[Update: March 13] iPhone 13 series camera viewfinder flickering when moving near or far from subject? Here's why

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on October 09, 2021) follows:

Apple launched its latest iPhone 13 series a couple of weeks ago on September 14. And since then, these iPhones have reached plenty of users worldwide.

Apple’s latest lineup includes four models – iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. And as usual, the Pro models come with some design and camera upgrades as compared to non-pro ones.

Both iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max include a bunch of new camera features. It also has the ability to automatically switch to macro lenses depending on the situation.

However, it seems that this new automatic macro mode has become annoying for some users when they try to capture a nearby object. When camera lens switches, it creates a flickering effect in-camera viewfinder which appears like a bug.

Apparently im not the only one experiencing this. I hope this gets fixed soon! You can see the flicker clearly when taking a video as well (Source)

@Apple why is my camera flickering Weary faceWeary face this is a brand new phone (iPhone 13 pro) (Source)

Well, to be clear, this is not an issue. Instead, it’s just that Apple has developed the iPhone 13 (pro models) camera app in such a way that it automatically switches to macro lens when you reach closer to a subject.

It only appears like the screen is flickering but in actuality, it’s just the lens changing. One thing Apple missed here is to add a toggle so that users can switch off this automatic lens switching feature to avoid flickering.

This whole situation has been explained by a well-known YouTuber — MKBHD — in his recent iPhone 13 Pro review that you can check below.

Many users who got their hands-on the iPhone 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max are completely unaware of this feature and they only think of it as a bug.

Meanwhile, it seems that Apple is already on it and working on adding a toggle switch with the upcoming iOS 15.1 update.

In fact, the option to disable auto-switching between the lenses has already made an appearance in the latest iOS 15.1 beta.

In third beta of iOS 15.1, you can easily find Macro mode toggle in the settings from where it can be switched on or off, but there’s a catch.

Although a toggle has been added to switch off auto macro mode, there isn’t any option to switch back to macro mode once you turn it off in settings.

We hope that Apple fixes this thing as soon as possible even if it’s not a issue. These minor things can often ruin user’s experience which no one will expect after spending a huge sum of money.

We will keep you updated as and when Apple acknowledges iPhone 13 camera flickering effects by adding a dedicated toggle to turn it off.

10:20 am (IST): Apple has finally added a manual toggle for the macro mode with iOS 15.2 update and now it can be turned on/off directly from the camera.

12:40 am (IST): More than a year after the first related reports, iPhone 13 users affected by the ‘camera flickering’ issue continue to emerge, even after iOS 16 update (1, 2, 3).

12:44 pm (IST): A community specialist is now suggesting some troubleshooting steps to address flickering. So, those still having this problem can check them out here.

02:13 pm (IST): While the troubleshooting steps suggested by Apple support aren’t helping, restarting the iPhone has fixed the problem for one of those affected.

Hence, you can also try this potential workaround and see if the issue gets fixed.

03:04 pm (IST): iOS 16.3 update is now available, so users affected by this bug can install it and see if it has been fixed.

06:47 pm (IST): A moderator has now asked users to reach out to Apple support and provide their feedback if they are still facing this issue.

01:00 pm (IST): It appears that the issue where the camera viewfinder flickers while trying to capture images or videos also affects the iPhone 14 series smartphones.

The camera flickers a lot while shooting videos in 4K 60 FPS. I mean what’s the use of 4K if it flickers and destroys the smoothness.
Source

I can no longer take pictures on my iPhone 14 Pro because it constantly flickers on and off and will not focus.
Source

01:35 pm (IST): The latest iOS 16.3 update has reportedly fixed this issue for an iPhone 13 user.

05:50 pm (IST): The Apple Support team is requesting affected users to DM them with the details on Twitter so that they can look into the matter.

01:48 pm (IST): A Redditor has noted that the flickering issue only occurs when shooting with the main lens, while the zoom and wide-angle lens work without any problems.

01:24 pm (IST): According to an iPhone 14 user, camera flickering happens when they try to shoot videos in cinematic mode.

01:59 pm (IST): Apple has released iOS 16.3.1 update with some bug fixes. Hence, users can install it and see if it addresses the flickering issue.

01:15 pm (IST): iOS 16.4 beta is now live for all eligible devices. So, those affected by the issue can try to install the update and see if it is resolved.

06:23 pm (IST): Users can try installing the latest iOS 16.4 beta 3 to see if the issue gets resolved.

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