How to Capture Better Videos With Your iPhone

Apple's newest iPhones can capture high-quality 60 FPS 4K video, but there are a lot of other factors that need to be taken into account to make excellent videos that can compete with what you can do with a traditional camera.

Lighting, stabilization, settings, and composition are all elements that can make or break a video, and in our latest guide on YouTube, we're sharing a series of tips you can use to make your videos better than ever.


Without shelling out any cash, there are certain settings you can change to make sure you're getting the best quality video out of your iPhone.

Open up the Settings app, choose the "Camera" section, and you can set your video recording quality. On iPhone X and iPhone 8, you can capture 4K video at 60 frames per second. On older iPhones like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7, your options will be more limited, with 4K video topping out at 30 frames per second.

You can also improve your videos with simple Auto Exposure and Auto Focus locking features, which will prevent abrupt changes while you're filming. After setting exposure with drag gestures on the iPhone's screen when using the Camera app, hold a finger on the focal point until the AE/AF lock banner pops up.

You'll get even more control over settings using a third-party app like FiLMic Pro ($14.99), which lets you set parameters like exposure, white balance, color, aspect ratio, and focus while also giving you live tools for monitoring video and making adjustments.

Lighting is a huge factor when it comes to video quality, so shooting outdoors in daylight or in a well-lit room will improve your videos immensely if you can't shell out for a lighting setup, and you can spice up your videos with iPhone camera capabilities like time lapse and slow motion. Stabilization is as important as lighting - brace your elbows or invest in a tripod or a handheld gimbal.

If you're going to be taking a lot of video with your iPhone, you might want to check out something like the $130 DJI Osmo Mobile 2, which uses a gimbal to smooth out and counteract camera shake. It's not for everyone given its high price point, but it's worth the investment if you're aiming for quality video that's shake free. For a cheaper option, check out the Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod, which is just $24.95 (with an additional $9.95 for the mount).

For a full rundown on all of our video tips, make sure to watch the video above, which, fittingly, was filmed entirely on an iPhone X. Did we leave anything out? Let us know your own tips and tricks for capturing better video in the comments.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Rayd5365 Avatar
79 months ago
....and for the love of all that's holy, don't shoot "vertical video"!!!
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Applemaniac7 Avatar
79 months ago
I disagree on this one. My videos are for me and my family, not for you on iTunes or youtube. If I'm taking a video of my baby walking, then a vertical video will get more of him in the frame and thus capture more of the moment. And by the way, the vast majority of views of this video will be family and friends on iPhones and iPads, so the vertical works quite well.

That's just one example and yes, people should consider portrait v. landscape each time they start recording, but this is far from the hard and fast rule so many people would have you believe.
You could not be more wrong my friend. Anyone who shoots vertical video should be burned at the stake!! Do you see spiel burg, lucas or abrams shooting vertical for the next blockbuster. Is your tv or laptop vertical? Consider this your only and final warning.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
noah82 Avatar
79 months ago
An oldie, but my favorite...

.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
79 months ago
I disagree on this one. My videos are for me and my family, not for you on iTunes or youtube. If I'm taking a video of my baby walking, then a vertical video will get more of him in the frame and thus capture more of the moment. And by the way, the vast majority of views of this video will be family and friends on iPhones and iPads, so the vertical works quite well.

That's just one example and yes, people should consider portrait v. landscape each time they start recording, but this is far from the hard and fast rule so many people would have you believe.


That video says most of it all in...

Vertical video looks like crap when you decide to move it to a projector or large monitor.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
79 months ago
I disagree on this one. My videos are for me and my family, not for you on iTunes or youtube. If I'm taking a video of my baby walking, then a vertical video will get more of him in the frame and thus capture more of the moment. And by the way, the vast majority of views of this video will be family and friends on iPhones and iPads, so the vertical works quite well.

That's just one example and yes, people should consider portrait v. landscape each time they start recording, but this is far from the hard and fast rule so many people would have you believe.
But one day he is going to get married or have kids of his own or some other occasion where you or him will want to splice together a traditional video for mass viewing. You'll show it on a nice size to huge screen and 2/3rd of the screen will be black bars on either side.

It's just not natural. I mean, hey, if it was, then Hollywood would start making rental videos horizontal. Millions of people watch movies on their tablets these days. How about Star Wars viewed on your iPad in portrait. It would massacre the entire film. Same is true if you shoot your son's soccer games in portrait. Just a thought.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Julien Avatar
79 months ago
A pic is worth a 1000 words.



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....