How to use the capture button on the iPhone 16

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

As with the previous model, the newest iPhones have a dedicated capture button on the right. Called Camera Control, this button is both in hardware and software; it resembles the shutter button of a camera, but it can have a very flexible function.

What does it mean by Capture Button?

Camera Control offers a feeling of clicking a real button because of embedding a tactile switch with haptic feedback and a vibration impression. The touch sensing is capacitive, with gesture recognition and a force trace to differentiate between the light and hard presses.

This they say is achieved with; “On the surface, a sapphire crystal with a smooth texture is surrounded by a colour-matched fine stainless steel trim”. ‘Inside, a high-precision force sensor carrying haptic feedback simulates the feel of a DSLR camera shutter. While a new touch sensor——the first in an Apple device—can differentiate click and slide actions. ’

Apple also offers an API for the developers to determine how the Camera Control button will function in the app in question.

Camera Control will get even better, with the ability to point your iPhone at an object such as a restaurant close to where you are and holding the button will bring up Relevant information on Objects and places in the viewfinder. This feature, which is somewhat similar to the Google Lens, called the visual intelligence will be available “later this year”.

Which Apple iPhones Have Camera Controls?

Camera Control capture button is however supported on iPhones which include iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

How to Use the Capture Button

A quick press of the capture button instantly launches the built-in Camera app, but you can set it to open a compatible third-party app. Once in Apple’s Camera app, click the capture button to take a photo. To start shooting a QuickTake video, click and hold the button.

If already in Video mode, click to start recording and swipe across the Camera Control button to zoom in and out while shooting. To stop recording, click the capture button again.

Lightly double-pressing the capture button pulls down an overlay showing available camera settings you can control with it. Swipe across Camera Control to scroll through the available choices (listed ahead), then press the button lightly to adjust the selected feature.

The following settings can be adjusted using camera control:

• Exposure
• Depth
• Zoom
• Lenses
• Photographic Styles
• Tone

Other photography modes that are available in the preinstalled Camera app, like slow-motion capture and panoramic imaging, don’t work with Camera Control yet.

Once you’ve selected a camera tool, swiping across the button will adjust it. For example, sliding your finger will zoom in and out if the zoom function is selected. If the exposure or depth-of-field feature is selected, Camera Control will brighten/darken the scene or adjust the amount of the bokeh effect.

You can also swipe to cycle through your Photographic Styles and increase or decrease the tone to lighten or deepen a photo’s mood.

The selected tool is remembered between sessions to save you time. For instance, if you last interacted with Photographic Styles via Camera Control, this setting will appear the next time you lightly double-press the capture button, so you don’t have to swipe your way to it.

How to Customize the Capture Button

You can configure Camera Control to open a compatible third-party app (like Halide Camera or Snapchat), Apple’s Magnifier feature, or the iPhone’s built-in QR code scanner, or do nothing. To change this, head to Settings > Camera > Camera Control and select “Camera,” “Code Scanner,” “Magnifier,” or “None.”

You can also change whether a single or double-click of the capture button is required to launch the default camera app by selecting “Single-Click” or “Double Click” in the Camera Control settings. Further Camera Control refinements, like the amount of force required for light and hard presses, are available in your accessibility settings.

Visit Settings > Accessibility > Camera Control and choose a firmness option below “Light Press” to control how hard a light press needs to be to register. You can also try your pressure setting on this screen. To adjust how quickly you must double-press the capture button, drag the “Double Light-Press Speed” slider left or right.

To turn off the light press gesture, disable “Show Adjustments.” You can even turn off Camera Control entirely (if it clashes with gestures in other apps) by turning “Camera Control” off.