iPhone 16 Pro Max camera issues after iOS 18.6 update

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Level 1

19 points

iPhone 16 Pro Max camera issues after iOS 18.6 update

Does anyone else notice worse camera performance after updating to 18.6, especially in low light ? Pics have more noise, there are issues with focus, switching between modes is slow/choppy, anything above 10x turns into complete mess. Even mics (which were exceptional) don’t record that well when taking videos. Things that never happened on my previous device (14 Pro Max).

Also, since 18.5, if I choose any Photographic style, take pic (or not), exit camera app, reopen - it does not default/reset to Standard (no matter which setting I choose, preserve or not), stays on last Style used. I expected that would be fixed with 18.6.

I’m not into conspiracy theories, but fresh camera issues right before 17 series is about to be presented are pretty strange…

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: 16 Pro Max camera issues (18.6)

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Posted on Aug 2, 2025 1:21 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 23, 2025 7:54 AM in response to stevan133

Same! I have iPhone 16 pro max.

If I start to video at 5x zoom it sticks to 5x-10x zoom, start at 10x sticks to 10x-15x, can’t zoom back to 2 etc.

Automatically tries to start all videos at 0.5 too.

The quality is shocking, constantly getting ‘more light required’ messages in bright sunshine, all recent videos look washed out.

There’s definitely something wrong since this update and it needs fixed asap. I’m not upgrading just for horizontal filming and more low quality videos this time next year!

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Answer 2

SravanKrA

Level 10

433,322 points

Aug 3, 2025 12:01 AM in response to stevan133

It's not always the iOS update's fault! Many things can cause phone problems. If you tell people you think it's an iOS update, it might make it harder to fix or find a solution for the real issue.

Remember, the right question often leads to the solution!

Was/Is your device Jailbroken? If that's the situation, please be informed that attributing the issues to iOS updates may not be accurate.

iOS updates aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features. The majority of the issues after updates might stem from underlying, unmentioned factors. Updates won't typically alter personal data but may refine settings or features. Backup before major updates for safety. Review Apple's update details and backup advice for a smooth process.

Kindly consider checking your settings and addressing any device issues before attributing the issue to external factors. This could be a pure coincidence that the iOS update affected the iPhone functions.

Before initiating a standard iOS update, it's advisable to create a backup. Have you completed this step? If yes, proceed with the restoration from the backup.

See what each update does: About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...

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Answer 3

SravanKrA

Level 10

433,322 points

Aug 3, 2025 12:06 AM in response to stevan133

It surely is not iOS 18.6 because...

I conducted a thorough search of this forum using the term 'Camera issue after iOS update' and uncovered numerous posts detailing similar issues across various iOS updates. This suggests that iOS updates may not consistently be the root cause. Below are a handful of examples extracted from the search results:

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Answer 4

stevan133 Author

Level 1

19 points

Aug 3, 2025 3:09 AM in response to SravanKrA

Thanks for the answer, but it wasn’t really helpful.

Of course device is not jailbroken, I’d mention that. And of course it’s the update (otherwise I would not post). How do I know that ?

a) my friend with 16 Pro has the exact same problems. Low chances hardware would be the cause on both units at the same time (right after the update).

b) I didn’t change any settings. When I noticed issues, I changed and tried every single combination, just in case. Nothing helped, of course.

c) I use XS as secondary. After 18.5 both XS and 16PM had that camera bug where videos would not autoplay after recorded (if you opened them straight after recording by tapping that little preview in bottom left, from camera app). Now, with 18.6, they both work as it should be.

So yeah, it’s the update that’s causing problems.

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Answer 5

stevan133 Author

Level 1

19 points

Sep 11, 2025 9:01 AM in response to MMS_21_12

Strange thing is that it never happened on my previous 14PM. I'm taking pictures and videos of same stuff in pretty much the same conditions, and I've never experienced updates changing or degrading camera results (or app). Now, on 16PM, even app is kinda buggy before pressing the shutter button. And sound recording in videos isn't as good as it used to be out of the box. I guess new 17 series is all about improved cameras, so one way of proving that is making previous generation problematic/worse.

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Answer 6

AnaKass

Level 1

25 points

Aug 9, 2025 9:33 PM in response to stevan133

Same, this person response is not helpful. iphone 16 pro selfie distorted facial features ever since ios 18.6. I’ve also tried all combinations and know when my facial features are distorted despite no lens correction and all the right settings. The phone is quite literally shrinking my features (not in a good way) and is no longer accurate and it’s extremely frustrating. Not cool.

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Answer 7

Sep 11, 2025 8:28 AM in response to stevan133

Thats the same issue I am facing. Very blurry grainy photos both front and main camera. Looks like an intentional thing. I have raised this with Support sharing both how the picture looks like before clicking and how it looks after processing.

They will never agree but thats what they do.

We should stop updating IOS 2 months before new phone release. Wish I could go back to previous IOS version.

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iPhone 16 Pro Max camera issues after iOS 18.6 update

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