iPhone 14 Pro Max focuses most of the time. Sometimes it refuses. Same Environment

Hello!

After all this should be a software issue. Make sure you are running on the latest iOS - 16.3.1. Please also report the issue here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple, so Apple acknowledge it and try to fix it as soon as possible. If possible it is good everyone to report it.

Even though most likely it is not a hardware issue, things like that can occur if the phone has been dropped or damaged and if it is just a faulty unit.

Have a great day!

Understood vb2k,

Have you only noticed the issue with photos in low light settings, or does this also happen in daylight or indoors with good lighting?

Also, at night, is the Night mode enabled? Here's how to check: Take Night mode photos with your iPhone camera - Apple Support

1. Open Camera. In low-light situations, Night mode turns on automatically.
2. Tap  at the top of the screen to turn Night mode off and on.
3. To experiment with Night mode, tap , tap  in the row of options at the bottom of the screen, then use the slider to choose between the Auto and Max timers. With Auto, the time is determined automatically; Max uses the longest exposure time. The setting you choose is saved for your next Night mode shot.
4. Tap the Shutter button, then hold the camera still to take your shot.
5. Crosshairs appear in the frame if your iPhone detects movement during capture—align the crosshairs to help you reduce motion and improve the shot.
6. To stop taking a Night mode shot mid-capture, tap the Stop button below the slider.

Cheers!

Hello vb2k,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. Which iOS version is currently installed on your iPhone? Settings > General > About.

We have some great steps available that will possibly resolve the issue. Please complete all the steps listed here:

If the camera or flash on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch isn't working

If the issue persists, please get in touch with Apple Support to investigate this issue further. You can contact them using this link: Get Support

We hope this information is useful. Kind regards.

Feeling the same. Got great night photos with my iPhone 12, upgraded to iPHone 14 Pro Max and night photos won't focus unless I use portrait mode.

This happens to me too, along with a host of other camera issues. Sometimes (rarely) when it’s working it takes a pretty good picture. But it’s pure luck and I always dread when it’s going to switch back to not focusing and ruining photos with processing. I get the focus issue + other issues in all lighting situations and for no discernible reason. Been to apple over and over and done the reset, replaced camera, etc. they want me to do a restore like you described and if that fails try a new phone. I don’t want to do the restore so I’m holding out hope for a fix. This camera is so bad and so riddled with issues. I’m so sad I upgraded. And it’s such a tease because it shows it *can* take a good photo but between focus issues and software processing flaws it fails over and over.

Hi,

I've just stumbled across this thread as I was searching for a solution to this exact problem, which I have unfortunately also encountered with my 14 pro max. When I first got the phone on release day I didn't really notice any problems but it may have been that I just didn't try to take any night time photos at that time. When I really went to try it out and tried to capture the stars and the moon, it looked great. I barely take photos at night time so the first time I noticed this blurriness is when I tried to take a video of fireworks on new years. Pictures seemed to work but I could never get my camera to focus on the fireworks in videos, only for about 2 seconds at best. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to get nice videos but didn't think anything of it. I haven't tried to take any outside pictures at night since, until a few days ago, when I was unable to get a good shot of the moon, no matter how many times I tried adjusting the camera settings, focus, night mode etc. When I tried to take a picture of the sky without the moon, it just came out blurry like the second picture you posted here.

I really hope there will be a fix soon as this issue seems to actually be really common for this phone, which is sad considering it is supposed to have one of the best cameras out there. Also kind of disappointed that Apple has not yet acknowledged it at all. Is it only the Max that is facing this issue or does it happen with the regular Pro as well?

HI MacOSVentura

same problem here. Bought iPhone 14 Pro Max 1TB about week ago. for the first time, today need to make a closeup foto of my ID. no focus. software ios 16.2. Read alot and came across this community. So read everything, all of them familiar and same. When reading you message as last one, i had hope again. And updated couple of minutes ago to the last version, hoping fix this issue. Sorry but nothing has changed or fixed :( The camera problem exists. But, although nothing to do with the update, The Camera App original works with close focus, you get an flower. But when you need the close up focus with an app, you can forget it. Its so frustrating. A phone so expensieve over 2000 Euros and focus problem..... after 15 years my children persuaded me and bought the next level iPhone, and cannot even shoot a photo of my ID.... hope they (apple) will fix this problem very soon.

Pareille pour moi, j’ai un iPhone 14 Pro avec ios 16.4.1 et le focus n’arrive pas à se faire très souvent ! Principalement en condition de faible luminosité mais aussi en journée. Impossible de prendre en photos des amis en soirée ou des paysages ou des feux d’artifices.

Je suis vraiment très déçu de Apple qui ne fait rien pour régler ce problème ! Surtout sur un model haut de gamme comme un 14 Pro.

Le focus n’arrive pas à se faire et fait un effet avant / arrière de pumping sans arriver à faire la mise au point, que ce soit avec l’application photo Apple native ou avec d’autres appli photo tierce.

Hello ! iPhone 14 pro Max, just over a month old, same exact issue from day one, especially in low light settings (and I was really looking forward to some night shots!). Still no solution from apple?

Same issue poor focus and focal length especially when using it with other applications like say you want to take picture of license or say you are depositing a check and you have to get it within the bars the app needs. You have to hold your phone like 10 feet away for it to focus but then its not in the range that the apps require so its worthless I didn't have this issue with my iphone 11. So incredibly frustrating to say the least with a phone this expensive.

vb2k,

At this point, we recommend reaching out to Apple directly for assistance with this issue here: Get Support

Cheers!