What is the Capture button on the iPhone 16? New photo button explained

Apple has unveiled the iPhone 16 collection, and it’s an absolute doozy of an update. The entire iPhone 16, range boasts an entirely new button dubbed the Camera Control button.

The question is, what is the Camera Control button and how does it differ from the Action Button, first introduced last year on the iPhone 15 Pro range? Here’s everything there is to know about the exciting new iPhone feature. 

What is the Camera Control button?

The Camera Control button, much like the Action button before it, is a new button for iPhone models. This one sits on the right-hand side of the iPhone 16. For those in the US, it sits in the same place that the mmWave 5G antenna is currently located on iPhone 15 models. 

However, unlike the Action Button, which can be reprogrammed to run a range of tasks, the Camera Control button is focused purely on the Camera app and includes some cool Apple Intelligence features to boot. 

What can the Camera Control be used for?

The Camera Control button, in its simplest form, is a new button that you can use in place of the on-screen controls when taking photos on your iPhone. It’s not exactly a new idea – phones like the Sony Xperia 1 VI have had physical capture buttons for years – but there’s more to it than simply taking photos. For a start, you’ll be able to launch the camera interface from anywhere on the phone by pressing this button.

As you’d expect, this capacitive, touch-sensitive button can be pressed to capture a photo. However, you can also lightly press the button to bring an image into focus, much like classic digital cameras and the aforementioned Android competition. The button’s capacitive surface also enables you to gently swipe left and right on the button to zoom in and out more effectively.

The hardware feature is joined by a software feature within the camera app, which will enable you to move between the lenses, adjust focus or exposure by using the button to move through the UI. Whether it’s locking in that focus, altering the focal depth, or capturing the image.

Apple is also introducing some new Google Lens-like Apple Intelligence – subbranded Visual Intelligence – features that can be accessed via the Camera Control button. Apple demonstrated that by using the Camera Control button a press can bring up things like the menu and opening hours.