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The iPhone is capable of snapping high-quality photos and selfies right out of the box. So you can usually take some good pictures without having to configure any settings. But there are a host of advanced features and tricks that can help you capture truly great images.
Apple typically enhances the iPhone’s camera hardware with each new generation, though keep in mind that some options are available only on certain models. For instance, the iPhone 16 adds a dedicated camera control button that can help set up shots and take pictures. Plus, you get more features from the Pro and Pro Max premium models.
Below are 20 features and tricks in the Camera app on your iPhone that can help you take better pictures. For more general photo-taking tips, check out our story on how to take better shots from any smartphone. Before getting started, make sure you’ve updated your phone to the latest version of iOS to ensure you have all the latest and greatest options available. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.
1. Navigate Photo Mode
Open the Camera app to check out the different camera modes. You’ll be in Photo mode by default. You can zoom in and out by moving your fingers apart and pinching them together on the screen, or by tapping one of the preset optical zoom settings. Press down on one of the preset zoom settings to access manual zoom controls.
To switch between the rear and front cameras, just tap the Rotation icon in the lower right. Depending on your model iPhone, you may be able to zoom in and out slightly by tapping a double-arrow circle on the screen or moving your fingers apart or together.
2. Play With Portrait Mode
Using the list of camera modes at the bottom, scroll to Portrait mode to shoot studio-quality portraits by taking a highly detailed image of your subject in the foreground while keeping the background softer and out of focus. As you line up your shot, the app will offer guidelines and suggestions to help frame the subject.
To increase or decrease the depth of field, and thereby the blurriness of the background, swipe up from the bottom of the camera screen and tap the F icon. Move the slider to the left to lower the F stop and increase the blurriness of the background; move it to the right to decrease the blurriness. Tap the lighting effect icon on the screen to select an effect.
If you take a picture and don’t like the effect, you can also change it after the fact. To do this, choose a photo from your camera library. The photo will display the word Portrait at the top to indicate that you shot it in Portrait mode. Tap Edit and choose the lighting effect icon in the top left to browse through the effects again. You can pick a different effect and also tap the F icon to change the depth of field and focus of the background.
3. Capture Panoramic Pics With Pano Mode
By turning on Pano mode, you can capture a panoramic picture by moving your phone along a wide scene. When you’re ready to take the panoramic picture, tap the Shutter button and then slowly move your phone as shown on the screen until you capture the full scene. Make sure you hold the phone steady and level by keeping the arrow as straight as possible on the horizontal line. Everything is then stitched together as one extended image.
4. Take Quick Videos With QuickTake
You can capture video in Photo mode without having to switch to Video mode thanks to the QuickTake feature. Press and hold the shutter button to instantly start taking video. To free up your finger without stopping the video, slide the shutter button to the right and then release it.
5. Go For Slow-Mo
Select Slow-Mo from the menu to take a slow-motion video that will slow down the action. Tap the Rotation icon in the lower right to switch between the front and rear cameras. You’re even able to switch between 120 and 240 frames per second by tapping the number in the upper-right corner of the screen. Tap the Shutter button to start and stop the video, or move it to the right to lock it in place. You can also zoom in and out while recording.
6. Take a Time-Lapse Video
Set the phone to Time-Lapse mode and you can shoot long videos speed up the action. Capture storm clouds rolling in, the sun rising and setting, or a drive on a winding road. You’ll want to keep the phone steady and supported, so a tripod may be best for longer captures. You can tap the arrow at the top to adjust the Exposure scale or hit the Rotation icon in the lower right to switch between the front and rear cameras. Tap the Shutter button to start the process, then tap it again to stop it.
7. Shoot Faster
To enable burst shots, first go to Settings > Camera and turn on Use Volume up for Burst and Prioritize Faster Shooting. To take a series of quick shots, drag the shutter button to the left or use the Volume Up button. You can also keep tapping the Shutter button.
8. Set Your Flash Options
While in Photo, Portrait, or Slow-Mo mode, you can turn the flash on or off by tapping the lightning icon in the top toolbar. Some models allow you to set the flash to automatic so it will turn on if there isn’t enough natural light. Others set these controls through the bottom toolbar; tap the up arrow at the top or swipe up to display it. Tap the first icon on the toolbar to set the flash to auto, on, or off. If the flash is set to automatic, the icon changes to yellow and will turn on when you take a picture.
9. Master Night Mode
Introduced with the iPhone 11, Night mode lets you take high-quality photos in low-light conditions by extending the shutter for several seconds longer than normal to let in more light. You don’t need to do anything to activate Night mode; if the phone detects low light, a moon-shaped icon will appear on the screen indicating that Night mode is on.
The number next to the icon indicates how long you need to hold the phone in place before the camera takes the picture. Tap this icon, and the Night mode scale appears at the bottom, allowing you to manually set the exposure. Swipe the vertical line on the scale to adjust the exposure time, typically anywhere from one to three seconds. However, you can get exposure times as high as 30 seconds if your iPhone is on a tripod.
