Apple has introduced a new camera interface called Pro Controls for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, giving users direct manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and white balance for the first time in the stock Camera app.
The feature centers on a variable aperture system on the main camera, where six laser-cut blades move between four aperture settings.
The Camera app can handle aperture adjustments automatically based on lighting and depth of field, or users can dial in a setting themselves.
A live histogram in the interface lets photographers monitor exposure in real time while shooting.
Manual Controls Come to iPhone Camera
Pro Controls works across both photo and video modes. It also includes Smart Focus Tracking, which uses on-device AI to keep a subject locked in focus even if it momentarily exits and re-enters the frame.
Apple says the manual aperture control opens up shots that were not previously possible on an iPhone, though the automatic mode remains available for users who prefer to let the phone handle the decisions.
The arrival of built-in manual controls on a stock iPhone camera is a notable shift. Third-party apps like Halide and ProCamera have offered similar functionality for years, and Samsung Android flagships have carried native manual controls across their lineup for well over a decade.
Apple’s implementation is tied directly to the physical variable aperture hardware on the 18 Pro cameras, which is exclusive to the Pro models this year.
Broader Camera Upgrades
Pro Controls arrives alongside a wider set of camera changes on both Pro models. Apple has redesigned the computational imaging pipeline and updated Photographic Styles with new texture and grain controls.
Video shot at up to 60 frames per second can now have Cinematic effects applied after capture, rather than requiring the effect to be enabled at the time of recording.
The variable aperture system is also available to third-party developers through a new API, so camera apps outside Apple’s own ecosystem can access the same range of aperture settings.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299. Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 18.
