Camera Control
By MacRumors Staff on April 20, 2026
Jump to How Tos Articles
Camera Control How Tos
Lock iPhone Auto Exposure and Focus With Camera Control
Wednesday September 17, 2025 11:05 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone 16 and newer models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode), and includes a handy bit of functionality that can make focusing in on subjects a lot simpler.
It's possible to lock the camera's auto exposure and auto focus settings with a light press of Camera Control. The option isn't on by default, but...
iPhone 16's Latest Visual Intelligence Features Explained
Tuesday July 15, 2025 7:26 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
For iPhone 16 models, Apple's iOS 18.3 software update added new Visual Intelligence features to the Camera Control button. Keep reading to learn what you can do with the new capabilities and how to use them.
New Visual Intelligence Features
In iOS 18.2, Apple company added Visual Intelligence functionality to its latest iPhone 16 models, allowing device owners to point the camera at the ...
iOS 18.2: End Accidental Camera Control Presses on iPhone 16
Monday December 16, 2024 8:53 am PST by Tim Hardwick
In iOS 18.2, Apple has introduced a thoughtful new feature for the Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models that helps prevent accidental camera launches by requiring the screen to be on before the button will register clicks. Keep reading to gain more control over when the Camera app opens.
Apple located the Camera Control button to make it conveniently placed for quick access, but it can...
iPhone Camera Control: Everything You Need to Know
Friday October 25, 2024 2:35 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Like the iPhone 17 series, Apple's latest iPhone 18 Pro models include a Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation.
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A simple press of the ...
iOS 18.1: Take a Selfie With Camera Control
Wednesday October 2, 2024 5:25 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has introduced a handy new feature for iPhone 16 users in iOS 18.1 (currently in beta) that makes taking selfies easier: The Camera Control button now allows quick access to the front-facing camera without touching the screen.
Here's how to use this new selfie functionality on iPhone 16 models running iOS 18.1:
Open the Camera app by pressing the Camera Control button.
Swipe...
iPhone 16: Use Camera Control Button as a Magnifier
Friday September 20, 2024 5:44 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation, but if you want, you can make it bring up your iPhone's Magnifier app.
Having quick access to the...
iPhone 16: Use Camera Control Button as a QR Code Scanner
Friday September 20, 2024 5:32 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation, but if you want, you can make it work as a simple QR code scanner.
For people whose job involves...
iPhone 16: Change Camera Control Launch Camera Gesture
Friday September 20, 2024 4:46 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation.
By default, a single click of the Camera Control button brings up the Camera app, which is where the...
iPhone 16: Disable Camera Control Clean Preview
Friday September 20, 2024 3:46 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation.
When you press down on the Camera Control button it brings up the Camera app, which is where its...
iPhone 16: Adjust Camera Control Button Pressure
Friday September 20, 2024 3:25 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation.
When you press down on the Camera Control button it brings up the Camera app, which is where its...
iPhone 16: How to Disable the Camera Control Button
Friday September 20, 2024 3:13 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation.
When you press down on the Camera Control button it brings up the Camera app, which is where its...
iPhone 16: Disable Camera Control Light Press Adjustments
Friday September 20, 2024 3:00 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's latest iPhone 16 models include a new Camera Control button (located on the lower right-hand side when holding the phone in portrait mode). The new button aims to make it easier to adjust photography settings when shooting with the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientation.
When you press down on the Camera Control button it brings up the Camera app, which is where its...
Camera Control Articles
Apple Apparently Sees Camera Control as Key Foldable iPhone Feature
Monday April 20, 2026 7:40 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Apple's first foldable iPhone will be eSIM only and feature a Camera Control despite its ultra-thin design, according to a known leaker.
In a series of new posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that Apple has made deliberate engineering compromises to ensure that the first foldable iPhone features a Camera Control button, despite it being at least 1.1mm thinner than the iPhone Air...
iPhone 18 Expected to Fix a Major iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 Annoyance
Tuesday December 16, 2025 11:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
All of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 models are equipped with a Camera Control button that provides quick access to the Camera app and camera settings, but not everyone is a fan of it. Fortunately, though, Apple apparently plans to improve it.
The Information today reported that Apple plans to remove touch sensitivity and haptic feedback from the Camera Control on the standard iPhone 18 model, ...
iPhone 18 Said to Use Simpler Camera Control Button Design
Tuesday October 28, 2025 4:47 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is working to simplify the Camera Control button's design on the iPhone 18 in order to reduce costs, claims an established Chinese leaker.
The current Camera Control button on iPhone 17 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps,...
Apple to Simplify iPhone 18 Camera Control Button, Not Remove It
Friday August 22, 2025 3:41 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An established Chinese leaker has pushed back against recent rumors suggesting Apple plans to eliminate the Camera Control button from the iPhone 18, instead claiming the company is working to simplify the component to reduce costs.
According to Weibo leaker Instant Digital, the Camera Control's pressure-sensitive modules for the iPhone 18 series currently remain in trial production....
iPhone 18 Could Drop Camera Control Button, Claims Dubious Rumor
Tuesday August 19, 2025 4:27 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
This year's upcoming iPhone 17 models could be the last of Apple's smartphones to include a Camera Control button because not enough iPhone owners are using it, claims a questionable new rumor out of China.
In a post Tuesday, Weibo-based account "OvO OvO OvO OvO" (previously "OvO Baby Sauce OvO") claimed that Apple has informed suppliers it won't continue ordering the component, citing low...
iPhone 16 to Get These Three New Camera Features in iOS 18.2
Tuesday November 12, 2024 2:31 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's upcoming iOS 18.2 update will introduce two new photography features for iPhone 16 owners, along with a new setting that gives users more control over when the Camera Control button can activate the camera.
First up, users will gain the ability to lock auto focus and auto exposure settings using Camera Control. Initially previewed during Apple's iPhone 16 announcement in September, ...
Snapchat Updated With iOS 18 Lock Screen Shortcut and iPhone 16 Camera Control Support
Thursday October 24, 2024 6:21 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 18 allows iPhone users to change the flashlight and camera shortcuts on the Lock Screen to something else, and Snapchat is now an option.
Snapchat today announced that iPhone users can now quickly launch the app's camera view from the Lock Screen on iOS 18, even when the device is locked. To set this up, update to the latest version of the Snapchat app, released today. Then, tap and hold ...
Chinese Smartphone Brands Rush to Copy iPhone 16 With Camera Button, 'Origin Island,' Live Photos, and More
Tuesday October 15, 2024 6:19 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
OPPO's upcoming Find X8 series will include a pressure-sensitive camera shutter button that resembles Apple's new Camera Control feature introduced with the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16's Camera Control is a pressure-sensitive button allows users to interact with the camera in ways that were previously only possible with on-screen gestures and can perform functions such as launching the...
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