With the launch of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, Apple introduced Macro mode, a new camera feature that's exclusive to the Pro models and brings the immensely detailed world of close-up macro photography to iPhones for the first time. Keep reading to learn how it works.

iphone 13 macro
With Macro mode enabled, you can take pictures or video of subjects that are as close as 2cm to your ‌iPhone‌'s camera lens, which means you can now take shots of flowers, textures, insects, or pretty much anything small or at close distance, with accurate focus, rich detail, and no blurring.

Here's how to use the Macro mode feature on ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max. Bear in mind that Macro mode is exclusive to these models and isn't supported on ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini or ‌iPhone‌ 13.

  1. Launch the Camera app on your ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.
  2. Make sure Photo mode is highlighted in the camera mode menu. If you're shooting video, swipe to Video mode instead.
  3. Line up your close-up subject in the viewfinder and allow the camera to switch to the wide-angle lens. Move in closer – the subject can be as close as 2cm away from the lens (you can use the zoom if necessary).
    camera

  4. Hold the phone steady. Once the lens has focused on the subject, tap the shutter to take the shot or begin capturing video. If you're shooting video, tap the shutter button again to finish.

When you're experimenting with Macro mode, you'll likely notice that your ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro switches automatically to the new mode as soon as it detects an object that's within 14cm away from the lens. This can cause the viewfinder to jitter as it switches between the wide-angle lens to ultra-wide angle, which can be quite jarring and distracting.

As of writing, there's no way to prevent this behavior when taking macro photos. If you're shooting macro video, however, you can prevent it by enabling the Lock Camera option under Settings -> Camera -> Record Video.

settings
Apple says that a forthcoming update, due in the fall, will allow users to specifically turn off automatic camera switching when shooting macro photography at close distances.

Have you taken a cool macro shot on your ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro? Show it off in the comments below!

Related Forums: iOS 15, iPhone

Top Rated Comments

rp100 Avatar
49 months ago
Only took 20 or so photos so far and I feel like every macro shot is rewarding…

Attachment Image

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LiE_ Avatar
49 months ago
Here’s one I took earlier.



Attachment Image
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Denzo Avatar
49 months ago
Ever wanted to look down the barrel of a straw on your ice latte? Me neither. ?

Attachment Image
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApfelKuchen Avatar
49 months ago

Yeah, but what use is it in the real world ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/24/iphone-13-pro-first-impressions/')?
Well, let's do a more extensive quote from that article

There are new camera capabilities, including a Macro mode. It's fun to play around with, but will have limited use in the real world.
Clearly, the author of that article has an easy time reading the serial number off the bottom of a Mac or back of an iPad, or from the strap slot of a Watch, or the IMEI from the SIM card holder of an iPhone.

I guess you can call that limited use. How often do most of us need to give those numbers to Apple tech support so we can arrange a repair? But I guarantee you that there are Etsy jewelry designers and eBay antiques dealers who are delighted to have this new tool.

But let's face it, a lot of "real world use" has nothing to do with practicality. What practical use is a football or tennis racquet, jewelry or a Halloween costume, a painting by Renoir or a Chopin etude?

As someone who purchased his first macro lens more than 50 years ago, the real world use is that it gives photographers another way to view the world around us. One of my favorite statements to make with a macro lens is "You can find beauty in the ugliest of places if you look closely enough." There has to be some real world value to that.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
funwithstuff Avatar
49 months ago


Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moakesy Avatar
49 months ago

Here’s one I took earlier.


And this is why the posts about phones not being the same as DSLR’s / you can’t beat the laws of physics etc annoy me so much.

This is shot with a phone you stick in your pocket. And look at it. It’s beautiful. Sure, if you pixel peep and are hyper critical, it won’t match pro level gear, but this tool we now can carry around with us all the time is simply incredible.

Great shot and well done.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...