iPhone 16 Camera Control Button: All the Features and Functions Explained

Despite rumors of a button-less iPhone, Apple continues to add new physical ways to interact with the device. It replaced the Silent Switch with a new Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro series — a feature now available on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus this year. Apple has also added a new Camera Control button, designed to “elevate the camera experience on the iPhone 16 lineup.”

The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max all feature the Camera Control button on the right side. This tactile switch can be used in a variety of ways. You can tap, press, press-and-hold, or swipe it to perform different actions in the Camera app. Apple says that it’ll allow developers to bring Camera Control to third-party apps such as Snapchat.

iPhone 16 Camera Button: A List of Actions You Can Perform

You can interact with the Camera Control button through light press, press-and-hold, and swipe gestures. Third-party developers will also be able to take advantage of it for things like search on Google where you can find or buy an item, or to trigger ChatGPT.

Here are the current supported actions in the Camera app available on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup:

• Launch the Camera: Click the Camera Control button once to launch the Camera. It works like the double-press power button on Android devices to quickly launch the Camera app.
• Take a Photo: Press the Camera Control button again to click a photo.
• Shoot a Video: Press-and-hold the button to start recording a video.
• Open Camera Controls: Lightly press the Camera Control button to bring up controls like zoom, focus lock, exposure (coming later), and more.
• Camera Preview Menu: Double-light press on it to trigger the camera menu for options like depth of field and exposure control.
• Adjust Zoom, Change Photographic Styles, and More: After getting to the Preview menu, you can swipe to adjust zoom, exposure, and depth of field. You can also swipe through Photographic Styles without tapping on the screen.

The Camera Control button frees the viewfinder for you to have more space to frame your shots. Almost all of the viewfinder toggles can be accessed without touching the screen.

Use The Camera Control Button For Visual Intelligence

The Camera Control button is also responsible for Apple’s new “Visual Intelligence” feature, designed to “help users learn about objects and places faster than ever before.” This feature will roll out next year in regions supported by Apple Intelligence, which won’t be available at launch.

Visual Intelligence works similarly to Google Lens. You can point your rear camera at an object, press and hold the button, and it will pull up details like restaurant hours, ratings, or even add an event from a flyer to your calendar.

Apple also demonstrated a use case where you can point your iPhone 16 at a dog and press-and-hold the Camera Control button to identify its breed online. But it’s recommended to ask the accompanying human about their furry friend, emphasizing a balance between AI and human interaction.