Anyone who owns an iPhone or iPad with multiple camera lenses can easily switch between the cameras via the Camera app. This way you can activate the ultra-wide-angle lens with one tap of the button or zoom in on a subject with the telephoto lens.
Not only can you optically zoom out or zoom in, you can also zoom between them, so that you can take the perfect photo without losing quality. We explain how to switch between camera lenses and how to manually zoom with an iPhone or iPad.
Available camera lenses for zooming
- Wide angle: Standard camera, available on every iPhone or iPad
- Ultra wide angle: Ultra-wide view camera, available on iPhone 11 (Pro) or later, iPad Pro 2020 or later
- Telephoto lens: Optical zoom camera, available on iPhone X, XS, iPhone 11 Pro or later
Switch between camera lenses
- Open the Camera app
- Tap 0.5x, 1x, 2x or higher
The 2x or higher options are only available on the iPhone 11 Pro or newer. If you have an iPhone or iPad with two camera lenses, in most cases you can only tap the 1x button. Then you will automatically switch between the available lenses (zoom out or zoom in).
The iPhone 15 and newer also have two camera lenses, but thanks to the 48 MP wide-angle lens you can still zoom in 2x without loss of quality.
Manually determine the zoom level
Not only can you use the buttons, you can also activate the zoom control by pressing and holding the 0.5x, 1x, 2x or higher button. Then you can swipe left or right to zoom in or out. The video above shows an example of switching between camera lenses.
Activate additional camera options on iPhone
In addition to zooming, you can also quickly activate additional camera options on an iPhone 11 (Pro) or newer. To do this, swipe up on the frame or tap the ‘Arrow’ below the notch. Additional options appear immediately above the camera button, including the flash, Live Photos, proportions, timer and filters. In addition, it can also show the settings for Night Mode when it is active.
Good to know, the camera app can remember most of these settings. To do this, go to Settings â–¸ Camera â–¸ Save settings â–¸ Turn on ‘Creative controls’. The camera app will then remember the last selected settings of the controls until you adjust them again, so if you enable Live Photo it will remain active until you disable it again.