Take great photos and videos
With your iPhone nearby, you’ll never miss a chance to take a photo or video, snap a selfie, or capture scenes in low light. After you take photos, use the iPhone editing tools to crop, adjust the light and color, and much more.
![The iPhone screen showing the Lock Screen sliding to the left and the Camera open on the right side of the screen.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6758C14AEA2BBD75D7023772/6758C150890517C4260090D6/en_US/5cd5780b35bd4111acfae05749bf595f.png)
Capture the moment
To quickly open Camera , just swipe left on the Lock Screen. Camera automatically focuses the shot and adjusts the exposure. Tap the Shutter button to take a photo.
On iPhone 16 models, click the Camera Control to open Camera, then click it again to take a photo.
![The Camera screen in Photo mode. The subject fills the center of the screen, inside the camera frame. At the bottom of the screen, the Shutter button moves to the right, demonstrating the movement of starting a QuickTake video. The video timer is at the top of the screen.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6758C14AEA2BBD75D7023772/6758C150890517C4260090D6/en_US/82f2f2ad1a06b8cb7c0ceeef774f7c38.png)
Quickly switch to video
You can record videos without switching out of Photo mode. Just touch and hold the Shutter button and Camera begins recording a QuickTake video. Release the button to stop recording.
![The Camera screen in Photo mode, showing four people in the Camera frame.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6758C14AEA2BBD75D7023772/6758C150890517C4260090D6/en_US/f61d6d4ddb9968bd8c1b2259a65624af.png)
Take the perfect selfie
To take a selfie, open Camera , then tap
or
(depending on your model). Hold your iPhone in front of you, then tap the Shutter button or either volume button to take the shot.
![The Camera screen in Photo mode. Buttons for flash and Night mode appear in the top-left corner of the screen and Night mode is on. The Camera Controls button is in top center, and the Live Photo button is in the top-right corner. At the bottom of the screen are, from left to right, the Photo and Video Viewer button, the Take Picture button, and the Camera Chooser Back-Facing button. Within the camera frame, is a night scene.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6758C14AEA2BBD75D7023772/6758C150890517C4260090D6/en_US/238eb0eaf92cd7cb9b465e19bd5c1b49.png)
Shoot photos in low light
On supported models, Night mode automatically takes bright, detailed photos in low-light settings. When turns yellow, Night mode is on. Tap the Shutter button, then hold your iPhone still to capture the shot. To experiment with Night mode, tap
, then move the slider below the frame to adjust the exposure time.
![The iPhone is turned horizontally. The Camera is open and in Video mode. Buttons for flash and Action mode appear in the bottom-left corner of the screen and Action mode is on. The Camera Controls button is in left center of the screen, and in the top-left corner are quick toggles to switch the video resolution and frame rate. At the right side are, from top to bottom, the Camera Chooser Back-Facing button, the Record button, and the Photo and Video Viewer button. Within the camera frame, is a person running.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6758C14AEA2BBD75D7023772/6758C150890517C4260090D6/en_US/9eebe6ffab947a45198f81d7730c49ea.png)
Stabilize video recordings with Action mode
On supported models, Action mode helps you capture smooth hand-held videos even when you’re moving around a lot—when jogging or hiking, for example. To turn on Action mode, open Camera , switch to Video mode, then tap
.
![The edit screen in the Photos app. A photo is in the center of the screen. Below the photo are editing buttons; Highlights is selected. Below the editing buttons is a slider to adjust the Highlights levels. Below the slider, from left to right, are the Adjust, Filters, and Crop buttons. The Done button is in the top-right corner.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6758C14AEA2BBD75D7023772/6758C150890517C4260090D6/en_US/e1ab77e5798f6a450a385058ddf85634.png)
Add the final touches
After you take a photo or video, use the editing tools in the Photos app to make it even better. Open a photo or video, tap
, then tap the buttons at the bottom of the screen to adjust lighting, add a filter, crop, or rotate. As you make edits, tap the photo to compare your changes to the original.
Want to learn more? Check out the Camera and Photos chapters.