When the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro launched with a new camera control (Apple never calls it a “button”), I had high hopes for a real shutter release with autofocus, like you’d find on a real camera. Unfortunately, the camera control didn’t work as I expected, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an incredibly useful tool. I can show you how to get the most out of it.
Today, you’ll find Camera Control on all new iPhone models except the iPhone 16e. This includes the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. Unfortunately, most iPhone owners I know (who don’t spend their days thinking about the phone’s features like I do) rarely use the camera control, or only press it by accident.
I’ve found many ways that camera control can be useful, but it can also be tricky. You need to know how to navigate the button and the small pop-up it opens. You will need to find settings that allow you to modify what it can do. I can show you where to look and how to use the camera control to open apps, take a closer look, and adjust your camera, before you even take your photo.
Launch another camera app, like Instagram
The first thing you’ll need to find is your iPhone’s camera settings. Apple does not place its Settings menus in its applications. Each app keeps its settings menu under the Apple Settings app. So, open Settings, then scroll down to Camera options. The main setting under Camera (at least in iOS 26.2) will be Camera Control.
In the camera control settings, the first option asks you which camera the button should launch. Instead of the robust Camera app, you can simply open a QR code scanner or even a third-party app. Instagram started life as a camera app with filters, and you can still configure your camera control to open Insta directly on its camera.
You will need to have granted permission to Instagram when you first downloaded the app, otherwise you can change its permission settings in the Settings menu: Apps: Instagram.
Open the Magnifier app to take a closer look
I need reading glasses, but I don’t always have a pair with me. Instead, if I need to read the fine print on a menu, I simply open the Magnifier app on my iPhone. If you use Magnifier all the time, you’ll be happy to know that you can open the app using Camera Control with a single click. Just follow the instructions above and choose Magnifier instead of Instagram.
The Magnifier app can even take photos! You can zoom in on the text, take a photo, then import the text directly into Apple’s reader to transcribe the photo. If you are in the dark, the magnifying glass can also activate the flashlight.
Answer the question “What is that?!” using ChatGPT
Want to try AI? You can use the camera to ask questions through Visual Intelligence, Apple’s image recognition AI that works with ChatGPT to get answers (it may work with other AI models in the future). Next time you’ll think “hey! What kind of bird is this!?’ open Visual Intelligence on your iPhone and ask.
No need to switch apps this time, visual intelligence is still a camera control feature. Instead of pressing and releasing the button, hold the button from any screen other than the Camera app. The button works differently when a camera app is open.
Visual intelligence takes a still photo before getting to work: it doesn’t work with a live video feed. Also, it wasn’t the most accurate, but I blame ChatGPT. For example, it identified my Lego Transformers Soundwave model as a Lego Artemis Space Launch System the first time, then it identified Lego Optimus Prime the second time. At least he recognized the Lego bricks.
Camera control features in the Camera app
Now here are some tips on controlling the camera while you are actually using the Apple Camera app. You can just press the button to take a photo, but it can perform many other tricks. To access it, first lightly press the camera control button, until a tabbed window appears right under your finger. Drag this window down and you’ll see a horizontal scroll of icons for the camera control features.
In the Settings: Camera: Camera Control menu, you can turn off any of those camera control features you never use. I found the “Depth” feature to be completely ineffective – I couldn’t tell the difference between shooting at maximum and minimum aperture – so I turned it off. Here are the tools I actually use and recommend.
Zoom in or focus on yourself
With camera control, you can smoothly zoom in to frame your subject or get a closer shot. Select Zoom from the Control menu, then slide your finger left and right on the Camera Control button. Drag left to zoom in, drag right to zoom out.
Instead of zooming, you can also switch between the three iPhone cameras. In the top Camera Control menu, instead of Zoom, choose Cameras. You can now switch from wide angle (labeled “.5”) to the main camera, or switch from 2X, 4X, and 8X zoom. You can also quickly switch to the selfie camera this way. When you scroll the wide-angle lens, the view flips.
Quickly record video without changing camera modes
Instead of a still photo, you can quickly record a video without having to switch modes: just press and hold the camera control button when the Camera app is open. Instead of taking a single photo, it will start recording a video. The recording will end when you lift your finger, making it perfect for quickly capturing moments as they happen. In fact, the camera button on the phone screen works the same way: hold your finger on the button to record a video instead of taking a photo.
I wish there was an option for this camera control feature to take a burst of still photos instead of a video, but that option exists for another button. In the Settings: Camera menu, you’ll find an option at the bottom for increasing the volume to change your burst control. Instead of pressing Camera Control or the on-screen button, if you hold down the volume up button on your phone, it will take a quick burst of photos until you release the button.
Make your photo brighter or add drama
Learn about exposure control on your phone’s camera: it can make a huge difference in balancing your photo or creating more drama. Using Camera Control in the Camera app, swipe down to see the Camera Control features menu. Then swipe right until you see the “±” sign with the “Exposure” label underneath.
Gently swipe left and right to see the difference you can make. If you’re not using any other camera control tools, leave the button set to Exposure so you can quickly get better rendering of overly bright and overly bright images, or to brighten dark scenes so you can see faces and skin tones more clearly.
I’m still waiting for the trigger I’ve always dreamed of – a true two-step shutter like the one I have on my Fujifilm X-T5. Perhaps an Android maker will exploit this potential. Until then, I hope these tips make camera control more vital, and I’ll keep them updated if Apple adds any cool new features to its new big button.
