Remove any case:
We use cases to protect our smartphones from accidental fall damage or scratches. And Apple’s official cases are often considered not durable enough to protect their smartphones. So most people choose to use cases provided by other brands. But this can work against you in some scenarios. Some phone cases obstruct the rear camera’s view, which could cause problems with the camera focus feature. So if you use a third-party phone case for your iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, you should remove it. After removing the case, try using the camera focus issue again. If it works well, then you have your answer. The problem was actually with the case, and you need to get a new one now that does not obstruct the camera lens.
If this does not help your problem, try the next solution.
Reset phone settings:
iOS 16 comes with an option to reset all Settings. This will reset all your phone’s settings to their default value, as when you first bought your new iPhone. Performing a settings reset can clear out several conflicts within the Settings menu that might be blocking your iPhone’s camera focus feature.
Resetting settings will clear out everything from your Settings menu, though. This includes saved Wifi and Bluetooth connections as well. So perform settings reset only if you are willing to delete every saved connection on your iPhone.
To reset settings, open up Settings on your phone and go to General. Then tap on the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then select Reset and choose the Reset All Settings option. You will have to confirm your action by tapping on the Reset button on the confirmation page.
After this, your phone will restart on its own. After the restart, try the next solution if you still encounter the same camera problems.
Factory reset your iPhone:
After the settings reset, you can also try the factory reset option. This will clear every bit of data on your phone, though. So you need to create a backup of everything necessary to you and perform the factory reset.
To perform the factory reset, open up Settings on your phone and go to General. Then tap on the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then select the Erase All Content and Settings option and the Reset All Settings option. You will have to confirm your action by tapping on the Reset button on the confirmation page.
Try the next solution if the camera focus feature does not work even after factory resetting your iPhone.
Clean the iPhone camera lens:
As mentioned above, a physical blockage is enough to hinder your camera focus feature. So if something like dirt is on your camera, that will prevent your phone’s camera from focusing properly. Give your phone’s camera lens a good wipe with a cloth to fix this.
If the camera focus feature does not work even after this, try the next solution.
Set the focus point:
When you are using the camera application, you need to tap the object on your screen to set the focus on it. It could be a person’s face or any other object that your lens is capturing in its view. Once you tap on it, the focus shifts to that object. So if you have not tried it yet, give this a try and see whether the camera focus works that way.
If the camera focus feature does not work even after this, try the next solution.
Turn off AE/AF Lock:
AE stands for Auto Exposure, and AF stands for Auto Focus. When the AE/AF lock is turned on, the camera application locks on the object on which it is set to focus. In other words, it disables the autofocus of your camera application. You can use this feature if you manually focus on something on your screen. But if you are using the camera as a point-and-shoot, you need to disable this feature entirely. So try using the camera focus with this feature turned off, and check whether that solves your problem.
If this does not help your problem, try the next solution.
Force-close the Camera app:
Sometimes force closing an application and restarting it enough to eliminate simple software issues. So drag from the bottom of the screen to open up the recent apps menu and clear the camera application from this list. Once the app is removed from your memory, load it up again. Now, try using the camera focus feature again.
If it still does not work, try the next solution.
Update your iOS:
If you are one of those users who installed the latest version of iOS 16 right when it was available, then there is a chance that you are using a buggy build. The first build of a new update is mainly filled with bugs that make the device malfunction in most scenarios.
To address this, Apple will release updates that clear out the bugs in the previous build. So, if you have not updated your iPhone after the initial iOS 16 update, it is time to check for new updates immediately.
To check for a new iOS update, open up Settings on your iPhone and go to General. Then select Software Update, and if there is a pending update, it will show up here. If you see a new pending update, install it on your phone.
After the update, if you still encounter the camera focus issue, try the next solution.
If none of the above solutions worked for you, you could be sure it is a hardware issue. So if your iPhone is under warranty, it might be a good idea to get your camera lens replaced. You must take your iPhone to the nearest service center and ask for help. Inform them about your problem in detail, and they should be able to help you. Just ensure that you take the proper phone documentation to the Apple service center when you go for the repair.
So these are all the solutions to fix the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max Camera Focus issue. If you have any questions or queries about this article, comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.
