Camera issue after updating ios27
In iPhone17 after updating ios27 the camera quality got degraded, picture quality is very hazzy
iPhone 17, iOS 27
In iPhone17 after updating ios27 the camera quality got degraded, picture quality is very hazzy
iPhone 17, iOS 27
sakule wrote:
That is the thing, conditions didn’t change, boosting iso so much is the issue, not only on my device, I talked to several people that use 17 pro, same issue. Unfortunately cannot roll back to iOS 26.
I gave all data about images on purpose, being aware of it’s values and meaning.
I’ve had an iPhone 17 Pro Max since launch day in September 2025. I’ve taken over 11,000 photos in that time. Not once have I had exposure settings change arbitrarily.
If you look at the time frame the two images were taken over 1 hour apart. During that hour 9 other photos were made. Something changed during the time period and there was less light.
All smartphone cameras have issues in lower light levels. Your best results will come from using the 1X lens (24mm equivalent focal length) and getting closer to your subject. The 4X telephoto is f/2.8 vs. f/1.8 for the 1X. That gives the 1X about a 1 ⅓ stop advantage. You might also want to switch to Night Mode in lower light levels when shooting stationary subjects like the box. Another alternative is to use the built in flash to add additional light.
sakule wrote:
That is the thing, conditions didn’t change, boosting iso so much is the issue, not only on my device, I talked to several people that use 17 pro, same issue. Unfortunately cannot roll back to iOS 26.
I gave all data about images on purpose, being aware of it’s values and meaning.
I’ve had an iPhone 17 Pro Max since launch day in September 2025. I’ve taken over 11,000 photos in that time. Not once have I had exposure settings change arbitrarily.
If you look at the time frame the two images were taken over 1 hour apart. During that hour 9 other photos were made. Something changed during the time period and there was less light.
All smartphone cameras have issues in lower light levels. Your best results will come from using the 1X lens (24mm equivalent focal length) and getting closer to your subject. The 4X telephoto is f/2.8 vs. f/1.8 for the 1X. That gives the 1X about a 1 ⅓ stop advantage. You might also want to switch to Night Mode in lower light levels when shooting stationary subjects like the box. Another alternative is to use the built in flash to add additional light.
Potentially, but not simply because both phones received the update. Apple uses a common audiovisual framework, AVFoundation, across its platforms, while camera configuration depends on the particular capture device. That combination leaves room for a change in shared camera code to affect more than one model, hardware specific handling does not imply complete isolation between models. However, those architectural facts do not establish that a particular fix caused a particular regression.
Apple’s iOS 27.0.1 release notes identify a specific camera issue. A color artifact in photos captured at 2× under certain lighting conditions on a small number of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max devices. That is not the same reported symptom as generally reduced clarity on an iPhone 17 Pro Max 8X, and the release notes do not establish a connection between them.
The next step would be to just reset all settings. This will erase all your WiFi passwords, but not other data is lost.
Reset iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support
As for iOS 27, there is no change for me in picture quality using the Camera app on my iPhone 17e. There are some AI features added to Reframe and Extend pictures where the results are actually impressive when simply looking at the picture, but if you zoom in for high detail you can see some minor artifacts.
It may be worth getting diagnostics performed on your iPhone:
Strange issue here also, with iOS 26.7, top right text on box is easy to read, but on iOS 27 is so bad, the same conditions when taking photos.
Also you can notice ISO 500 vs ISO 2500 and shutter speed 1/60 vs 1/30, all in favor of iOS 26.
Taken with iPhone 17 pro, zoom 8x
[Edited by Moderator]
Welcome and thank you for reaching out. 🤗
There appears to be a problem with the camera and/or related sensors. Only a certified Apple technician can determine the cause and offer a complete solution.
Therefore, I recommend service.
Service Checklist:
Service Appointment:
Contact Information:
Additional Support:
Good luck! 👋🏼😉
Smiliñ 😎 Brian | Community Volunteer
That is the thing, conditions didn’t change, boosting iso so much is the issue, not only on my device, I talked to several people that use 17 pro, same issue. Unfortunately cannot roll back to iOS 26.
I gave all data about images on purpose, being aware of it’s values and meaning.
jeet_chowdhury wrote:
In iPhone17 after updating ios27
Not every issue an individual encounters on their device can be attributed to an iOS update. iOS 27 or later may have coincided with what you are experiencing, but that does not mean the issue was triggered by iOS. Coincidence in timing is not, by itself, evidence of causation.
If the update itself were the root cause, then every device running that same version of iOS would exhibit the identical problem. In such a scenario, the forums would be flooded with countless posts reporting the same malfunction, creating an unmistakable wave of complaints that no one could possibly overlook.
The absence of such widespread reports strongly indicates that the issue is not a general, system-wide problem with iOS 27 or later, but rather something specific to the individual device, its configuration, installed apps, settings, hardware, or another interacting factor.
In short: iOS 27 or later may be a coincidence in timing, but there is no basis to conclude that iOS itself triggered the problem simply because the issue appeared after the update.
Your photos and videos are stored on your device in their original, high-resolution version. This means that they use a lot of space on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. With iCloud Photos, you can make more space available on your device and have your entire collection, everywhere you go.
Get started with iCloud Photos:
With Optimize Storage, smaller, space-saving photos and videos are kept on your device while all of your original, full-resolution versions are stored in iCloud. And as long as you have enough space in iCloud, you can store as many photos and videos as you want.
Parts and service history
With iPhone 12 models and later using iOS 15.2 and later, you can go to Settings > General > About to see the parts and service history of your iPhone and you can see if the camera has been replaced. If the repair was done using genuine Apple parts and processes, you will see "Genuine Apple Part" next to Camera.

This message doesn't affect your ability to use your iPhone or access your camera.
Learn more about iPhone parts and service history.

If your iPhone's camera has been previously replaced, repaired, or serviced by an unauthorized service provider, it's worth noting that Apple may decline to provide service for your device. The decision to refuse service will depend on the specific components that were affected by the unauthorized service.

Get a Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
Contact Genius Bar.
Manage Reservations - My Reservations - Apple
I agree with you in most but not all and images say difference, that 1 hour was for system update and light should be much worse to bump ISO that much, since it was sunny day 1 hour apart it cannot be the issue, I have never got the same results (quality) with iOS 27 for same shot, even I turn on lights in living room there is no chance to get text readable, It was taken with 8x zoom like mentioned in initial message. My theory is that something is different because of iPhone 18 physical, variable aperture so photo is processed in different way.
We will see if any new update bring some fix for this but for now it is what it is.
What looks better in iOS 27 for me is max zoom in excellent light conditions which is less smudged.
I experienced this exact problem on my 17 Pro recently. An indoor shot turned out completely over-processed, with orange skin tones and a band-heavy, posterized background.
We tested this against a friend's base model iPhone 17 under identical lighting and framing. The base 17 shot cleanly at ISO 125, while my 17 Pro jumped to ISO 320 and ruined the image.
I am livid. I am working on a book photography project today and. O matter how much light I us, no matter what setting I alter, I the stupid phone is now giving me super dark pictures. The AI is making its own choices of what it thinks the picture should look like rather just leaving it alone. I never asked for this. I have tried disabling everything.
The light level changed. In the top photo the ISO is 500. In the bottom ISO is 2500. That’s just about 12 of the light. The increase in digital noise cause the text to be illegible.
My smartphone’s battery life drastically reduced after the update in my iPhone 17
Your profile and description specify the iPhone 17; however, the accompanying images appear to be of the iPhone 17 Pro.
Oct 3, 2026 11:18 PM in response to jeet_chowdhury
Camera issue after updating ios27