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iPhone User Guide

Use iPhone camera tools to set up your shot

Before taking a photo, you can use the camera tools on your iPhone to customize and improve your shot.

👁 Camera is open in Photo mode. At the bottom of the screen are buttons for the following camera controls: Flash, Live, Timer, Exposure, Styles, and Aspect.

Manually adjust focus and exposure

Before you take a photo, the iPhone camera automatically sets the focus and exposure, and face detection balances the exposure across many faces. If you want to manually adjust the focus and exposure, do the following:

  1. Open Camera 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap the screen where you want to move the focus area.

  3. Next to the focus area, drag 👁 the Adjust Exposure button
    up or down to adjust the exposure.

    👁 Camera is open in Photo mode. In the viewfinder, focus is locked on a subject and a slider to adjust the brightness level is next to the subject.

    Tip: To lock your manual focus and exposure settings for upcoming shots, touch and hold the focus area until you see AE/AF Lock; tap the screen to unlock settings.

    On supported models, lightly double-press the Camera Control to open an overlay that shows the available camera settings. Slide your finger on the Camera Control to the Exposure setting, then lightly press to select it. Slide your finger to adjust the exposure.

Lock the exposure setting

You can adjust and lock the exposure setting for upcoming photos.

  1. Open Camera 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap 👁 the Camera Controls button
    or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap Exposure, then drag the slider to adjust the level.

    The exposure locks until the next time you open Camera. To save the exposure control so it’s not reset when you open Camera, go to Settings 👁 Image
     > Camera > Preserve Settings, then turn on Exposure Adjustment.

  4. Tap 👁 the Close button
    to close the menu.

Turn the flash on or off

Your iPhone camera is set to automatically use the flash when needed. To manually control the flash before you take a photo, do the following:

  1. Open Camera 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap 👁 the Camera Controls button
    or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap Flash. Tap again to switch between Flash On, Flash Off, and Flash Auto.

  4. Tap the screen outside of the menu to close it.

Tip: To always show the Flash button on the camera screen, go to Settings 👁 Image
> Camera > Indicators, then turn on Flash.

Take a photo with a filter

On iPhone 12 models or earlier, you can use a filter to give your photo a color effect.

On all other iPhone models, use Photographic Styles to give your photos a customized look.

  1. Open Camera 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

    Make sure Camera is in Photo or Portrait mode; see Switch between camera modes.

  2. Tap 👁 the Camera Controls button
    or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap Filter then swipe left or right to preview the options.

  4. Tap the Shutter button to take your shot.

  5. To stop using a filter, select Original.

  6. Tap 👁 the Close button
    to close the menu.

You can remove or change a photo’s filter in the Photos app. See Apply filter effects to a photo or video.

Use the timer

You can set a timer on your iPhone camera to give yourself time to get in the shot.

  1. Open Camera 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap 👁 the Camera Controls button
    or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap Timer, then tap 3s, 5s, or 10s.

  4. Tap the Shutter button to start the timer and get in the frame.

  5. To stop using the timer, tap 👁 the Camera Controls button
    ,     tap Timer, then tap Off.

Change the aspect ratio

You can choose between 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9 aspect ratios.

  1. Open Camera 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap 👁 the Camera Controls button
    or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap Aspect, then tap again to switch between 1:1, 4:3, or 16:9 ratios.

  4. Tap the screen outside of the menu to close it.

Use a grid and level to straighten your shot

You can display a grid or level on the camera screen to help you straighten and compose your shot.

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Camera, then turn on Grid and Level.

After you take a photo, you can use the editing tools in the Photos app to further align shots and adjust horizontal and vertical perspective. See Straighten a photo or video and adjust its perspective.

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