Apple quietly removed its low-light Night mode from the Camera app's Portrait feature on the iPhone 17 Pro, and the company's silence around the change has become almost as puzzling as the decision itself.
On previous models, Night mode allowed users to combine long-exposure shots in low light conditions with Portrait Mode's depth effects, and it has been available on every Pro model since the iPhone 12 Pro launched in 2020. It still works on the last-generation iPhone 16 Pro, but owners of Apple's latest iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models won't find the option when using Portrait mode in the Camera app.
What makes this particularly strange is that Apple hasn't provided an explanation for the feature's removal. The company's own support documentation confirms the omission in its list of models that can use Night mode when shooting portraits with the signature "bokeh" effect, but the iPhone 17 Pro models are conspicuous in their absence, with no explanation given.
In fact, iPhone 17 Pro owners only discovered the limitation through their own usage, culminating in scatteredonline discussions over the past three months. Some have speculated that it could be related to the 24-megapixels that Portraits are taken in on the latest models, suggesting it conflicts with Night mode's 12-megapixel limitation. Others have suggested Apple may have wanted to avoid the over-long exposure time needed to combine the two modes, which could have ended up frustrating users.
Missing Night Mode option in Camera app's Portrait mode (left) vs. Photo mode
The truth is we don't know. Apple hasn't commented on the removal or whether it plans to restore the feature in future updates, but hopefully we'll hear from the company soon now that the omission has received media attention.
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker.
The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone:
The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the...
