Apple has removed the Night mode camera feature on its latest handsets.
The California-based tech giant has confirmed that its iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max cannot capture Night mode photographs when using Portrait mode — a feature that creates a professional-looking photo with a sharp subject and a blurred background.
However, the new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air still support this feature.
Night mode is a camera shooting setting designed to help you take clearer, brighter photos in low-light or nighttime conditions. Cameras can struggle in the dark because there isn’t enough light hitting the sensor, so this specific feature uses techniques to improve the image.
When you attempt to take a portrait shot in dim conditions on either the 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, the extended exposure feature that brightens dark scenes will not activate.
This low-light portrait functionality has been a standard ability on every Pro device since the iPhone 12 Pro arrived five years ago.
The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max were released on September 19, 2025
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According to Apple’s support page, these are the iPhone models that officially support Night mode in Portrait photos, dating back to 2020 — notably excluding the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max:
iPhone 12 ProiPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 13 ProiPhone 13 Pro MaxiPhone 14 ProiPhone 14 Pro MaxiPhone 15 ProiPhone 15 Pro MaxiPhone 16 ProiPhone 16 Pro Max
Although if you want to take Night mode selfies and time-lapse videos, this is still available across the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air.
At first, many assumed this was only a temporary glitch.
It was reported that the Night mode toggle simply vanishes when Portrait mode is selected, regardless of how dark the surroundings are. One frustrated user summarised the experience on Apple’s forum: “If I’m in Portrait mode, Night mode will not activate no matter how dark it is.”
The standard Night mode feature continues to function normally when you’re shooting regular photographs on your iPhone 17 Pro. Your camera will still capture those longer exposures lasting anywhere from a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds, depending on ambient lighting.
Prices start from £1,099 for the new iPhone 17 Pro, although Apple has doubled the amount of built-in storage on the entry-level model compared to last year | APPLE PRESS OFFICE
There hasn’t been any confirmed reason as to why this feature has been removed specifically in Portrait mode.
However, several theories have emerged among users attempting to explain the decision. Some suggest the feature may conflict with the 24-megapixel resolution at which portraits are now captured, given Night mode’s 12-megapixel limitation.
Others believe Apple may have grown concerned about the extended exposure times required when combining both modes, which could lead to blurry results if you or your subject moves during the shot.