iPhone 14 Pro Max cannot focus!

They replaced the camera in mine. It took an hour while I waited. I don't know that it mattered, but I had already called tech support and they had ran diagnostics and gave me a reference number. When I got there, they ran the diagnostics again and took more photos (he said required to document the problem). He said after all that, that it qualified for replacement. Again, they only replaced the camera, NOT the phone. They had to remove my screen saver to make the repair, which was disappointing since I I just bought it and it was a pricy one. But, I'm just glad it works now.

Yeah.. it’s so frustrating! Taking videos for my business is very difficult - the 1x lens absolutely will not focus on anything close up- it jumps to the wide angle lens which is a low photo quality (on my device anyways- distorted edges, grainy, anyone else??) The aperture is smaller on this camera so the light doesn’t get picked up like other iPhones. Photos end up grainy and muddled looking. The one thing I’ve learned to do to salvage some photos is to turn on the Macro alert (so you get a little flower icon in the bottom left corner) that way you can manually move your photo subject or the phone itself farther away so the camera switches off of the ultra wide lens and the little Macro flower will disappear (why the ultra wide lens is the one it defaults to for macro I don’t know) anyways.. once it is off macro and you have the photo subject farther away you can use the 2x zoom lens to somewhat frame a decent close up shot. This is how I’ve been photographing items for my eBay and Etsy shops. It’s crazy and the photos still require a lot of cropping and editing to look decent. My previous iPhones the photos just looked true to life straight out of the camera. Super annoying. I hope a software update can fix some of this?? It seems so dumb to be complaining about the “top of the line” new iPhone lol but with the price tag, one expects a functional camera!

I got mine replaced yesterday & it does nothing. If you change to 48mp or turn on the macro switch it still fails to focus with the main camera. It has to rely on the macro to focus. So any 3rd party apps that don’t allow the macro control , is useless

There is actually no need taking a screen recording. Engineering can replay it themselves on their own 14 pro devices as even *Apple's own* 'Code Scanner' app (Settings -> Control Center -> +), which is default on their devices, is showing the same issue on every 14 pro.

It's the lense its focus distance in combination with lacking software.

"Me too's" could possibly help. It has been an issue for some time now. Still not solved in 16.4.1..

I took mine into the Apple store, and they replaced the camera. It works fine now, thank goodness!

Same issue. Two iPhone Pro Max phones, both apparently won't let 3rd party apps access the curative auto-macro function. And - the hi res cams have longer minimum focus distance when not in macro mode. Auto scanners like Evernote Scannable are utterly thwarted by the new phone/iOS, since closeup is necessary to auto-trim and correct parallax. Result: scans are blurry/unreadable, particularly small (business card, credit card) items. No, setting auto-macro "on" does not resolve the issue. Completely botches utility of iPhone for us - old iPhone XS & iPhone 7 worked fine. Major (and regrettably expensive) disappointment.

In the mean time I tried devices in the store for their behaviour. That excluded a hardware defect on my device as both a 14 pro and a 14 pro max in the store showed the same issue. In fact other iphone models with dual camera showed the same issue but is was less present as the used lenses apparently have a shorter focus.

So it seems to be software. Apps showing the issue apparently do not (cannot?) use a library that uses the auto camera change.

Even *Apple's own* 'Code Scanner' app (Settings -> Control Center -> +) has the same issue.

I wonder whether Apple will fix only their own app(s) or come with a solution in a library that can be used by any 3rd party app!

I was on the phone with Apple Support for 3 hours today - she actually had me take screen recording of the phone's inability to focus during taking photos and video. She said she would submit to Engineering. I will keep you posted what Engineering says. I am beyond frustrated at this point. (this is my second 14 Pro Max!) I already exchanged the first one cause I thought the camera was broken it was so bad. If we all submit feedback, perhaps Apple will take action? Also, make sure to click "Me too" on this thread- Blurry pics on iPhone 14 Pro Max (iOS 16.… - Apple Community

You are submitting complaints in a site apple will never see I just spoke on the phone with a rep. And they said this is the first they have heard about it and complaints and concerns need to be submitted on iPhone - Thank You - Apple

apple.com/feedback

Please go petition you complaints on the focus camera issue on this website I entered hopefully if apple see enough complaints they’ll actually solve the issue in an iOS update

Same here. The "Genius" repair folks just had me totally wipe my phone (years of apps & setups) and reload from scratch "just in case" there was an errant setting, saying that they'd gotten no other reports of such an issue. Mine is random. Most of the time it focuses well, but randomly refuses no matter what - and only refocuses after a total power-down. Other times, it's in focus and goes out randomly with no apparent reason, sometimes refocusing again and sometimes not (like on a stationary shot with no refocusing movements).

I read 'Apple keeps pointing at 3rd party app developers'. If that is the case, I expect that a solution is present. Though if that is true, I cannot believe that for example Whatsapp developers haven't addressed the issue yet (2.23.2.75).

At the same time I read that a full hardware replacement of the device has solved 'issues' for people. So I am in doubt what my next step has to be: wait for 3rd party devs or ask Apple to replace my device.

Does anyone have a link to an official statement from Apple regarding this issue that possibly helps to decide?

Hmm. You might be facing a different issue. I was talking about the focus on barcodes etc that fails in many applications that do not know how to switch lenses. If your picture is taken with the default Camera app .. then you might be facing a different problem. The latter must/ will switch to the right camera.

Same issue trying to scan business cards. Trying to back off until there is some type of focus is almost worthless. Putting cards in the old fashion way again. Disappointing for a brand new phone...

I’m having the same issue with my new 14 pro max. Just came from the Genius Bar and they said they hadn’t heard of this issue and suggested a hard reset. I also want my iPhone 12 Pro Max back. Much better photos

Same here, as others mentioned when required to take a photo via a 3rd party, like scanning a boarding pass. Uploading a photo of a check for mobile deposit, scanning a passport the iPhone 14 pro will not focus!!!! It’s infuriating. This glitch happens also on Instagram and the camera app itself but is less annoying only because it does cycle thru the lens. (Making horrible videos). But Atleast focusing sooner or later. Is this just a problem for some of us or all of us???