How to Use Your New iPhone 16 Touch Button

The new Camera Control button for the iPhone 16/16 Pro is almost as neutral. Some people love it; they think it makes it easier to take pictures on the fly instead of opening the iPhone with Face ID and launching the camera app. The button also provides access to Visual Intelligence in the iOS 18 latest change it and it can be a tool to reach people who have difficulty walking.

Some people hate the Camera Control button to the point of calling it the worst thing Apple has added to the iPhone. It’s very difficult, Taibut you can understand the concept once you start using the Camera Control button yourself. The button is on the bottom half of the iPhone, so you have to carefully balance the device with your index finger and thumb when you press down to take a photo. If you don’t have the device in your hand, it causes the phone to shake a bit – completely contradicting how you want the phone to move when trying to take a picture. Apple has an algorithm that helps with some of the shake caused by Camera Control, but there’s still some uncertainty. How am I supposed to believe that the picture I took was stable when I feel the iPhone shaking while I’m doing it?

If you’re new to the iPhone 16/16 Pro, you’re probably thinking about using the button no one asked for. My job is to give you advice after using it myself, so that you can use the service that no one calls you. As I said, the Camera Control button is useful for taking pictures quickly. But it can do a few more things if you choose the old way of taking photos on iPhone that suits you better than this new feature.

Click to shoot

The Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro is a physical button with the DNA of the MacBook trackpad. Press it firmly, like you would with the power or volume buttons, or press lightly for a soft press. The button area is capacitive, so you can control the shape by sliding your finger.

Double-click the Camera Control button to bring up the iPhone’s viewfinder. You can press that again Take a photo or long press to start recording a video. If you don’t press it at all, by default, you can use the Camera Control button to navigate in and out between the camera lenses, including the 5x telephoto that Apple has included in its overall size. iPhone 16 Pro. You can take a picture of it Camera Control button twice to cycle through other settings, including exposure, depth, and the new iPhone 16 Photos feature.

The press-and-slide system was very confusing at first. It took me a while to figure out what the soft keys were for the Camera Control button and to recognize the animations in the iOS version when activated. I have an easier time using the phone’s slide mode if I’m setting it up with my other hand.

If you have changed to iOS 18.2Apple allows you to control exposure with the focus lock and Camera Control slider. I am easy to install in the Settings app, though you have to do all of this before taking a photo.

Customize the Camera Control button

I am an Android user most of the timeand my favorite shortcut to enter the camera app is to double-click the power button. To that end, I didn’t care that the Camera Control button needed to be pressed twice before it would start, either. But I went for a quick shortcut to launch it in just one click. Apple allows you to do this Favorites. On the floor Camera Controltap to choose between single or double tap to open the camera.

The Camera Control button can also be changed or used as a access tool for people with accessibility needs. On the floor Settings > Accessibility > Camera controlsyou can change the hardness of the buttons between soft and hard and even choose how strong the machine should be.

You don’t have to use it anymore

You don’t need to use it Camera Control button to launch the iPhone’s camera app. If you go back to the iOS settings section, under the Camera Control settings, you can configure it to trigger something even less options. You can choose between a QR code scanner, a magnifier to display real-time text, or any of the other apps that have implemented these new tools. You can also turn off the Camera Control button if it interferes with the rest of your iPhone.