Night Mode is crucial for low-light photography. It uses an extended exposure time to let the camera gather more light, pulling in detail that would otherwise be lost. Portrait Mode, meanwhile, uses depth data (often captured by the LiDAR scanner on Pro models) to blur the background (bokeh) and make the subject pop.
The problem users are reporting on the iPhone 17 Pro models is twofold:
When users switch to Portrait mode in a dark setting, the Night Mode icon simply will not activate.
If they try to take a photo in Night Mode (regular photo mode) and then convert it to a Portrait later, the image no longer saves the necessary depth data.
The net effect is that users lose the ability to capture bright, clear portraits with an artistic background blur in low-light environments—a capability that was reliably available on previous iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, and 16 Pro models.
Apple has not offered a technical explanation for this subtraction, despite the iPhone 17 Pro retaining the LiDAR scanner and featuring overall improved camera hardware. The silent removal suggests either a significant technical constraint tied to the new camera architecture or a conscious, if unexplained, design choice.
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