Yes, you absolutely can change the focus of certain pictures on an iPhone, specifically those taken using Portrait mode or Cinematic mode (for videos that allow focus adjustments). This powerful feature, primarily available in the Photos app, allows you to refine your images long after they've been captured.
Understanding iPhone Focus Adjustment
The ability to change focus after taking a picture relies on the iPhone's advanced computational photography features. When you capture an image in Portrait mode, the iPhone uses its multiple cameras and sensors to create a depth map of the scene. This depth information is saved alongside the image, enabling you to manipulate the depth of field and focus point in post-production.
The provided reference confirms this capability: "In the Photos app, you can change and adjust the lighting effects, depth of field, and focus point of your portraits." This highlights that the functionality is built directly into the iPhone's native editing tools.
How to Change Focus on an iPhone Portrait Photo
Adjusting the focus point and depth of field on a Portrait mode photo is a straightforward process within the Photos app.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Open the Photos App: Locate and tap the Photos app icon on your iPhone's Home screen.
- Select a Portrait Photo: Navigate to your photo library and choose any picture taken in Portrait mode. You'll often see "PORTRAIT" indicated on the top left of the photo when viewed.
- Tap "Edit": In the top-right corner of the screen, tap the "Edit" button. This will open the photo editing interface.
- Access Depth and Focus Controls:
- Look for the "f" (aperture) icon, usually located at the top left of the editing screen. Tapping this activates the depth control slider and allows you to change the focus point.
- Alternatively, you might see a "Depth" slider at the bottom of the screen, depending on your iOS version and the photo.
- Adjust Focus Point:
- Once the depth controls are active, simply tap on a different area or subject in your photo to shift the focus to that point. The iPhone will intelligently re-render the background blur based on your new selection.
- Refine Depth of Field (Blur):
- Use the Depth slider (represented by "f" numbers like f/1.4 to f/16) at the bottom of the screen.
- Drag the slider to the left to increase the background blur (smaller f-number, wider aperture effect).
- Drag the slider to the right to decrease the background blur, bringing more of the scene into focus (larger f-number, narrower aperture effect).
- Tap "Done": Once you're satisfied with the focus and depth of field adjustments, tap "Done" in the bottom-right corner to save your changes.
Practical Applications:
- Correcting Focus Errors: If your initial tap-to-focus didn't land perfectly on your intended subject, you can easily correct it.
- Creative Storytelling: Shift focus from a foreground subject to a background element to tell a different story or draw attention to something new.
- Enhancing Subject Isolation: Further increase the blur around your subject to make them stand out even more.
Compatibility for Focus Adjustment
Not all iPhones or photos support post-capture focus adjustment. This feature is primarily available for images captured using specific modes and iPhone models.
| iPhone Feature | Description | Compatible iPhone Models (Generally) |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait Mode | Captures depth information to create a blurred background (bokeh effect) while keeping the subject sharp. Allows post-capture adjustment of focus point and depth of field. | iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and all subsequent models (XR/SE 2nd gen/SE 3rd gen might have limitations on non-human subjects). Requires a dual-camera system or advanced computational photography (like on single-lens Portrait mode iPhones). |
| Cinematic Mode | (For Video) Applies a depth-of-field effect with automatic focus changes between subjects, similar to films. Allows post-capture adjustment of focus points and blur intensity in the Photos app. | iPhone 13 series and newer (iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 series, iPhone 15 series). |
| Standard Photo Mode | Regular photos taken without Portrait mode do not store depth information in a way that allows for post-capture focus point changes. You can still apply blur effects using third-party apps, but it's typically a simulated blur, not based on actual depth data from the capture. | All iPhone models. While you can edit brightness, contrast, and add filters, shifting the actual focus point (where the sharpest part of the image is) after capture is not possible without depth data. |
In summary, for photos, the ability to change focus on an iPhone is a powerful tool predominantly associated with Portrait mode, enabling users to refine their images with professional-looking depth effects directly within the native Photos app.
