Need to capture photos in low-light conditions? You can with Night Mode on an iPhone 12 or later.
Night mode automatically turns on when the smartphone’s camera detects a low-light environment. The Night mode icon (which looks kinda like a quarter moon) at the top of the display turns yellow when the feature is active.
Depending on how dark the scene is, your iPhone might take a Night mode photo quickly, or it might take several seconds. You can also adjust your exposure setting.
For the best results, hold your iPhone steady until the capture completes. Try placing your iPhone on a solid and secure surface, or use a tripod to increase stability and control of the exposure clarity.
With iOS 14, if your iPhone detects movement when you’re trying to capture a photo, you can align the crosshairs in the frame to help you reduce motion and improve the shot. To interrupt a Night mode photo mid-capture rather than waiting for the capture to finish, just tap the stop button below the slider.
Adjust the capture time
When you take a photo in Night mode, a number appears next to the Night mode icon to indicate how long the shot will take.
To try longer Night mode photos, tap the Night mode icon. Then use the slider above the shutter button to choose Max, which extends the capture time. When you take the photo, the slider becomes a timer that counts down to the end of the capture time.
Take Night Mode selfies
I’m not into selfies myself, but a lot of folks are. To take a Night Model selfie:
- Open the Camera app.
- Tap the front-facing camera button (two connecting half circles.
- Hold your iPhone in front of you.
- Snap your selfie.
To capture Night mode Time-lapse videos
In low-light conditions, you can use Night mode Time-lapse with a tripod to capture videos with longer interval frames. Open the Camera app, then swipe to the far left until you see Time-lapse. Tap the Shutter button to capture your video.
To use Night mode Portrait
- Open the Camera app and swipe to Portrait mode.
- Follow the tips on your screen.
- Tap the Shutter button.
(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages.)
