Camera Control experienced a tumultuous debut with the launch of the iPhone 16. Initial impressions pointed out that the button was overly complex and sometimes felt like a gimmick rather than the flagship feature Apple touted. My first experience with Camera Control was underwhelming, but my perspective has shifted significantly over the past six months since acquiring my iPhone 16 Pro.
Initial Impressions of iPhone 16 Pro’s Signature Feature
Upon receiving my iPhone 16 Pro and experimenting with Camera Control, I found it to be quite frustrating.
It quickly became apparent that Apple designed the button with a specific demographic in mind: individuals who take their photos in landscape mode while holding the iPhone horizontally.
This isn’t my style; I rarely take landscape shots.
At the time, holding my iPhone vertically meant dealing with two significant issues with Camera Control:
- Accidentally triggering half-presses of Camera Control due to my precarious one-handed grip.
- The advanced features for zoom adjustments and other settings were overly cumbersome in that orientation.
I realized that if I switched to landscape mode, I could utilize Camera Control as Apple intended, without any hindrances.
However, this was not how I preferred to take photos, and I believed that many iPhone users shared this sentiment.
To make matters worse, the Camera Control feature I was most eager to use—visual intelligence—was not available at the time.
As a result, Camera Control felt somewhat pointless to me shortly after its launch.
Thankfully, improvements have come over time.
Camera Control Improved with iOS 18 Updates
In the past six months, various updates in iOS have significantly enhanced Camera Control, making it more suitable for my photography style.
The first major improvement came with iOS 18.2, introducing a crucial option in the Settings app: the ability to disable the ‘Require Screen On’ toggle.
This was available in Settings ⇾ Camera ⇾ Camera Control as of the iOS 18.4 beta, after previously being located under Display & Brightness settings.
This new setting resolved a previous annoyance with Camera Control, where I needed to press the button twice to launch the Camera app: once to wake my iPhone and a second time to open Camera.
This inconsistency was frustrating, as sometimes, depending on the screen state, I could quickly launch the Camera with a single press, while at other times it required two presses. It ultimately made the feature feel unreliable.
Disabling the screen requirement allows me to launch the Camera more swiftly and ensures a reliable response from Camera Control, regardless of whether the display is lit.
Secondly, visual intelligence was introduced with this update and became even better with iOS 18.3.
Although I don’t frequently utilize this feature, I appreciate its concept and anticipate using it more as it develops. It has proven helpful on several occasions already.
Winter Photography Enhanced by Camera Control
More recently, I’ve found another major advantage of Camera Control: it excels in colder weather.
My sensitivity to cold is pronounced, and my skin tends to dry out quickly. Consequently, during winter and extended periods in the fall and early spring, I wear gloves when outside.
My experiences with touchscreen-compatible gloves have been mixed, but I’ve been enjoying the Moshi Digits gloves this season.
Even with effective touchscreen gloves, Camera Control proves to be much more efficient for photography than tapping the iPhone’s screen.
In previous winters, capturing memorable moments often involved more fiddling with my iPhone, frequently necessitating the removal of my gloves.
This winter, I can swiftly launch the Camera app by pressing Camera Control and take pictures with subsequent button presses. My hand remains cozy and covered.
Camera Control as a Capture Button: Conclusion
Thanks to Apple’s enhancements to Camera Control and my experiences this winter, I truly appreciate the existence of this feature. I wouldn’t want to return to an iPhone lacking Camera Control.
That said, I still don’t utilize many of the additional features Apple offers. In fact, I’ve completely disabled all ‘Light-Press’ gestures and don’t use the zoom or exposure controls—it’s simply a straightforward capture button for me.
If I were to shoot in landscape mode, perhaps I would explore those other features. However, in my preferred orientation, Camera Control serves as a valuable capture mechanism, and I don’t require anything further.
How do you use Camera Control? Share your thoughts in the comments.
