The iPhone 16 Camera Control Is About to Get Better in iOS 18.2. Here’s All It Can Do

How the Camera Control button works

The iPhone’s Camera Control is a physical button that depresses when you push it, but it’s also accentuated with haptic feedback like the MacBook trackpads (which feel indistinguishable from a physical mechanism even though the trackpad is just a solid piece of glass).

Open the Camera app with the Camera Control button

One of the new standout iOS 18 features is the ability to remove the default Camera icon from the lock screen and replace it with something else. I’ve personally never used this shortcut, preferring to swipe from the right edge to open the app.

Now, pressing the Camera Control button quickly launches the built-in Camera app, which is arguably faster because it’s positioned near where your thumb or finger rests while holding the iPhone.

A light press also temporarily hides most of the interface items for a clutter-free look at your subject. If you don’t mind the information, go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control and turn off Clean Preview. 

In iOS 18.2 — currently in public beta and expected in December — you will be able to lock auto exposure and auto focus (AE/AF) with a light press and hold of the button, the way you can with a half-press of the shutter button on most cameras. In the meantime, you can touch and hold on the screen where you want to focus and the app will lock focus and exposure at that point, even if you recompose the shot.

Zoom and switch between the cameras

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the Camera Control is having so many functions available without having to move your fingers all over the screen.

To zoom in and out, you lightly press to bring up a slider and drag to adjust the focal length.

Choose Photographic Styles

Apple has revamped its Photographic Styles feature on the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models, replacing the stock filters and making the styles more editable. They’re also selectable via the Camera Control. (The iPhone 13, 14 and 15 models still use the Photographic Styles feature introduced in 2021, which operates differently.)

Double-press lightly on the control to view the capture overlay and drag to select the Photographic Styles option. Then slide your finger to preview the styles in real time and choose one.

What about non-photo features of the Camera Control?

The button is reserved for photographic uses, including features that third-party developers include in their photo and video capture apps. If you don’t want to take pictures using the control, you can also use it like a second Action button to scan QR codes or launch the Magnifier Control Center tool. Go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control and choose Code Scanner or Magnifier in the list of apps.

But Apple is also sneaking in an Apple Intelligence feature called visual intelligence that uses the camera. It’s not available yet for most people, but if you install the iOS 18.2 public beta, it works like this:

With the iPhone locked, press and hold the Camera Control button to bring up the camera. When you snap a picture in this mode, Apple Intelligence looks up what you’re pointing at. You can then do a visual search of whatever is in front of the camera or tap an Ask button to send the query to ChatGPT. In Apple’s examples, a person snapped a shot of a restaurant to get more information and check its operating hours and then looked up the breed of a passing dog.