iPhone camera zoom issue after iOS 18.1.1 update

Adjust the camera’s focus and exposure

Before you take a photo, the iPhone camera automatically sets the focus and exposure, and face detection balances the exposure across many faces. If you want to manually adjust the focus and exposure, do the following:

1. Tap the screen to show the automatic focus area and exposure setting.
2. Tap where you want to move the focus area.
3. Next to the focus area, drag  up or down to adjust the exposure.
4. To lock your manual focus and exposure settings for upcoming shots, touch and hold the focus area until you see AE/AF Lock; tap the screen to unlock settings.

If your Photos and Videos are stored in iCloud and you share it before downloading the original then it may appear blurry but it is not.

Your photos and videos are stored on your device in their original, high-resolution version. This means that they use a lot of space on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. With iCloud Photos, you can make more space available on your device and have your entire collection, everywhere you go.

Get started with iCloud Photos:

1. Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
2. Turn on iCloud Photos.
3. Select Optimize iPhone Storage to save space on your device.
4. 

With Optimize Storage, smaller, space-saving photos and videos are kept on your device while all of your original, full-resolution versions are stored in iCloud. And as long as you have enough space in iCloud, you can store as many photos and videos as you want.

It's not always the iOS update's fault!  Many things can cause phone problems.  If you tell people you think it's an iOS update, it might make it harder to fix or find a solution for the real issue.

Remember, the right question often leads to the solution!

iOS updates aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features. The majority of the issues after updates might stem from underlying, unmentioned factors. Updates won't typically alter personal data but may refine settings or features. Backup before major updates for safety. Review Apple's update details and backup advice for a smooth process.

Kindly consider checking your settings and addressing any device issues before attributing the issue to external factors. This could be a pure coincidence that the iOS update affected the iPhone functions.

Before initiating a standard iOS update, it's advisable to create a backup. Have you completed this step? If yes, proceed with the restoration from the backup.

See what each update does: About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...

When an entire image is blurry it usually indicates the shutter speed it to slow and the image is blurry because the camera was not held perfectly steady. Solutions are to add light to the scene by opening shades, turning on room lights, brace the camera against something immovable such as a wall or post, use a tripod, use the flash, use third party app that allows manual adjustment of ISO, use iPhone setting called exposure compensation and about a dozen other ways to make an image brighter.

What does an image look like in good light outdoors?

Hey, I had the same issue with my iPhone 12 mini after updating to iOS 18.1.1. Apple Support gave me the following instructions to force restart the phone, which worked for me (force restart is apparently different from turning the phone off and on again):

"-Press and quickly release the volume up button.

-Press and quickly release the volume down button.

-Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo (this takes around 10 seconds)."

I hope this works for you, too!