Apple Will Let iPhone 13 Pro Users Disable Auto Switching to Ultra Wide Lens for Macro Photography Later This Fall

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max reviews were published today, with the devices receiving praise for their smoother ProMotion displays, longer battery life, and improved cameras, but there was one consistent complaint among the reviews.

iPhone 13 Pro Light Blue Side Feature
On the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, a new feature is the ability to take macro photos. As noted by Input's Raymond Wong, however, this new capability results in the device automatically switching from the Wide lens to the Ultra Wide lens when you place an object or a subject within 5.5 inches of the rear camera. (The viewfinder still shows "1x" framing, but the camera relies on the Ultra Wide lens for autofocus.)

The automatic camera switching is easily noticeable in the iPhone's viewfinder, as Wong demonstrated in the video below.


"The viewfinder keeps jittering as it tries to choose between a regular wide or wide-macro shot," he said. In his review, he expressed his opinion that "the framing should never change from what you compose and never automatically."

Apple initially told Wong that the automatic camera switching is intentional to help users better capture close-up details, according to his review, but the company has since issued a statement to Wong and others that says iPhone 13 Pro users will gain the option to turn off the switching in an iOS update that will be released later this fall.

"A new setting will be added in a software update this fall to turn off automatic camera switching when shooting at close distances for macro photography and video," said Apple.

Apple said the ability to turn off the automatic camera switching will apply to macro video recording as well, but as Wong noted, there is a "Lock Camera" option under Settings > Camera that appears to prevent the switching for video already.

All four iPhone 13 models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 24 in the U.S. and over 30 other countries and regions.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

1applerules1 Avatar
27 months ago
looks like MKBHD got his wish
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
27 months ago
Interesting and good that Apple is responding to feedback…
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
firstapple Avatar
27 months ago

Why is this a problem? It’s switching the the better camera for that shot right…
Depends on what the user feels is the "better camera for the shot". It's been a pretty large complaint for most reviewers so far.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
27 months ago

The whole point of the App Library is that it’s automatically organized. If you want to manually do it, just use folders like you’ve been able to do for years.
How do I disable the app library and only use folders? Don’t tell me I can’t disable it, because that’s also the issue with the widget page.

Also, why is it so terrible at organizing apps? Google voice isn’t a financial app, and why isn’t steam link listed in the games folder? Might it be because it's using the marketing directives of the developer rather than actual app functions?

If it was any good at auto organizing it would allow apps to be in two different folders. The Athletic is a sports app, news app, and entertainment app. Browzine is a subscription journal reading app so why is it stored in the same folder as t-mobile Tuesday and the hue app, but not in the productivity or shopping folders? Why is echo360, a video streaming educational platform in the same folder as my electric car app and the app for my bathroom scale? Is it because the App Library fails at it's only job?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
firstapple Avatar
27 months ago
Like to see the fast response to this, and that's the right move to make. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to implement this, I'd like as much full creative control as possible over the photos I take.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Superhappytree Avatar
27 months ago
Damn they watched and reacted upon MKBHD’s review pretty quick.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...