Apple’s new iPhone 17 Pro lineup has arrived with a fresh wave of camera upgrades, but early users have spotted a surprising omission—one that many relied on for better portrait shots in dim light. The company has quietly removed Night Mode Portraits, a feature that has existed on Pro models for four years. While Apple has not publicly explained the reason, updated support documents confirm that the capability is now gone from the latest devices.
The change has caught many iPhone users off guard, especially since Night Mode Portraits were considered a major advantage of Apple’s Pro-level camera systems since 2020.
A Look Back: How Night Mode Portraits Started
Night Mode first made its debut in 2019 on the iPhone 11. It was introduced as a solution to help users take brighter, sharper photos in very dark environments without needing a flash. In 2020, Apple took things a step further with the iPhone 12 Pro, which became the first model to offer Night Mode Portraits.
To make this possible, Apple relied on the LiDAR scanner—a sensor that measures distance on a per-pixel level, helping the camera separate the subject from the background even when lighting is poor. This combination of depth data and long-exposure processing became a defining feature of the Pro lineup.
Over the next few years, Apple continued upgrading its camera hardware, including larger sensors and faster image-processing. The result was a steady improvement in low-light portraits across the iPhone 13 Pro, 14 Pro and 15 Pro models.
In 2023, the iPhone 15 series introduced a smart new system: automatic Portrait capture. Anytime the camera detected a face, pet or certain objects, it would automatically save depth information in the background. Users could later convert the shot into a Portrait mode picture, even if they forgot to manually switch modes at the time of capture.
This made portrait photography much more flexible—and it worked seamlessly with Night Mode.
Unexpected Change on the iPhone 17 Pro
However, the experience appears to have changed with the latest generation. Early iPhone 17 Pro owners noticed something unusual: Night Mode simply does not activate when shooting Portrait photos.
One user on Apple’s official Discussion Forum described the issue in detail. Even in extremely dark environments—conditions where Night Mode normally turns on automatically—the iPhone 17 Pro refused to enable it while in Portrait mode. Covering the lens forced the flash to activate, but the Night Mode icon never appeared.
When switching back to the regular Photo mode under the same lighting, Night Mode worked perfectly, suggesting that the removal is not a bug but an intentional limitation.
Apple’s own support pages appear to confirm this. Updated documentation now states that Night Mode Portraits are supported only on iPhone 12 Pro through iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone 17 Pro does not appear on the list, implying that Apple deliberately discontinued the feature.
Why Would Apple Remove It?
This decision has raised eyebrows because the iPhone 17 Pro still includes all the necessary hardware to support Night Mode Portraits. The device continues to feature:
- A LiDAR scanner
- Larger and improved camera sensors
- Advanced image processing through Apple’s latest chipset
In previous models, this combination worked flawlessly for Night Mode Portraits.
Some users speculate that Apple may have rearranged the camera layout, LiDAR placement or flash module in a way that affects how depth data is captured in low light. Others think the feature may have been removed due to reliability or consistency issues that Apple could not fully resolve.
As of now, Apple has not issued a statement explaining the change.
What Still Works on the iPhone 17 Series
While Night Mode Portraits are gone from the iPhone 17 Pro, the latest lineup still supports Night Mode in other areas. Users can continue to take:
- Night Mode selfies, thanks to improved front-facing camera sensors
- Night Mode time-lapse videos, which enhance long-exposure footage in low light
This shows that Apple’s low-light photography system is still very much intact—just not for Portrait mode on the newest Pro models.
What It Means for Users
For those who frequently relied on Night Mode Portraits, this may feel like an unexpected downgrade. The feature was especially useful in indoor settings, nighttime events and dimly lit environments where Portrait mode normally struggles without additional lighting.
However, Apple’s main camera improvements may still deliver strong low-light performance, even without official Night Mode Portrait support. It remains to be seen whether Apple will clarify the decision—or possibly restore the feature in a future software update.
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