iOS macro mode doesn't activate from within app

Bug Reports
1

Please fill out the following sections to the best of your ability, it will help us investigate bugs if we have this information at the outset. Screenshots are especially helpful, so please provide those if you can.

Platform iOS

App version number, if a mobile app issue (shown under Settings or About): 3.3 build 711

Description of problem (please provide a set of steps we can use to replicate the issue, and make as many as you need.):

When using the iNat IOS app Camera button to take a photo of an insect, or moss, or otherwise something small, it never seems to switch into macro mode no matter how close I get. This is less than ideal for jumping spiders and other small critters, which usually end up out of focus when I take a picture with my phone.

If instead I switch to the built-in Camera app, the phone automatically switches into macro mode when I get close, and I get much better pictures for ID.

1 Like
2

I don’t think this is a bug. See also:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/use-all-modes-of-phones-camera/21636/4
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/no-way-to-switch-between-the-phones-cameras-in-the-app/21550

3

I’m not able to replicate on my iPhone 13 Pro running iOS 17.0.3 and iNat app 3.3 (711). If I move the camera close to my keyboard it switches to macro view.

Screen recording: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PbfAAW1wN7Zm4Yfc9

4

Also, apologies for my gross keyboard.

5

Not sure why you think this isn’t a bug. Those posts indicate it’s a problem too.

6

Interesting. I have an iPhone 15 Pro max at the moment, just updated to 17.1.1.

I just checked again and while the app doesL

  • let me switch between 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 5x zoom
  • let me manually pick the focus point
  • turn on the flash when needed

But it never moves into macro mode

7

Would you be able to make a screen recording of the issue and either share it here or send it to help@inaturalist.org?

8

Problem does not equal bug (the other posts are not bug reports). I was under the impression this is not something iNaturalist can control, but maybe that is not true.

9

Sorry it took me a while to get to this, but I have a video that shows with the camera app the macro button shows up, but taking a picture from inside iNaturalist the macro icon never appears. Seems I can’t upload a .mov to this thread, so I’ll email it to help@inaturalist.org

10

Received your video. Using my iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 18.0.1, and the latest version of the app (3.3.5) I can get the macro mode to activate in the app when I hold it close to a subject, even though the macro icon (flower) doesn’t appear. Sometimes it will take a second to switch to macro mode, but it works.