Apple’s new texture and grain controls for Photographic Styles are not available on iPhones other than the latest iPhone 18 Pro models and the upcoming iPhone Duo, despite the company’s original wording suggesting otherwise.
When Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max earlier this month, its press release said the new Texture and Grain controls would be “available in iOS 27 on iPhone models that support the latest generation of Photographic Styles.”
This original wording is preserved in copies of Apple’s launch day press release distributed via Business Feed And Reviews nearby. Elsewhere, in Apple’s user guide for iOS 27, devices supporting “latest generation photography styles” are listed as the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 18 Pro models.
Apple has since changed the footnote to its iPhone 18 Pro press room announcement. It now says that Texture and Grain controls are available “only for photos captured on iPhone 18 Pro models and with the Ultra Wide, Main, and Center Stage cameras on iPhone Duo.”
Apple also definitively states in its iOS 27 user guide that changing the texture of a photo can be done “on iPhone 18 Pro models.”
wow? Apple now says that texture and grain will NOT be available on older iPhones. There’s no reason why this shouldn’t be the case on older iPhones, that’s what I despise about Apple. new camera software features are almost never available on older iPhones, although these are… https://t.co/8FM6MQV01F pic.twitter.com/yiO1nDiuFF
– Noé Chat (@Cartidise) September 22, 2026
It’s unclear whether Apple originally planned to bring the controls to older devices and later changed its plans, and Apple has not commented on the revision. Regardless, the original compatibility information appears to have been posted in error.
Photographic Styles are tonal presets that adjust the color and warmth of a photo, while preserving skin tones. If you own an iPhone 18 Pro, check out our handy guide to get the most out of this feature.
