Here’s how to use it like a pro

One of the iPhone 16’s coolest innovations is the camera controls, a special hardware addition that’s all about taking pictures and videos. It’s a clever mix of a mechanical button and a capacitive slider. However, some users found the learning curve to be a bit steep. Here’s how to master it.

Camera Control: What it is

The new camera control is available on all four iPhones this fall, i.e. on the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. It is located in the same place on all of them, namely two-thirds of the way to the right edge. It sits flush with the edge of the iPhone and isn’t raised like the other buttons on the phone are. This makes it harder to accidentally trigger and saves us all from endless photos of the inside of our bags.

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Camera Controls: How to Use Them

It works in two ways. Press it and it responds like a normal button. Slide your finger across it and it’s like a tiny touch-sensitive surface. This second functionality means you can do a lot more with it – see tips on how to master this below.

With the first touch you start the camera, even from standby mode. You can set it to require a double click instead of just one. It can also be used with other apps like Instagram or Magnifier. Press a second time to take a photo, or press and hold to start recording a video. Note that recording stops when you remove your finger.

Then there is the sliding mechanism. You can zoom in and out, adjust exposure or depth of field, or select photographic styles or tones. It’s very versatile and offers a much cleaner and icon-free way to use the iPhone camera.

And there is more. With the camera open, tap the button lightly to display the most recently used menu, such as the zoom level. A light double tap will display the menu settings.

Camera Control: The Settings

Choose from these settings.

Exposure that makes the image or video brighter or darker. The setting -2 is darker, 2 is brighter.

Depth activates Portrait mode and adjusts how much the background is blurred.

Zoom gets you in or out.

Cameras allow you to switch from one camera to the next, i.e. 0.5x, 1x and 2x on all models, plus 5x on the Pro iPhones.

Style lets you switch from one photo style to the next, with options like Vibrant, Bright, Calm, and Cozy. When you select one, you’ll see a preview of what it will look like.

Tone is the final adjustment and can make a photo appear more dramatic or realistic.

Camera Controls: The fiddly parts

Some users found it difficult to get used to the new controls. I understand that. It’s a subtle control. Press too lightly and nothing happens, press too hard and you’ll have an accidental snap. You can adjust the sensitivity of the camera controls in the Settings app. Select Accessibility and then Camera Controls. Here you can choose a lighter or heavier press, or change the speed that a double press detects.

Camera Controls: Two Tips to Master Them

If you press twice, keep your finger on the control at first instead of lifting it on the second press.

Second, when you see the menu, you can swipe the iPhone screen back and forth through it. Sometimes that’s easier.

Happy snapping.

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