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As the old adage goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. People will fight about which smartphone has the most impressive camera specs or whether it’s worth picking up a dedicated DSLR for more professional shots, but if you have an iPhone, it’s undoubtedly your most reliable shooter. You always have it on you; it takes great photos out of the box; and it makes it easy to store and share your results with others. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it better.
Over the years, I’ve tinkered with my iPhone’s Camera app to push it to its limits, so it can return the highest-quality photos and videos possible. If you’re interested in doing the same, try these 10 hacks, tips, and tricks to get more out of your iPhone’s Camera:
If you follow the latest Apple rumors, and want a chance to win the latest Apple Watch, check out Lifehacker’s Big Guessing Game. The CNET Group is inviting readers to make predictions about what Apple will announce later this year, and the game is currently in its second round.
Adjust your video settings to shoot in the highest possible quality
If you’ve never changed your iPhone’s default video settings, you’re not taking full advantage of its capabilities. iPhones have supported 4K video since 2015, but Apple likes to keep the default to 1080p to prioritize storage. That goes for Slo-mo videos, as well, if your iPhone supports 4K in this format. If you also value storage above video quality, you may want to keep things as they are. But if you’d like to record in the best ossible quality, you should change this setting.
To do so, head to Settings > Camera, then choose “Record Video.” Here, choose 4K at whichever frame rate you prefer: 24 fps, the frame rate used for movies, uses the least storage, while 4K at 120 fps will use the most. I also like to disable some features while I’m here: “Enhanced Stabilization” isn’t my cup of tea, since it slightly crops the image to stabilize it, and “HDR Video” looks too oddly bright for my tastes. Head back one page, then choose “Record Slo-mo” to adjust this setting as well. You may be able to change the resolution and frame rate directly in the Camera app too, by tapping the menu in the top left (or bottom left, if holding your iPhone in landscape).
Shoot in ProRAW to make high-quality large prints
Similarly, Apple tries to balance image quality with storage needs in its default photo settings. As such, your iPhone’s camera likely isn’t taking as high-quality images as it can, especially if it can shoot in ProRAW. ProRAW is Apple’s RAW format, which saves more image information in each shot than a standard JPG. That can increase the quality of your photos, but also give you more detail to work with in editing or to print your images out in large sizes.
If you have an iPhone 12 Pro or later, you can shoot in ProRAW, and if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or later, you can shoot in ProRAW Max, which contains even more information. You might be able to shoot up to 48MP per image, which gives you a ton of data to work with, but comes at the cost of storage. Apple says ProRAW images are 10 to 12 times larger than standard JPGs, and even larger if you shoot at 48MP. Just be aware of that if you decide to start shooting at this large a format.
To try out ProRAW, head to Settings > Camera > Formats, then choose “ProRAW & Resolution Control.” If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or newer, you’ll change your megapixel setting in the Camera app itself, by tapping the format button in the top left (or bottom left) corner. On other compatible iPhones, you’ll find those options in this Settings pane.
Change your settings to make it harder to accidentally launch the camera
I have an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and, as such, Apple gives me five different ways to launch the Camera by default. I can open the Camera app on my Home Screen; launch the app from its Control Center tile; long-press on the Lock Screen shortcut to open it; swipe left on the Lock Screen to reveal it; or press the Camera Control on the side of my iPhone to take a picture. I could also ask Siri for help, if I wanted to. That’s too many ways, especially when some of them make it easy to accidentally open the Camera in your pocket.
As such, here are all the ways to disable each of those options, in case you, like me, need to reduce the chances that you’ll drain your battery by launching the camera by mistake:
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Home Screen app: Long-press the app icon and choose “Remove App,” then choose “Remove from Home Screen.”
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Control Center tile: Launch Control Center, tap the (+) in the top left corner, then hit the minus next to the Camera tile.
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Lock Screen shortcut: Open the Lock Screen, then long-press on an empty space to open the editor. Tap “Customize,” then tap the minus next to the Camera shortcut. You can replace the shortcut with a different app or function, or lock in your settings to keep the space blank.
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Lock Screen swipe: Open Settings > Camera, then scroll down and disable “Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.”
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Camera Control: Open Settings > Camera > Camera Control, then choose “None.”
Change your Camera Control setting to launch a different camera app by default
If you followed the advice above, you might have noticed something interesting in the “Camera Control” settings pane: While the Camera app appears on this page, so, too, will any other photography app you happen to have installed on your iPhone. That’s because this setting can be used to change the default camera app that opens when you press the Camera Control.
While the iPhone’s default Camera app takes some great shots, it’s far from the best choice for users who want total control over their images. There are tons of great third-party camera apps out there that give you extended controls that iOS won’t, like shutter speed, ISO, and white balance, among many other options. I occasionally use Halide when I want to try taking a more “professional” image, but I also paid for the app before it switched to a subscription model, so your mileage may vary. You can even set the Camera Control to any social media apps with built-in cameras, like Instagram or Snapchat, if that’s more your jam.
