How to Use Night Mode on iPhone Camera

Myra updated on Jun 20, 2024 to iOS & Mac Topics

On iPhone 11 and later iOS models, Night Mode helps users take photos even in a low-light environment. Read this post to learn how to use Night Mode on your iPhone camera.

What Is Night Mode on iPhone Camera?

Night mode on the iPhone camera is a feature that allows iOS users to capture brighter and clearer photos in low-light conditions. When you enable night mode, the camera takes multiple photos at various exposure levels, ranging from bright to dark. It then combines these photos to create a well-exposed image with reduced noise and improved detail in dark areas. The iPhone's advanced image processing algorithms analyze the different exposures and merge them to produce a final image that looks more natural and balanced.

Night mode is especially useful in low-light situations such as dimly lit rooms, outdoor scenes at night, or when capturing cityscapes with artificial lighting. It can improve the quality of your photos in challenging lighting conditions and help you capture stunning shots even in the dark.

How to Turn On Night Mode iPhone Camera

Open the Camera app on your iPhone and swipe to the Photo mode or Portrait mode. If the lens detects low light, Night mode will automatically activate, and the icon in the top-left corner will turn yellow. If the icon isn't yellow, the Night mode feature is inactive because the camera doesn't detect a low-light environment. However, you can tap the Night mode icon to enable it manually if needed.

Note: Night mode is available on iPhone 11 and later. For those with newer models, night mode selfies are available on iPhone 12 and newer, while Night mode portraits are exclusive to the Pro models (iPhone 12 Pro and newer).

How to Adjust Night Mode Capture Time

When you take a photo in Night mode, a number next to the Night mode icon indicates how long the shot will take. The duration depends on the lighting conditions and can range from a few seconds to several seconds.

If you want to customize or adjust the night mode capture time, tap the arrow above the viewfinder. Then, you can use the slider below to adjust the time. Scroll the slider to right will extend the capture time to Mac - 3 seconds. You can also scroll it to the very left and turn it off.

When the capture time is set, you can press the shutter button to take photo. That's when the slider will become a timer that counts down to the end of the capture time. During this time, it is essential to keep the camera steady to avoid blurriness in the final image.

More Tips About iPhone Camera Night Mode

After knowing how to use iPhone camera Night mode, there are more tips about how you can get a low-light photo like a pro.

✔️Night mode iphotos look best with the wide-angle camera as it is the better lens. However, The ultra wide-angle camera in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro doesn't work with Night mode.

✔️When the Night mode is enabled, some functions, such as Live Photos and Flash, won't work. Once you turn these features on manually, Night mode will be inactive.

✔️When Night mode is enabled, your iPhone is slowing down the shutter speed to let more light in. But a slower shutter speed blurs movement. Thus, holding still is the most critical part when you take a night picture.

✔️You can use a tripod to hold your iPhone or place the phone on a surface. That way, your movement or your hands won't cause the camera to shake.

✔️Focus your low-light photography on still subjects. If you take photos of moving subjects, ensure they're as still as possible. Otherwise, your pictures will blur.

✔️If an image looks unnaturally bright in night mode, adjust the brightness with the exposure setting. To change the exposure, tap anywhere on the viewfinder and swipe up or down.

✔️Night mode can sometimes activate when you don't need it and overexpose a picture. This results in standard photos looking too bright and potentially blowing out the highlights.

Conclusion

That's all about the Night mode iPhone Camera. By intelligently capturing and combining multiple exposures, the camera can produce brighter, clearer, and more detailed images in challenging lighting conditions. With this innovative technology at your fingertips, you can now confidently capture beautiful moments even in the darkest of settings, elevating your photography to new levels of creativity and expression.