iPhone 13 Pro telephoto not focusing

Can’t tell you the ISO, apeture or shutter speed as they weren’t „taken” shots.

Yes, it didn’t lock the focus as you noticed and showed in the screenshots - that’s the whole point.

Why it locks focus when focusing automatically on the center of the frame when if detects the subject change? As in the scene below - from not focused to focused in 0.3 s

EDIT: Sorry for the enormous pictures posted at first.

EDIT2: As for the times - first try: from the start of AF action to moving to the next shot ~3s (and the lens goes through focus range twice in that time), second try: also ~3s and also the lens goes through the range twice and then stays ~2s without any change, last try - a little less than ~3s, agreed, but the result is the same.

So it's normal for the lens to focus in ~0.3 s when it decides to do so itself and 3+ seconds is not enough in the same conditions when I select the part of the frame I want to be in focus? If so then well... shame but what can you do...

Anyways thanks for helping...

Please take a look at the video I link in original post. When the camera focuses automatically on the center of the frame it focuses instantly and without any problems. The scene is also as good as it gets for the AF system - contrasting black and white areas. When using tap-to-focus you can clearly see the camera going through full range of focus „breathing” and stopping at unfocused state (I give it ample time to focus. Whatever I do and how much I try it always behaves the same - goes through full focus range once/twice and stops at unfocused state). Using the same scene the wide and normal lenses focus without any problems (albeit it’s easier for the wider lenses with more DOF)

Thank you for all the replies. Yeah I know about the focus lock - but in this example I just didn't want the focus to be locked - just a quick snap. Usually I don't need the AF lock - just quick tap to focus and shoot.

Regarding the 3rd party app - I tried the Procam app but even with the manual focus I just wasn't able to focus properly. Only the automatic focusing on the center frame was able to focus properly.

Regarding the light conditions - sometimes it fails to focus even in the brightest conditions. Will try to replicate the issue and come back if I manage to...

You are right, it was just after sunrise and the conditions weren't ideal, that's sure - no doubt about that. However I fail to understand why it focuses flawlessly when it uses the automatic focus (the big yellow frame in the center - lack any better technical term for that) yet fails to focus when I show it where I want the focus to be. Does it use different focusing method then?

EDIT: Also - up until recently it didn't have any issues with scenes like that. Tap, focus, shoot, repeat. That's why I'm irritated by the camera's behavior now - it used to focus just like it does in this screen capture when it focuses automatically in the center (big yellow frame). Even in these kinds of conditions - tap, focus, tap, focus. Now it's tap, hunt for focus and in the end don't focus at all - unless it's full sunshine conditions

QuadLock protective case for the phone but the case has cutout for the whole camera assembly so nothing in front of the lenses, flash or LIDAR. iOS 18.3.1