or a software issue. And they booked me in on a official apple reseller and even there they ”couldn’t see a problem” with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, yet it was pretty obvious. Until i tried the cameras on the demo iPhones both in Apple official reseller and a retailer store and they all had the same photos i got. Even the employees with their older iphone (15 pro max and 13 pro max) had the same issue since they had IOS 26 upgrade. So either please fix the issue as soon as possible, or recall the devices and refund them.

Also Apple senior support team tried to tweak some camera settings while i shared screen for them on my iPhone 17PM, and they told me to factory reset my iPhone and still absolutely nothing changed.

I can provide photo evidence of how blurry images are on the edges and smudgy on texts, and i would really like a confirmation if the camera of the new 2025 device supposed to be this bad, so that i can return it as it didn’t fill my expectations at all.

Posted on Oct 6, 2025 8:41 AM

Top-ranking reply

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Posted on Oct 6, 2025 2:18 PM

Hi, this is a very simple issue of a concept called Depth of Field (DoF). DoF can be expressed as a mathematical formula. Rather than post a lot of math, you can see the formula and how it works here,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

The concept though is fairly simple. There is a zone of acceptable sharpness/focus that extends both behind and in front of the exact point you focus upon. The further objects appear from the exact point of focus the blurrier they become.

You’re attempting to photograph a flat page in a book, but it’s not perfectly flat. Do you see the dip in the center of book, along the spine. You’ll achieve better results using a ½” or ⅝” polished plate glass to hold the book flatter. Not perfect, but better than what you’re currently doing.

Why did the DoF change between older cameras and newer cameras? Apple made a design decision to improve the camera and resulting images for the average photographer. One of the improvements was to a larger sensor and different lens design for the 24mm (1X) lens. The changes resulted in different parameters and the DoF changed and became narrower (less objects in focus both in front of and behind point of focus). This is why newer models will not produce images with less DoF when focused close. The newer models do produce better/sharper images with the 24mm lens that the average photographer will take such as portraits, seascapes, sunsets, sports etc.

Your options are to return the iPhone and purchase an older model, purchase a camera better suited for flat reproduction images, modify your current technique and equipment for better results.

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72 replies

Nov 18, 2025 6:11 AM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

I also have same problem with iPhone 17pro max. This is not a DOF problem who ever stated that. There's something severely wrong with the OIS or focusing. Nothing in this picture is in focus! I have > 60% of my pictures like this. I never had issues like this with iPhone 16 pro max. I regret trading it in.

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Dec 4, 2025 4:02 AM in response to Abdul6677

There are multiple issues being discussed. If you want possible solutions it’s a best practice to create your own thread and include several examples of the issue you’re experiencing. Posting in long, multi page threads is not going to lead to individual solutions.

Kurtosis12

Level 9

76,270 points

Nov 6, 2025 10:38 AM in response to Mstrjay4

Apple, I really don't think it is asking too much.

This is a user to user forum, Apple isn't here.

You can make a suggestion to Apple here -

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Oct 6, 2025 2:19 PM in response to Jeff Donald

The distance i am from the book is enough not to trigger automatic Marco Mode. As i didn’t really see any issues with Macro Mode and it was actually very beautifully sharp all the wat and better then my iphone 11, bur when taken by standard mode with no Macro then it gets really bad.

Here is one example photos ’below’, and i got many more everytime i take a photo no matter the lighting. I really don’t want to hear about some ”the 17 lens is big thats why it’s blurry” and more excuses, because a very expensive camera and my 11 pro max does very good at this without blurring nothing.

Camera settings for both: Nightmode off, Live photo off, Prioritize fast shooting off.

Here is the iPhone 17PM PHOTO:

And here is the iPhone 11PM PHOTO:

[Edited by Moderator]

Oct 6, 2025 2:20 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Here is another photo. Of course the iPhone 17PM camera has much better quality in general than the 11PM, but the blurriness definitely doesn’t qualify.

Don’t forget to zoom to see it in clear. It has nothing to do with “zooming too much in” after photo taken, because my 11 pro max still don’t got those problems at all.

And absolutely not dirty camera lenses, because i wiped nice and shine.

iPhone 17 Pro Max PHOTO:

iPhone 11 Pro Max PHOTO:

[Edited by Moderator]

Oct 6, 2025 3:17 PM in response to Jeff Donald

I do appreciate your answer. But If that’s the case with the iPhone 17s-Pro Max, then why is it that older iPhones that worked perfectly fine started having the same exact blurry/smudgy photos issues as me after updating to IOS 26? one of them is iPhone 15 Pro max for sure, i tested it today from the phone of the employee in the official apple reseller store and she also complained about noticing the camera recently become blurry after she had updated to IOS 26?? So how is that possible? And why is it important for me to have a flat table or whatever to take a photo from the book? last week I was in a classroom and i started sweating trying to take one good photo of mathematics book but all were blurry and smudgy. But iPhone 11 pro max has 0 issues no matter how flat or curved the book are? About the depth field, why can’t we just turn that off as an option and get a normal sharp whole photo?

I could take a photo with the 17PM on the flattest structure on earth and still get the same result my friend.

I start to feel it’s just a software issue that is not been acknowledged yet. I wish for a quick fix. Let’s not forget it that 17 Pro Max costs $1199 in Usa and approximately $1700 locally in my region for a plainly big problem that means alot to me, the most important upgrade i made was specially for the camera..

