iOS 15.2 Beta 2 brings a new toggle for Macro mode on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max when Auto Macro is disabled in Settings. The button allows Macro mode to be manually turned off from within the camera app.
First spotted by YouTuber Aaron Zollo, the new toggle is a flower icon visible on the bottom left-hand side in the Camera app when the iPhone is close enough to a subject to automatically enable Macro mode. Tapping on it can enable or disable the automatic switching to Macro mode.
iOS 15.2 finally adds a manual toggle for Macro mode, right from the camera! pic.twitter.com/w3ef3xdCsJ
— Dylan (@DylanMcD8) November 12, 2021
Open the Settings app, select Camera, and turn off Auto Macro to start using the new toggle. Now, when the iPhone is close to a subject, the flower icon toggle should appear automatically. Auto Macro also has a new Preserve Settings feature now.
This toggle should fix the problem users face when the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max inadvertently switch to Macro mode if the subject is too close to the camera. Until now, iOS 15.1 forced users to go to the Settings app and altogether disable Macro mode, even if they wanted to turn it off temporarily.
Watch this video by Zollo to understand how the feature works.
Our Take
This new toggle in iOS 15.2 Beta 2 certainly makes it convenient for users to toggle automatic Macro mode switching on and off. However, it invariably adds clutter to the iOS camera interface, and Apple could have been without it if they polished the automatic switching algorithm from the get-go.
Do you think this new toggle is here to stay, or is it just buying time for Apple to improve its automatic Macro mode switching algorithm? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