10. Go Small With Macro Control
The iPhone 13 Pro and higher offer a macro control in Photo mode through which you can capture photos of small and up-close objects. When macro control is available, a yellow flower icon appears on the left. Tap that icon on and off to see what the difference would be with macro control active or inactive. If you don’t see the macro icon on the screen when trying to snap a small object up close, go to Settings > Camera and turn on the switch next to Macro Control.
11. Change Up Your Live Photos
Live Photos add motion to still images by recording what happens 1.5 seconds before and after you take a photo. To enable it, tap the bullseye icon on the screen before you take the shot. After snapping a photo, you can determine how that motion will be used. Find the photo in your camera roll and tap the Live icon in the upper left to select a desired effect. Loop allows the video to loop endlessly, Bounce plays the video forward and back, and Long Exposure adds SLR-like effects to photos.
To edit a Live Photo, open the image in your camera roll and tap Edit. Choose the Live icon and use the slider to choose a start and end point. When you find your desired frame, tap Make Key Photo and that will become your default still image. Edits aren’t permanent, so you can revert them at any time if you end up not liking your first take. Just tap into the photo in question and select Revert. Live Photos do eat into your phone storage, though, so there are ways to disable them.
12. Take Spatial Photos to View on an Apple Vision Pro
With iOS 18 and the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 models, you can take spatial photos (and videos) to view in 3D via the Photos app on an Apple Vision Pro. To try this, select Spatial mode at the bottom and then rotate your phone to landscape orientation. Tap the Spatial Photo button to take a spatial photo and the Spatial Video button to record a spatial video. If you have an Apple Vision Pro, you can then view the photos or videos in three dimensions on the device.
13. Check the Toolbar Features
In Photo, Portrait, Slo-Mo, Time-Lapse, or Spatial mode, the bottom toolbar can help you control specific settings. To display it, tap the up arrow at the top or swipe up from the bottom of the camera screen. Depending on what mode you’re in, the toolbar displays as many as six icons, including ones for Flash, Live Photo, Exposure, Aspect Ratio, Night Mode, and a Self Timer to snap a photo in 3 or 10 seconds. Tap each icon and you can then turn it on or off or adjust it through a slider.
14. Control HDR (If You Can)
If you have an iPhone 8 or higher, Apple uses High Dynamic Range (HDR) to improve your photos; iPhone 12 and higher models also use HDR to capture video. Certain iPhone models show an HDR icon in the upper-right corner of the screen when you go to take a picture. With it enabled, your phone takes several photos at a time and blends them together to bring out the best features.
On the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 models, iPhone SE (2nd gen), and iPhone 12 models, you can tap the HDR button to turn it on or off. For the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, you need to go to Settings > Camera and then turn off Auto HDR. With the iPhone 13 series and higher, HDR is automatically added to your photos so you no longer need to manually turn it on and off.
15. Change the Tone or Temperature of a Photo
You can change the tone or temperature of a photo, making it warmer, cooler, more vivid, or more monotone. How you do this depends on your model iPhone. Swipe to display the bottom toolbar. With older phones, you’ll find an icon that looks like a series of circles or squares. Newer phones show a square with a small dot in the middle. Swipe to browse through the different tones. When you find one you like, press the shutter button to snap the picture.
16. Use the Camera Control on the iPhone 16
The iPhone 16 lineup adds a physical camera control to the side of the phone. Pressing the control opens the Camera app. Tapping the control twice then takes you to the core settings, including exposure, depth of field, zoom, styles, and tone. Tap a specific setting and you can change it by swiping up or down or left and right on the control. When ready, press the control again to take your picture.
17. Customize Composition
Need help with the composition of your shots? Go to the Composition section under Settings > Camera. Turn on Grid to see a grid of squares appear on the camera screen to better align a scene. Turn on Level to see a horizontal line that can help you level your shots. Enable Mirror Front Camera to take a selfie as the camera sees it, and not reversed. Enable View Outside the Frame (iPhone 11 or higher) to view content outside the frame. which can be captured with a different lens.
18. Change Photo Formats
You can change the format your pictures use by default. Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose High Efficiency (the HEIF/HEVC format) or Most Compatible (the JPG format). The first is a smaller and more efficient format but may not be as compatible as the second, if you wish to transfer photos to non-Apple systems. In some cases, HEIF/HEVC images will be converted to JPG when shared. If you need to preserve storage space, try High Efficiency; otherwise use JPG for greater compatibility.
With the iPhone 12 Pro and later, you can capture photos in RAW format, which offers higher quality and greater flexibility for editing but takes up more space than photos stored as JPGs. Under the Photo Capture, turn on Apple ProRAW if you wish to capture photos in RAW format. You can then opt to save them as 12- or 24-megapixel files, but be aware that the 24MP photos take up more space.
19. Preserve Your Default Camera Settings
By default, your camera’s settings will reset each time you leave the Camera app. To make them permanent, go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings. Turn on options for entries like Camera Mode, Creative Controls, Exposure, Night Mode, Portrait Zoom, Action Mode, or Live Photo. Your camera will now retain the last settings you choose for these features.
20. Switch Photographic Styles
If you want your photos to have a certain color or temperature, head to Settings > Camera and tap the Photographic Styles link. Swipe through each style and choose the default tone and warmth for the colors in your photos. Regardless of which one you select as the default, you can always switch to a different style for individual photos.
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