Yeah, this is truly frustrating!
Another workaround is to use focus/exposure lock. Focus on something that’s about the distance you’ll want to use for macro, then tap on the focused area for a few seconds. This will lock the camera’s focus (and exposure) so that it won’t keep hunting - it’s focused on a fixed distance from the lens. Then it’s a matter of moving the camera closer to or further from your subject until it’s in the camera’s locked plane of focus.