It’s a large deal that Apple added a new bodily button to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The Camera Control opens the Camera app, takes photographs like a conventional shutter button and gives fast entry to settings like zoom and publicity compensation.
But that is not everything this hard-to-miss management can do. In truth, Apple is relying on it to be a foremost element of Apple Intelligence — a option to pull up info on something you level the digital camera at utilizing the Visual Intelligence function.
It can even do two different duties that will usually be triggered by the Action button, making it successfully a second Action button.
Watch this: See the iPhone 16’s New Visual Intelligence in Action
Almost right here: The Visual Intelligence button
Aside from pictures, probably the most outstanding use for the Camera Control button will likely be for Visual Intelligence, a function that may use Apple Intelligence to determine info that is in entrance of the digital camera — in Apple’s demos, that features getting particulars about a restaurant, naming a canine breed and getting examine aids through ChatGPT. Visual Intelligence is at the moment accessible within the iOS 18.2 public beta and developer beta, and the complete launch might arrive as early as December.
Using Apple Intelligence to determine a canine breed.
You’ll click on and maintain the Camera Control button to activate visible intelligence, then press the button once more to carry up details about no matter is within the body. Apple says visible intelligence is coming later this 12 months.
OK, Visual Intelligence sounds prefer it’ll be cool when it arrives, however what are you able to do now? Two options that use the digital camera, however are usually not picture apps, can be found for fast entry utilizing the Camera Control button. You might assign them to the Action button, but when that is busy with one thing else — such because the Flashlight or any number of uses — you possibly can successfully flip the Camera Control into a second Action button.
For now, you may get a magnified view
There are instances when I’ve admired Sherlock Holmes for at all times carrying a magnifying glass — not less than, that is the favored picture of the detective. When I have to learn a serial quantity and even small print on a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, I get away my iPhone, open Control Center and activate the Magnifier. Not solely does it let you digitally zoom approach in on one thing, you possibly can activate the flashlight to see even higher.
But at the moment that is a multistep strategy of unlocking the telephone, swiping right down to open Control Center and tapping the Magnifier button — which can not even be current, requiring more steps to add it.
Instead, bounce proper to the Magnifier utilizing the Camera Control: Go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control and select Magnifier.
Set the Camera Control button to launch the Magnifier when pressed.
Pressing the button now launches the Magnifier. But it isn’t simply a shortcut — apply a agency contact to it to carry up the Camera Control’s contextual overlay to zoom by sliding your finger alongside its floor. Double-touch it to modify between Zoom, Contrast, Brightness and Filters to vary these settings with out utilizing the display screen. (The Flashlight management is not included within the overlay, although, so you will have to activate it through the onscreen controls: Swipe up twice to disclose all the amplify controls and faucet the Flashlight button.)
As properly as scan QR codes shortly
Do some individuals discover themselves scanning QR codes so ceaselessly that they want one-button entry to the Code Reader function? Perhaps. Then once more, I went to the difficulty of including the Scan Code button to Control Center a whereas again as a result of that was extra handy than utilizing the Camera app.
Go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control and select Code Scanner to assign the scanner to the Camera Control button. When it is launched, the contextual management if you firm-touch the button helps you to zoom in, one thing you possibly can’t do in any other case.
Assign the Code Scanner function to the Camera Control button.
It’s value noting that Code Scanner has a few benefits over the Camera app. You can activate the flashlight in case you want extra illumination, for one. It additionally hundreds the QR code’s vacation spot in its personal app area, versus opening it within the Safari app the place it might add to the litter of open browser home windows.
Apple’s developer tips dictate that the Camera Control can be utilized solely by apps that make use of the digital camera, so we can’t see non-camera implementations for this button. But I can think about different potential makes use of.
Maybe it might act as a fast doc scanner to scale back the variety of steps it takes to get a doc into the Notes app. Or it might set off the Live Recognition accessibility mode for individuals who can entry the Camera Control button extra simply than the Action button.
