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6 useful iPhone camera tricks you might have forgotten about

Updated Aug 16th, 2024 1:57PM EDT
iPhone 14 Camera
Image: Christian de Looper for BGR

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With every iPhone generation, Apple improves or adds another iPhone camera trick. With time, people start to forget about them or find new features to perform the same action. If you just got a brand-new phone or are a long-time iPhone user, you might not have known about these useful camera tricks or have forgotten about them.

Below, we list five forgotten iPhone camera tricks you should be using again.

Photographic Styles

iPhone 13 Pro Photographic Styles
iPhone 13 Pro Photographic Styles Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Introduced with the iPhone 13 series, Photographic Styles was one of the coolest iPhone camera tricks Apple ever added. You can switch between four styles, which the company says are not filters. If you like your photos more vibrant, cooler, or warmer, you can set that style, so whenever you take a photo, the preset is already there.

That said, while this feature is really cool, you might have forgotten about it. Just open your Camera app, swipe up on the image, and tap the three frames that appear at the bottom of the screen to select your favorite Photographic Style.

Action Mode

Introduced with the iPhone 14, this video-capturing mode allows you to record a subject smoothly, even if you’re in motion. As the name implies, Action Mode only works if you’re in action. If you’re on a smooth walk, this mode isn’t the best option for recording a video.

To activate Action Mode on your iPhone, swipe to the Video mode in the Camera app and tap the person running in the upper right corner of the screen.

Slofies

Underrated camera feature: SlofieImage source: Apple Inc.

You probably don’t remember this one, but Apple tried to make Slofies a thing on the iPhone 11. After the incredible success of Memoji on the iPhone X, Apple thought it could set another trend. Slofies consist of recording a selfie in slow motion.

Sadly, Slofies didn’t take off, but they can still be fun. With the right lighting conditions and something interesting happening behind you, a Slofie can be worthwhile. To take a Slofie, open the Camera app, flip the camera to face you, and swipe over to the Slo-mo mode. Tap the red button to start recording and then tap again to finish.

Don’t forget to use the flash

With Night Mode available for so long, some people have forgotten about one of the basic features of any camera: the flash. Apple’s, especially, is really good. You might not have followed Apple’s flashes, but the company upgrades the component nearly every year with more pixels, making it brighter and more consistent.

So, instead of relying on Night Mode for action shots and group photos, turn on the flash. The photos will look nicer, and it will save you time. Don’t forget to swipe up, tap the flash option, and change to “On” instead of “Auto.”

Several Live Photos can become a video or let you select a better frame

Live Photos date all the way from the iPhone 6S. The Harry Potter-like photos that can move can also help you create a video of a moment. Even though recording a video is better than relying on Live Photos, if you take several photos one after the other, you can long-press the first photo and see a movie of the action.

Also, if you want to adjust the photo, you can select a new frame you think looks better than Apple’s own choice.

Swipe up!

Don’t forget to swipe up. It’s an underrated gesture. With new iPhone models getting more tricks, Apple is always adding more interactions. You might be reminded of several little tweaks you can add to your photo or video by swiping up. You can toggle the flash, Night Mode, Live Photo, Photographic Styles, the image’s format, and so much more.

To fully enjoy your iPhone and take the best shots, don’t forget to explore the camera and its built-in options.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.