Your iPhone camera is more powerful than you're using it
The iPhone has one of the best cameras ever put in a consumer device. But most people tap the shutter button and hope for the best, leaving the most useful features completely untouched. These 10 settings changes will immediately improve your results.
1. Switch to "Most Compatible" format
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. This shoots in JPEG instead of HEIC. You'll lose the 50% storage efficiency of HEIC, but your photos will open on every device and platform without conversion. If storage is tight, keep HEIC and use my converter when you need to share photos with Windows or Android users.
2. Turn on the grid
Settings → Camera → Grid → On. The rule of thirds is the single most effective composition principle in photography. The grid shows you exactly where to place your subject. Use the grid lines as guides — put horizons on the horizontal lines, subjects at the intersection points.
3. Enable "Lock Camera"
Settings → Camera → Lock Camera. Without this, swiping in the camera app can accidentally switch between photo, video, and other modes. Lock Camera keeps you in the mode you chose until you deliberately switch.
4. Use the volume button as a shutter
Tapping the screen shutter button causes micro-movement that blurs photos. Press either volume button instead — it's more stable, especially for one-handed shots. This also works with the volume buttons on Apple EarPods.
5. Tap and hold for exposure lock
The iPhone auto-adjusts exposure whenever you move the camera. Tap on your subject, then hold until you see the "AE/AF Lock" banner. This locks both focus and exposure — essential for consistent lighting in a scene where you're moving the camera.
6. Adjust exposure manually with the sun slider
After tapping to focus, a sun icon appears next to the focus box. Slide it up to brighten the image, down to darken it. This is the fastest way to prevent blown-out skies or underexposed subjects. Use it every time the auto-exposure doesn't look right.
7. Use Burst mode for action shots
Hold down the shutter button and swipe left (or just hold the volume up button). The camera shoots rapid-fire bursts. After shooting, open the burst in Photos, tap Select, and pick the sharpest frame. Burst mode transforms blurry action shots into crisp ones.
8. Enable "Photographic Styles"
Settings → Camera → Photographic Styles. Choose a style (Vibrant, Warm, Cool, etc.) that matches the look you want. Unlike filters applied after the fact, Photographic Styles are baked in during processing with better accuracy — they adjust colour and tone intelligently rather than applying a blanket effect.
9. Turn on "Macro Control" (iPhone 13 Pro and later)
Settings → Camera → Macro Control. This gives you a button to manually trigger macro mode instead of having the camera switch automatically — which sometimes switches at the wrong moment and ruins a shot.
10. Use the timer for self-portraits
Tap the timer icon in the camera app (the clock symbol) and set it to 3 or 10 seconds. Place your phone on a surface or tripod, frame the shot, press the shutter, then get into position. Far better results than holding the phone at arm's length.