How to Set up or Disable the Camera Control Button on IPhone 16
The camera control button is one of the best-selling new features of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. With this button, you can do much more than just take photos—you can also switch between different camera settings, launch third-party camera apps, or even disable the button altogether. Here’s how to make the most of your iPhone 16’s camera control button.
What does the iPhone camera control button do?
On the iPhone 16 series smartphones, the camera control feature is a capacitive button on the bottom right corner of the phone. It allows you to quickly launch the camera, acts as a shutter button, and helps you adjust camera settings. For example, you can open the camera and swipe the camera control to zoom in or out. On iPhone 16 Pro, you can zoom in up to 25 times using the camera control button. In Video mode, Camera Controls also allows you to select various video controls, such as exposure, zoom, or depth, and adjust them easily.
How to Customize the iPhone Camera Control Button
The most interesting thing is to configure the function of the camera control button. To get started, go to Settings > Camera > Camera Controls . iOS calls pressing the camera control button a light tap. The Clean Preview option is enabled by default, and I recommend leaving it that way: it disables the UI while you make changes using the camera control button, making it a little easier to see how your photo will turn out.
While you’re here, you can also customize what happens when you press the camera control button. On the same Settings page, select Double Click if you want the Camera app (or third party) to only launch after two taps rather than one.
Launch a third-party application using the Camera Control button.
Under the Double Click option in the camera control settings, you will see a list of applications. Here you can choose which one you want to launch when you press or double-tap a button—you’re not limited to the default Camera app. This list shows all the camera apps installed on your phone. In addition, you will also see a QR code scanner and a magnifying glass.
Set your preferred button press intensity
Take a minute to adjust the amount of button press required to activate camera control. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Camera Controls and choose Lighter or Harder to make the button easier to use. At the moment I prefer a firmer pressure to avoid accidentally turning on the camera, but this may change over time as I get used to the button. You can also scroll down to adjust the speed required to register a Camera Control double tap. This will allow you to give yourself more time to make it happen.
Disable the camera control button on iPhone 16.
The camera control button is a nice new addition, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re one of those people who gets annoyed by this and you keep pressing the button accidentally, you can disable it. To do this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Camera Controls and turn off the Camera Controls switch. If this is too extreme, you can instead disable the Light Press gesture by turning off Show Settings , which will make it more difficult to accidentally press the button.
Enable camera control with automation
For some, the Camera Control button will be their iPhone automation playground. I saw a great option on Reddit that allows you to use a new button as a second action button. It’s pretty easy to set up using Apple’s Shortcuts app. To make this work, download a camera app that you don’t intend to use, then open the Shortcuts app and create a new automation that triggers when you open that camera app. Select the Go to Home screen action, then add any action you like to the automation, such as launching an app or switching dark mode. Finally, go to Settings > Camera > Camera Controls and select the camera app from the list at the end.
So, when you press the camera control button, your iPhone triggers the automation.