Apple’s Photos app in iOS limits how much you can zoom in on an image in review mode, regardless of its resolution (we’re not referring to the digital zoom when shooting using the Camera app). While it isn’t a huge issue to not be able to view every pixel nor is it practical to do so, it’s definitely inconvenient at times when trying to scope out a detail, say a street sigh or that relative way in the back of a family reunion.
Interestingly, it appears as though there’s a way around this limitation thanks to a strange bug that occurs when adjusting the rotation of the image, according to AppAdvice.
To get this unlimited zoom potential, you can simply follow the steps below in the correct order:
- Open the Photos app on iOS
- Choose any photo within the app
- Select edit in the upper-right-hand corner
- Press the crop button on the lower-left-hand corner
- Rotate the image 90 degrees
- Select done
For whatever reason, the photo should then be able to zoom in an incredible amount, to the point of pixelation.
As is the case for most bugs, it isn’t without a few quirks. Most notably, this extreme zoom capability is lost when you exit the Photos app or choose another image.
We tested the it and was able to replicate it on both an iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 5c running iOS 9.3.2. It isn’t yet known whether this little glitch is iOS or device specific.
Below is a video from YouTubers iOSJailbreakPro showing off the glitch in action. Keep in mind it is in Spanish.
It’s worth pointing out that the bug won’t likely stay around long. Now that it’s getting its fifteen minutes of fame, Apple will likely fix it in the upcoming version of iOS.
