Device-specific hardware settings
Camera Control
Most people call this the pressure sensitive camera button on the side.
Camera Control opens the camera with a press, takes a photo with a second press, and adjusts settings when you slide a finger along it.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 18 and later
- Settings
- Camera
- Camera Control
What it does
A light press opens a slider for zoom, exposure or a photographic style. A full press takes the shot. Settings control whether one press or two opens the camera, how firm a light press must be, and whether it works from the Lock Screen.
What changes
When it is on
The button opens the camera and controls capture.
When it is off
Cleared Camera Control can be limited so it does not open from the Lock Screen.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Faster than unlocking and finding the camera.
- Zoom and exposure adjust without covering the screen.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Accidental camera launches in a pocket.
- The light press takes practice to get right.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On, with a single press to launch.
What your iPhone needs
- Needs an iPhone with Camera Control
Questions people actually ask
- Which iPhones have Camera Control?
- It arrived with the iPhone 16 generation and is not on every model. Choose your model above and this page will tell you.
If it is not working
- Adjust the light press force under Accessibility if it triggers too easily or not at all.
- Require Screen On stops it launching from a dark screen in a pocket.
- If your model does not have the button, the settings screen does not appear.