How to Take Better Photos With Your Phone: Settings, Light and Framing

Most modern phones have cameras that can take sharp, well-exposed, beautiful pictures. When photos come out flat, blurry or murky, the cause is usually technique, not hardware. A handful of habits makes a bigger difference than buying a new phone.

These tips work on iPhone and Android alike. Menu names and features differ by model and software version, so check your phone's camera settings or the manufacturer's support pages for the specifics.

Start with a clean lens

It sounds obvious, but it fixes more bad photos than any setting. Phones live in pockets and hands, and a fingerprint on the lens turns light sources into hazy streaks and makes everything look soft.

Wipe the lens with a soft microfiber cloth or a clean, soft T-shirt before you shoot. Check that your case doesn't cast a shadow or reflection across the lens.

Learn your camera app's basics

Spend five minutes in your camera settings. These are worth turning on or knowing about:

• Grid lines. A 3x3 grid helps you level horizons and place subjects.
• Tap to focus. Tap your subject to tell the phone what matters.
• Exposure adjustment. After tapping, most phones show a slider (often a sun icon) to make the image brighter or darker before you shoot.
• Focus and exposure lock. A long press usually locks focus and exposure, which helps when you're waiting for the right moment.
• HDR or smart HDR. On most phones this is automatic and helps with bright skies and dark shadows.
• Volume button shutter. Pressing a volume key to take the photo can feel steadier than tapping the screen.

Use the right lens and mode

Many phones have several rear cameras, typically an ultra-wide, a main camera and sometimes a telephoto. They're labeled with zoom numbers like 0.5x, 1x and 2x or higher.

When your phone has dedicated lenses, use those zoom steps rather than pinching to zoom between them. Beyond the longest lens, zooming crops the image and loses detail, so walk closer when you can.

Find good light

Light matters more than megapixels. The same scene can look flat or stunning depending on where the light comes from.

• Shoot with soft light. Overcast days, open shade and window light flatter faces and reduce harsh shadows.
• Try golden hour. The hour after sunrise and before sunset gives warm, low light that makes almost everything look better.
• Watch the direction. Light from the side adds depth and texture. Light from directly behind your subject can leave it dark, so tap on the subject and raise the exposure, or move.
• Avoid harsh midday sun for portraits when you can, or move into shade.
• Turn off the flash for most situations. Phone flash is small and harsh, so use it only as a last resort or for fill in strong backlight.

Compose with intent

Composition is what makes a snapshot look like a photograph. A few principles help:

1. Use the rule of thirds. Place your subject on one of the grid lines or intersections rather than dead center, unless symmetry is the point.
2. Simplify the background. Move a step to the side to remove clutter, signs or bright distractions behind your subject.
3. Get closer. Fill the frame with what matters. Many weak photos simply have too much empty space.
4. Change your height. Crouch down for kids and pets, or shoot from above for food and flat lays.
5. Use leading lines. Roads, fences, railings and corridors draw the eye into the picture.
6. Keep horizons level. The grid makes this easy, and a tilted horizon is the quickest giveaway of a rushed shot.
7. Leave space in the direction of movement for people walking or cars driving.

Photograph people well

• Tap on the face to focus and expose for skin, not the background.
• Use the main or telephoto lens for close portraits. The ultra-wide lens can distort faces up close.
• Shoot at or slightly above eye level and keep the phone parallel to the face.
• Take several shots and use burst or live photos for candid moments, so you can choose the frame where everyone's eyes are open.
• Ask before photographing strangers, and respect people who decline.

Handle low light and motion

Phones are much better in the dark than they used to be, but they still need help:

• Hold steady. Use both hands, tuck your elbows in, and brace against a wall or railing.
• Let night mode finish. Keep the phone still until the shot completes.
• Use a tripod or a timer for longer night exposures and group shots.
• For moving subjects, use more light, burst mode, or an action mode if your phone has one.

Edit lightly

A small amount of editing helps nearly every photo. Your phone's built-in editor is enough for most people.

• Crop and straighten first, to tighten composition and fix horizons.
• Adjust exposure, highlights and shadows to recover sky detail and open up dark areas.
• Tweak warmth if indoor light looks too orange or shade looks too blue.
• Go easy on saturation and sharpening. Overdoing either looks artificial.
• Use the auto-enhance tool as a starting point, then dial it back to taste.

Most built-in editors are non-destructive, so you can return to the original later. If you shoot in RAW, you'll have more room to recover detail, but expect bigger files.

Look after your photo library

Good photos are only valuable if you keep them. Delete duplicates and failed shots regularly, and make sure your library is backed up. Our guides to backing up your phone and freeing up phone storage without losing photos cover both.

Next time you take a photo, run through a quick checklist: wipe the lens, tap to focus, adjust the brightness, check the background, and take a few frames. A week of that habit will show in your camera roll.