Use a tripod for better Night mode shots
It took a while to get to Night mode on iPhone, but it was worth it. The feature makes it possible to take usable images at night without flash, and I’m usually pretty impressed by the results. By default, Night Mode leans conservative on the amount of time it takes to shoot an image. It takes into account how dark it is, as well as how stable the iPhone is, as too much shakiness can produce a blurry photo. As such, if you’re holding your iPhone in your hand, iOS may choose to take a quicker Night mode shot, which might not give you the detail you’re looking for. And while you can manually extend the time Night mode is open, you likely won’t be able to access the 30-second maximum unless your iPhone is perfectly stable.
Instead of holding your iPhone when you snap a Night Mode shot, try using a tripod. By keeping your iPhone perfectly stable, iOS will offer the 30-second settings, pulling in as much detail as it can. Here’s what you can expect: Once in the dark, you should see the Night Mode icon activate in the top right. Long-press the icon, then, next to “NIGHT MODE,” choose “Max (30s).” Now, take your photo, and wait the 30 seconds until it’s complete.
What do you think so far?
Use your iPhone’s wide front camera for better group selfies
For years, we’ve taken group selfies the same way: Someone holds their arm out as far as it can go, and turns their phone sideways to get everyone in the frame. It’s muscle memory at this point. You probably still do this, even if you have an iPhone 17. But you don’t have to.
If you have one of Apple’s latest iPhones, you can take wide selfies while holding your iPhone vertically. Personally, it’s one of my favorite features of the 17 series. To use it, launch the Camera and activate the selfie cam, then tap the icon of a person in a frame that appears above the shutter. You’ll see the frame widen, as if you already turned your iPhone, but without moving it at all. Unless your group is huge, there’s a good chance you won’t have to adjust at all to fit everyone in the shot. This works with videos, too, turning your iPhone into an excellent vlogging camera for 16:9 videos.
Use “Preserve Settings” to avoid camera resets whenever you close the app
If you fiddle with Camera’s settings only to find they all revert the next time you launch the app, that’s because of “Preserve Settings,” or the lack thereof. Preserve Settings lets you leave specific settings in place after you adjust them, rather than have those options reset to iOS default when you leave Camera. You’ll find it in Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings, with options to preserve the following:
Use “Most Compatible” to make it easier to share photos and videos
If you’ve ever tried sharing a photo with a friend, or opening a video on your PC, only to find that the files won’t open, that’s likely because the formats aren’t compatible. By default, Apple shoots photos in HEIC and videos in HEVC, which are high-efficiency formats. That’s great for storage, but not so much for compatibility. That said, I don’t find this as big a problem as I used to, but it’s still good to keep in mind if someone can’t open your photos or videos.
To change these settings, head to Settings > Camera > Formats, then tap “Most Compatible” to switch from “High Efficiency.” Note that your file sizes will likely increase, and that certain video settings will force this option back to High Efficiency, including Cinematic video, 4K at 60 fps or higher, and when shooting HDR video.
Use your iPhone’s built-in grid to help frame your shots
Photography is all about framing, but that can be hard to eyeball on a 6.7-inch viewfinder. To help, turn on your iPhone’s built-in grid, which can help you line up your shot and place subjects exactly where you want them in the frame. To enable it, head to Settings > Camera, then scroll down to “Composition.” Here, turn on “Grid.” You can also choose “Level,” which can help balance your shots.
iPhones generally take excellent video, but depending on your particular model, you might have a mini cinema camera on your hands. Apple’s recent Pro iPhones can shoot in ProRes, a professional video codec, as well as in “Log,” which gives editors greater dynamic range for color correction. (Note that the initial footage looks washed out, but the color information is retained in the video file.)
Choosing to shoot in the best possible formats on your Pro iPhone can achieve some great results, but comes with a huge tradeoff: The files are massive. When switching to ProRes Log, for example, you’ll notice an alert on your iPhone “freeing resources,” so that you even have enough storage to record a few minutes of footage. It’s not meant for casual videography, which is why Apple doesn’t make it the default.
If you want to shoot videos like this, however, you don’t have to rely on your iPhone’s internal storage. Instead, pick up an external SSD. You can now connect it directly to your iPhone 15 Pro or newer via USB-C, and record all footage directly to the drive. That way, you can connect the SSD to your computer for editing without having to worry about the local files on your iPhone. In fact, this is the only way to shoot ProRes in 4K on iPhone 15 Pro with 128GB of storage. Apple has some specific instructions for setting up the external drive, as well as the drive’s specifications, so check those out before buying one.
