iOS 15 has a new photography mode called macro mode. This feature is exclusive to the latest iPhone models, that is, only iPhone 13 models can use it. It was released with iOS 15 but with a rather unfortunate shortcoming; it is always on.
Macro Mode in Photos – iOS 15
Macro mode is automatically activated when you point the camera at an object that will photograph better with the mode on. Basically it mimics how night mode turns on automatically if an object is too dark but unlike night mode it can’t be turned off.
Turn off macro mode in Photos
Apple never added a kill switch for Macro mode in iOS 15, which has been a problem for users who don’t want to use it. This has been fixed in iOS 15.2, which should be released shortly. There is now an ‘Off’ switch for macro mode in the camera app settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on the Stock Camera app.
- Scroll to the bottom of the setup screen and turn off the Macro mode switch.
Macro mode must be disabled from the Camera application settings. Unlike night mode, you cannot enable or disable it from the camera app. It’s an unfortunate shortcoming, but it seems that adding a kill switch for the feature was an afterthought. It’s easier to add the switch to the Settings app than to the Camera app. Maybe in the future, or maybe in iOS 16, the on / off switch for macro mode will be accessible from the camera app.
IOS 15.2 release date
The kill switch for Macro mode comes in iOS 15.2. The current stable version of iOS is iOS 15.1 but, as we mentioned, iOS 15.2 will be released in a few days. The current projected date is December 13, 2021 with less than a week left.
conclusion
Macro mode is limited to the latest iPhone model. It hasn’t been a problem for most iOS users, many of whom continue to use older (working fine) iPhone models. Apple is constantly updating and improving the camera and camera app on your phone, regularly adding new features, and in most cases these features are added to the current iPhone model and some of the older ones. However, there are still cases where some features on iOS are only available on the latest iPhone model. It doesn’t happen often, but the older an iPhone model is, the fewer features from the latest version of iOS it will be able to support.