Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 17 Pro, launched with major hardware and software improvements, but quietly dropped a long-awaited camera feature. The device’s Portrait Mode cannot be combined with Night Mode, meaning the ability to take portraits with a bokeh effect in dark environments is no longer possible. This has caused surprise and outrage, especially among users who rely on low-light portrait photography.

iPhone 17 Pro Doesn’t Offer the Expected Camera Feature

Apple confirmed this change was intentional in an update to its support documentation. Starting with the previous iPhone 12 Pro, all Pro models, including the iPhone 16 Pro, effortlessly combined these two modes. Older models could collect depth data even during long exposures, allowing Night Mode to brighten photos while Portrait Mode seamlessly blurred the background.

However, the situation changed dramatically with the iPhone 17 Pro. Users noticed that the Night Mode icon disappeared completely when they switched to Portrait Mode in a dark environment. This omission quickly became a topic of discussion both on social platforms like Reddit and on Apple’s own forums.

Independent testing has confirmed this behavior. Despite the device’s improvements in every aspect, from its main camera to a Center Stage front lens with three 48MP Fusion cameras, the removal of this feature is noteworthy.

According to technical analysis, photos taken with the iPhone 17 Pro in Night Mode no longer retain depth information crucial for Portrait Mode. This means users no longer have the option to convert a regular Night Mode photo into a portrait shot, even later.

While this was initially believed to be a software bug, this confirmation from Apple’s official sources clarifies that the feature was intentionally removed. It’s important for users who rely on Night Mode portraits to reconsider their decision until the possibility of the feature returning with a new software update becomes clearer.