How to Take more control of the Camera app

Night mode

Night mode automatically chooses an exposure time (such as 10 seconds), but you can drag the countdown slider to choose a different duration. During the shot a Hold Still message appears. Keep the cross–hairs aligned to avoid blur.

Change focus

In Photo mode the iPhone focuses on the closest foreground subject. However, you can tap on a background object to place the square focus/exposure reticule on that. Drag the sun icon up or down to tweak exposure.

AE/AF Lock

In contrasting locations the Camera changes exposure to reveal highlight or shadow detail. Hold your finger on the screen to summon the AE/AF Lock. This preserves detail in a bright sky when you reframe the shot.

Manual exposure

Exposure is set automatically but it may be useful to tweak it manually in high-contrast locations. Tap the Exposure icon above the shutter button. A dial will appear. Drag to open or close the aperture to reveal desired detail.

Zoom wheel

The iPhone 12 Pro Max switches between three lenses with a tap to capture Ultra Wide (0.5x), Wide (1x) and Telephoto (2.5). By dragging on these icons you can summon a zoom wheel that lets you dial in a custom increment.

Timer

To put yourself in the picture using the back-facing camera lens, pop the iPhone on a tripod and tap the chevron (or swipe) to summon chevron. This gives you access to the Timer icon. Choose a three- or 10-second countdown.