Oct 7, 2025 5:28 AM in response to Jeff Donald

This as real life it can gets:

IOS 26.0.1 iPhone 17 Pro Max Photo:

IOS 18.5 iPhone 11 Pro Max Photo:

Do you see the difference of the sharpness and clarity of the texts? I’m having a stroke and getting blind looking and reading from my 17. How is this not a 4K evidence of a clear issue? im seriously baffled.

[Edited by Moderator]

Oct 6, 2025 5:46 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Aight bet. I will be back tomorrow, its 2am rn. I will try to give exact distans. But really its not that deep, just back up your iphone where the automatic Macro Mode doesn’t trigger (and sets to normal 1x). And just take a photo of a book page or whatever that has texts everywhere, then try to zoom and read 🧑‍🦯.

I’m just a student, and yeah im not so familiar or knowledgeable about how DoF works, im not much of a technician. And indeed i have yet to study physics.

And i did look up depth of field, but im just not going to study it, i might as well just learn it from you😂🙌🏻

You said ”It’s an issue of lens design, sensor design and choice of materials”, what do you mean? so you confirm a problem there or what exactly?

I just cannot comprehend how a 24MP camera preform worse than a 12MP despite the size of a censor. Don’t big Canon professional camera’s has big lenses too? how come they don’t (most certain) have this blurry smudgy photos at mid-range?

Oct 7, 2025 5:22 AM in response to Jeff Donald

You know, i totally understand that this is not a hardware issue at all. And thank’s all to you who taught me all about it.

It’s crazy that the senior apple support didn’t even know about these important things for their own product and company they work for. This should be considered by Apple management.

But however, i think definitely the blurry/smudgy issue is all about image processing or camera processing software wise where it had gone wrong with IOS 26 updates. Because i’m pretty sure that there is no way apple would just give us a wicked modern day system camera with old school problem.

Tho i really appreciate you, i’m not sure if you work for Apple in a higher rank or not other than it says ”Former apple store manager” and ”joined since year 2000”🫣.. But if you could, maybe you should bring it up to them to check if it really some IOS issue with image processing or camera processing shots.

Thank you very much for your time and help.

sohworks

Level 1

14 points

Oct 10, 2025 6:39 AM in response to Jeff Donald

Jeff - Your comment doesnt make sense at all. An average user is not doing Astrophotography on a daily basis but they could be taking photos of books, monitor screens more than Astrophotography. If a basic photo from a book or a text from monitor or really from any place cannot be clear on a 1400 phone then I dont think its worth it. If someone is paying this amount of money for a latest phone, there should be no issue at all. Asking for a clear photo of a book is not rocket science.

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Oct 11, 2025 7:16 PM in response to Zubbuz

Please post examples of the blurring pixelated photos. There is an old expression that photographers use, if there’s no photos, it never happened. The person before you claimed blurry photos, but nothing gets posted. I -would have to suppose because it never happened.

Jonrow

Level 1

8 points

Oct 12, 2025 1:29 AM in response to Jeff Donald

Hi Jeff,

I don’t think I’m going to post photos. I know that there is some issue with my iPhone 17 pro camera so I’m adding my voice to the list. I don’t want to get into a long running discussion about why I’m not right.

In the old days when camera lenses were being reviewed in magazines they printed detailed grids showing the resolution of lenses and their ability to distinguish contrast and colours. Perhaps you might like to publish those comparing the iPhone 17 pro camera to a previous camera rather than explain to us why we don’t understand that the shots are better despite the evidence of our own eyes .

Could this be a little like the ‘Batterygate’ problem with Apple where the company denied there was any issue with older iPhone battery longevity until suddenly there was?

I’m hoping that the feedback you’re getting will encourage Apple to take a look at this issue and do something about it in a subsequent software release. All the best. Jon

Oct 12, 2025 9:16 AM in response to Mofasa7

Why you think the subject you took should be completely focus, when you clearly have the phone camera so close to the bottom of your keyboard, is a mystery? You're expecting total focus in a scene which is almost impossible to take every element of the scene in total focus. If you don't understand photography and how cameras focus, such as Focal Length, then why post photos which no camera could do a good job with, no matter how much the camera cost? Are you even aware that you can place your finger on the area of an object you want to take a photo of on your iPhone screen to ensure that area is in focus? It's clear you don't know that. But to expect all of what you wanted to be in focus from the angle you took it and the closeness to the bottom of the keyboard guarantees you won't get a totally in focus photograph.

You should take a class in photography and learn about camera basics. Once you learn about them, you'll better understand the limitations of what you can and can't do with a camera. Your photo you posted as having an issue, is unfortunately a fail.

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Oct 12, 2025 9:15 AM in response to Mofasa7

Are you sure the vertical is iPhone 17 Pro? Just want to verify. In any case you have to setup an identical experiment, objects are different sizes indicating you held the cameras at different distances from the subject. Photographing poorly lit computer keyboards is not something I’ve ever had to do or even wanted to do. Try at least a decent test, in decent indoor lighting. It’s acknowledged that all cellphones will exhibit issues indoors and in low light.

Oct 13, 2025 8:14 AM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

Just commenting here to affirm everyone that I also recognize this blurry issue with the 17 Pro compared to my 12 Pro.

However, I am hesitant to update the 12 over to iOS 26 if this is indeed software issue 😵‍💫

IOS 26.0.1 camera are blurry on iPhone 17 Pro Max and older iPhones.