Latest iPhone Pro Loses a Handy Camera Feature

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have a new camera limitation. Now, users can't take Night mode photos while using Portrait mode. This feature has been around since the iPhone 12 Pro, released in 2020. To see this for yourself, open the Camera app and pick Photo mode. Cover the lens to mimic low light. The Night mode icon should pop up. Tap the six-dot menu, and you'll see the Night mode option. But switch to Portrait mode and try the same thing. No Night mode icon appears, and the option is missing from the menu. This isn't a bug. It's by design, according to Apple's iOS 26 iPhone User Guide. The guide lists older iPhone models that support Night mode in Portrait mode, but the iPhone 17 Pro models are not on the list. Users on Reddit and Apple forums noticed this missing feature a while ago. Even a camera test by DXOMARK in September hinted at this limitation. It's unclear why Apple removed this feature, especially since the iPhone 17 Pro's camera hardware seems capable of handling both modes. One possible reason is that Night mode photos are limited to 12 megapixels, while Portrait mode can capture 24 megapixels. But Apple hasn't officially explained this change or said if it will bring back the feature in a future update. For now, iPhone 17 Pro users who enjoyed Night mode portraits on older models might feel like they've taken a step backward.