The iPhone 17 series, introduced by Apple in September, brought with it many innovations in terms of hardware. One of the most striking among these was the new square format sensor used in the selfie camera. This change started causing compatibility issues with third-party camera apps. Project Indigo, recently launched by Adobe, also had its share of these difficulties.
Project Indigo, released for the iOS platform in June, quickly attracted attention among users with its different approach to photo processing. The application offered smoother visual editing compared to the iPhone’s default camera software. In contrast, the new front camera sensor in the iPhone 17 series directly affected the operation of the application. Because Adobe’s algorithms had difficulty recognizing this new sensor format. For this reason, the application did not work at all on iPhone 17 models for a while.
Adobe Project Indigo provides limited support for iPhone 17
Adobe decided to develop a temporary solution after increasing user complaints. To make the app work with the iPhone 17, the selfie camera was completely disabled. In this way, it was possible to make Project Indigo available, at least via the rear camera. The priority here was to ensure limited use of the application rather than leaving it completely dysfunctional. The company clearly announced on the Adobe Community forums that this choice is temporary.
Throughout the development process of the project, Adobe conducted various experiments, especially taking into account user feedback. However, it quickly became clear that the new square sensor required further revisions on the software side. Because this hardware change affected not only the image format but also the data processing scheme. Software conflicts occurred because Adobe’s processing algorithms were not ready for this data. In addition to all this, some technical adjustments were required in Apple’s iOS software.
Developers are waiting for Apple’s iOS 26.1 update to restore selfie camera support. With this update, the software APIs of the new sensor will be presented to third-party applications more efficiently. Adobe plans to re-enable front camera support after this update. But for now, iPhone 17 users can only use Project Indigo with the rear camera. This restriction creates a deficiency, especially for users who produce selfie-focused content.
Despite everything, the functionality of the application offered through the rear camera continues to offer a remarkable experience in terms of image processing. Project Indigo is still successful, especially when it comes to maintaining the balance of natural light and skin tone. In this respect, the application continues to be used by social media-focused content producers. This workaround, preferred by Adobe, allows users to continue at least basic operations until full capacity is restored. However, for many users, the experience is incomplete without a selfie camera.
At this point, it appears that Apple’s hardware change has a direct impact on third-party software developers. The fact that even a detail such as the sensor format affects the software architecture shows how technically complex the process is. This incompatibility experienced by Adobe points to problems that may occur in similar applications. It is now inevitable for developer teams to establish systems that can react more flexible and quickly to such changes. This is a situation that should be taken into consideration not only for Adobe, but also for the entire software ecosystem.
Adobe’s Project Indigo version, currently available in the App Store, is compatible, albeit limited, with the iPhone 17. However, since the front camera is completely disabled, users should take this into consideration. The company maintains a transparent communication on the issue in support forums. It seems that the content of the next update will be shaped according to user feedback. It is expected that selfie camera support will return after iOS 26.1.