Apple to fix iPhone 14 Pro camera issue by next week

Next week, Apple will release a software update to fix an issue with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Using the camera in third-party apps like Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok would result in a shaky image and grinding or buzzing noises from the camera. Apple is "aware of the issue, and a fix will be released next week," according to a statement emailed to The Verge by Apple spokesman Alex Kirschner.

When reports of the bug began to surface over the weekend, it was unclear if the issue was related to third-party apps or iOS 16, though the cameras worked fine in Apple's own app. Since Apple is releasing an update, the issue appears to be with the iPhone and its APIs rather than third-party apps.

Apple's statement doesn't say exactly what is causing the problem. It's been speculated that it was due to the phone's optical image stabilization system, which isn't a bad guess given that its job is to move parts of the camera literally. According to Apple's website, the regular iPhone 14, which doesn't seem to have this problem, also has this system, but the Pro uses a "second generation" version that isn't found on the regular model.

It won't be the first update to address a camera issue for the iPhone 14 lineup: iOS 16.0.1, released last week for Apple's latest phones, fixed an issue where some photos looked soft "when zooming in landscape orientation on iPhone 14 Pro Max."