iPhone camera not working after iOS 26 update

Just upgraded my iPhone and now there is no more portrait setting on my camera. It has been a great camera for years and now it's like downgrading to a basic point and shoot. There are only two settings: video and photo. That's it. I use to have panorama, portrait, slo-mo and others. Where did they go? This is bad.

WAIT! I figured it out. The photo modes are really hidden. You have to slide the "photo" button (when you're in the camera) until they appear. If you want to access things like 4:3, exposure, "live" and all that, you have to tap the photo button. Those settings used to be accessible by tapping the little arrow-like button at the top of the frame but no more. The "live" setting could be turned off a lot more easily than it can now. Now, you have to tap the photo button until the settings appear, then tap the "live" button to turn it off. Meanwhile, your subject has moved... Personally, I don't like "live" unless I want to capture movement. What would be great is if there were a way to turn off "live" for more than one photo. Even though it's a relief to have found all this stuff, what a completely useless update. I don't care about the jelly-looking stuff; I just want the phone and the camera to work. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I have had serious issues with audio when recording videos at music events after updating my iPhone 15 proMax to iOS 26. I did take it to a "genius" at the local Apple Store. Friendly "Genius" didn't have a clue even after running an audio test, saying that he'd never heard of this being a problem, and that I should call Apple Support. Seemed weird to me since I thought he was Apple Support. After reading enough posts on Reddit and other online sources which would suggest that it seems to be a problem with the Camera App's processing of the audio, I filed a bug report with Apple. I have since started using the blackmagic camera app which seems to process audio fine.

This what I keep getting anytime I try and use my camera. If I try and zoom or if I try and switch from photo to video it freezes. We’ve had two RC builds an neither of them fixed the camera. I got a iPhone 17 pro max and a uses camera

drdre74 wrote:

This what I keep getting anytime I try and use my camera. If I try and zoom or if I try and switch from photo to video it freezes. We’ve had two RC builds an neither of them fixed the camera. I got a iPhone 17 pro max and a uses camera

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/8ffc2059-8afd-4a8b-9607-4f6077409d4e

Since you mention RC Builds, this means you're using Beta Software on your iPhone. And you can't discuss possible issues with Beta software, per the NDA you signed when you became a Beta Tester. Use the feedback link you were provided.

I was using my iPhone as my camera for Zoom calls. Since updating to iOS 26.1 My camera looks crazy on zoom - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f0ahofb7caziloog28545/Screenshot-2025-12-12-at-10.08.38-AM.png?rlkey=5pmezau777rfehclyf97xoigv&dl=0 Can someone help me resolve this?

Thank you for posting the tip, that worked for me. I normally hold off on doing major IOS updates due to glitches/bugs but against my better judgement, did it anyway. I'm surprised that this issue fell through the testing cracks. I've been in IT for over 40 years and would imagine the functionality of a camera would have been in an automated regression test...

My variation is a bit different. After updating to 26.1, I have no problem with the normal camera on the back of the phone. However, when I take a picture with inside of the phone (selfie), lights in the background appear to be warped, as in a lightbulb will show with a horizontal “warp” line (think Starship enterprise) extending to the side of the screen. This ruins selfies. I didn’t have this issue until 3 days ago when I upgraded. Thoughts?

updating to 26.2 didn’t do anything for me. As you can see from this example, whenever there is a light in frame on the front facing camera foreground (side with the screen), I get a warp looking line(s). Most selfies are now ruined because of this. And yes, I cleaned the lens before taking this photo

Hi Jeff

i do have a screen protector. However, I didn’t have this problem prior to iOS 26 and had the same protection. Perhaps the new version uses more of the potential lens area. But I’d have thought that they’d have said some Thisbe about that

Robert-D-333 wrote:

Hi Jeff

i do have a screen protector. However, I didn’t have this problem prior to iOS 26 and had the same protection. Perhaps the new version uses more of the potential lens area. But I’d have thought that they’d have said some Thisbe about that

iOS 26 could not change the lens area used by any of the cameras on your iPhone. And Jeff is correct that what you captured is a naturally occurring Lens Flare. When you looked at the screen on your iPhone before you took, the photo, the lens flare was there in plain sight. Had you angled the camera differently, you'd have been able to reduce or eliminate the lens flare. There is nothing in the photo example you showed, which could logically be attributed to iOS 26.

Really? Just searching for camera issue iOS 26 gives plenty hits. Including articles eg from the MacObserver and several YouTube videos with tips on how to try fixing it.

Possibly It only affects phones with iOS 26.x in combination with some other app (upgrade) or iOS setting or whatever. Yet the issue was not there prior to the iOS 26.1 upgrade and I didn’t install new apps for a while.

bottom line: to me it is an iOS issue.

Puthoven wrote:

Really? Just searching for camera issue iOS 26 gives plenty hits. Including articles eg from the MacObserver and several YouTube videos with tips on how to try fixing it.

Possibly It only affects phones with iOS 26.x in combination with some other app (upgrade) or iOS setting or whatever. Yet the issue was not there prior to the iOS 26.1 upgrade and I didn’t install new apps for a while.

bottom line: to me it is an iOS issue.

There's absolutely no issue on any of our devices which are all updated to the most current iOS 26.2. I also know a LOT of people on iOS 26.2, none of whom are having any issues with the camera on their devices.

I'm curious what Apple said you should do when you showed them the issues you're having?

Bought Iphone 16 pro for the camera. On ios 18 it was such clear and crisp. After updating to ios 26, the camera quality is like taking pictures with a potato. I like ios 26, but APPLE PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD FIX THE CAMERA!!! Not everyone can afford newest models. 😤

iphonewontring wrote:

Nope camera passed all hardware tests. The camera works in video mode and selfie mode the rear camera will not focus or take a picture but video work some time after trying to focus and selfies work and save to the photos. So your trying to say thousands of users have had their phones fail in the middle of the night after the update suddenly develop a hardware issue? At my old company our engineers have worked with Apples engineers to incorporate our security system into the apple product. I know for a fact the issues apple has with update from our team of engineers. Apple and it moderators should stop trying to deflect from the fact the ios update caused the issue on phone not all phones but thousands. Apple support admitted so in one of my calls with them and at the apple store after wasting my time on a factory reset only to have the same exact issue. At least you guys should be truthful. We have to wait till they get enough complaints to address the issue.

Please validate "thousands of users?" You've spoken to that many people? Everything you've described, such as "video work sometime," would indicate it doesn't work ALL the time. And that points to a camera system which is failing. It does not prove a software update caused the camera system to fail, though it could be the update was the final straw which helped a failing camera over the edge.

Also we guys are users here, on this user to user only forum. We are NOT Apple. We can't see or test your phone. But if you've had Apple test your phone and they have told you you have a hardware issue, then you have a hardware issue. And arguing with only other users on a user to user only forum will get you nowhere. We can't fix your phone at all.

I don't think my iPhone 13 has the macro function you're talking about. You used the Camera settings in the Settings app, right?

Settings > Camera ??

Below General and Accessibility?

So, I've got no idea how to try what you mentioned because I can't find the option you are talking about. : {