After years of complaints, Apple is finally doing what many iPhone users have wanted all along: putting essential camera controls inside the Camera app.
With iOS 26, unveiled at WWDC 2025, Apple is rolling out the biggest redesign of the iPhone Camera app in years. It’s not flashy at first glance.
The layout still feels familiar with the same swipe-based interface, same mode options, but now only two controls are visible by default, which some users might not like.
You can see the rest by tapping either one and swiping left or right, as in the image below.
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Beneath that familiar surface, though, is a far more useful system that brings pro-level features closer to hand and, more importantly, makes everyday shooting a lot less frustrating.
The standout change is that you no longer need to go through the Settings app to change your photo or video formats.
Resolution, frame rate, and codec options can now be adjusted right within the Camera app itself.
That sounds like a small thing, but it dramatically speeds up how you capture content, especially if you switch between shooting in 4K and 1080p for battery savings or storage management.
Apple’s also giving more love to photo formats. You can toggle between JPEG and RAW without backing out.
If you’re using a 48MP sensor, you can now switch between 24MP and 48MP on the fly, making the iPhone feel just a little more like a mirrorless camera in your pocket.
The UI changes make this all feel cleaner. Apple’s new Liquid Glass design gives the app a fresh polish.
Instead of cluttering the main viewfinder, mode-specific controls now appear when you tap on the setting you land on, or by tapping the new six-dot button in the upper-right corner.
Depending on the mode, different controls are exposed. For example, in Video mode, you’ll see settings like Exposure, Flash, and a new option labeled “Action.”
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In Photo mode, you have a wider range of options, such as Flash, Live, Timer, Exposure, Styles, Filter, Aspect, etc.
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There’s even a customizable control cluster on iPhone 16 models that gives you quick access to tone, depth, and zoom. However, it’s buried under a Settings toggle you’ll have to manually enable.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that full manual controls like ISO, shutter speed, and focus remain off-limits unless you’re using a third-party app.
Apple seems reluctant to go full “Pro mode,” possibly to keep things streamlined for average users.
Still, for most people, even serious iPhone shooters, this update brings the native app much closer to the flexibility we’ve seen on Android flagships for years.
Apple may not have added more cameras this year, but with iOS 26, it’s finally unlocking more of the potential in the ones you already have. That alone is worth getting excited about.
So, what do you think about the iOS 26 Camera changes? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
