iOS 12

Take photos with the camera on iPhone

Learn how to take great photos with Camera on your iPhone. Choose from camera modes such as Pano, Square, and Portrait (on supported models), and use features such as filters, Live Photos, and Burst.

Ask Siri. Say something like: “Open Camera.” Learn how to ask Siri.

Camera in Photo mode, with other modes to the left and right below the viewer. Buttons for Flash, Live Photo, Timer, and Filters appear at the top of the screen. An image thumbnail at the lower left gives access to existing photos and videos. The Shutter button is at the bottom center, and the Switch Camera button is in the lower right.

Take a photo

Tap on the Home screen or swipe left from the Lock screen to open Camera.
To prepare your shot, do any of the following:
- Turn the flash on or off: Tap , then choose Auto, On, or Off.
- Zoom in or out: Pinch the screen to zoom in or out.
- Choose a photo mode: Swipe the screen left or right to choose a mode such as Photo, Square, or Pano.
- Take a selfie: Tap to switch between the front-facing and rear cameras.
- Use the timer: Stabilize your iPhone and frame your shot. Tap , then choose 3s or 10s.
Tap the Shutter button or press either volume button to take the shot.

If you started from the Lock screen, return to it by swiping up (iPhone X and later) or pressing the Home button (other models).

Take a panorama photo

Choose Pano mode.
Tap the Shutter button.
Pan slowly in the direction of the arrow, keeping it on the center line.
To finish, tap the Shutter button again.

Tap the arrow to pan in the opposite direction. To pan vertically, rotate iPhone to landscape orientation. You can reverse the direction of a vertical pan, too.

On models with dual wide-angle and telephoto cameras, toggle between and to shoot a panorama at 1x and 2x zoom at full resolution.

Take a photo with a filter

Choose Photo, Square, or Portrait mode, then tap .
Below the viewer, swipe the filters left or right to preview them; tap one to choose it.

You can remove or change a photo’s filter in Photos.

Take a photo in Portrait mode

On models that support Portrait mode, you can apply a depth-of-field effect that keeps your subject sharp while creating a beautifully blurred background. And on models with a TrueDepth camera, you can even take a selfie in Portrait mode.

Choose Portrait mode.
To take a selfie, tap .
Frame your subject in the yellow portrait box.
Tap the Shutter button.

Note: When you use the rear camera on iPhone XR, a person’s face must be detected in the viewfinder to take a Portrait mode photo.

After you take a photo in Portrait mode, you can remove the Portrait mode effect in the Photos app. Open the photo, tap Edit, then tap Portrait to turn the effect on or off.

Adjust Portrait Lighting in Portrait mode

On models that support Portrait Lighting, you can apply studio-quality lighting effects to your Portrait mode photos.

The Camera screen with Portrait mode selected. In the viewer, a box shows that the Portrait Lighting option is set to Studio Light, and there’s a slider to change the lighting option.

Choose Portrait mode, then frame your subject.
Drag to choose a lighting effect:
- Natural Light: The face is in sharp focus against a blurred background.
- Studio Light: The face is brightly lit, and the photo has an overall clean look.
- Contour Light: The face has dramatic shadows with highlights and lowlights.
- Stage Light: The face is spotlit against a deep black background.
- Stage Light Mono: The effect is similar to Stage Light, but the photo is in classic black and white.
Tap the Shutter button to take the shot.

Note: On iPhone XR, Stage Light and Stage Light Mono are only available when you use the front-facing TrueDepth camera.

Adjust Depth Control in Portrait mode

On models that support Depth Control, use the Depth Control slider to adjust the level of background blur in your Portrait mode photos (iOS 12.1 or later).

The Camera screen in Portrait mode. The Depth Adjustment button in the top right corner of the screen is selected. In the camera viewer, a box shows that the Portrait Lighting option is set to Natural Light, and there’s a slider to change the lighting option. Below the camera viewer, there is a slider to adjust the Depth Control.

Choose Portrait mode, then frame your subject.
Tap in the top-right corner of the screen.
The Depth Control slider appears below the frame.
Drag the slider to the right to increase the background blur effect. Drag the slider to the left to decrease the effect.
Tap the Shutter button to take the shot.

After you take a photo in Portrait mode, you can use the Depth Control slider in the Photos app to further adjust the background blur effect. Open a Portrait mode photo, then tap Edit.

Take Burst shots

Burst takes multiple high-speed photos so that you have a range of photos to choose from. You can take Burst photos with the rear and front-facing cameras.

Choose Photo or Square mode.
Touch and hold the Shutter button to take rapid-fire photos. Lift your finger to stop.
The counter shows how many shots were taken.
To select the photos you want to keep, tap the Burst thumbnail, then tap Select.
Gray dots below the thumbnails mark the suggested photos to keep.
Tap the circle in the lower-right corner of each photo you want to save as an individual photo, then tap Done.

To delete the entire Burst, tap the thumbnail, then tap .

Take a Live Photo

A Live Photo captures what happens just before and after you take your photo, including the audio.

On models that support Live Photos, choose Photo mode.
Tap to turn Live Photos on (yellow is on) or off.
Tap the shutter button to take the shot.

You can edit Live Photos in the Photos app. In your albums, Live Photos are marked with “Live” in the corner.