Wondering how to take bursts on iPhone?
Burst mode is a powerful feature of the iPhone camera, yet most people don’t know it exists.
Burst mode allows you to capture moving subjects. Taking multiple high-speed photos is also useful when you want a range of photos to choose from. You can also use burst mode to create action sequences and capture the perfect expression on someone’s face.
This article shows which iPhone cameras have burst mode, how to access burst mode on your iPhone, when to use burst mode, how to take better bursts, and how to manage your burst photos.
Let’s dive in!
Accessing Burst Mode on iPhone
Burst mode has been a feature on iPhones since 2013 and is available on the following models:
- iPhone 5s and later
- iPhone SE (1st generation) and later
- iPhone 6 and later
- iPhone 6 Plus and later
- iPhone 7 and later
- iPhone 8 and later
- iPhone X and later
- iPhone XR, XS, XS Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
How you access burst mode will depend on your iPhone model. The instructions in this article are based on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Method #1
To use burst mode on your iPhone, simply open the camera app, and instead of pressing the shutter button, drag the button to the left. Your iPhone will go into burst mode and start taking ten frames per second:
Method #2
You can also access burst mode using the ‘volume up’ button on your iPhone, but you must first activate this feature.
Go to Settings > Camera and toggle on the ‘Volume Up for Burst’ option:
Method #3
Another way to use burst mode is the self-timer.
Every time you take a photo with the self-timer, the camera goes into burst mode and takes ten frames. And it doesn’t matter if you set the timer to 3 seconds or 10 seconds: the camera always takes 10 frames:
At the bottom of the self-timer photo, tap on ‘Select,’ and you’ll see the ten frames for that photo:
When To Use Burst Mode
You can use your iPhone’s burst mode in various scenarios. Here are my two personal favorites.
Capturing the perfect action shot
If your subject is walking and you want to capture them at a particular point in their stride, then burst mode is what you need. Simply scroll through the frames at the bottom of the screen and choose the one you want:
This is an image I captured using burst mode:
I used burst mode for this photo because I wanted to catch the couple’s stride at a particular point—that’s what burst mode allows you to do.
Getting perfect focus
Let’s say you’re doing close-up photography of a flower.
In macro mode, it is hard to get the proper focus because the depth of field is so shallow.
To overcome this, use burst mode and slowly move your phone towards and away from the subject. You can be sure that one of the frames in your burst photo will be perfectly in focus:
Other situations for using burst mode
Other situations where you might want to use burst mode are:
Sports Photography: Burst mode is great for capturing fast-paced action in sports like soccer, basketball, or track events. It lets you capture multiple shots quickly, increasing the likelihood of getting the perfect action shot.
Pet Photography: Pets can be unpredictable, and burst mode helps ensure you capture that adorable moment when they’re doing something cute or playful.
Kids and Family Events: Children are constantly moving, making it challenging to get a clear shot. Burst mode helps capture those precious moments during family gatherings, birthdays, or outings.
Wildlife Photography: When photographing wildlife, burst mode increases your chances of getting a sharp image of animals in motion or capturing their natural behaviors.
Portrait Photography: While it might seem counterintuitive, burst mode can be useful in portrait photography, especially when working with subjects who have a tendency to blink or make sudden movements.
Event Photography: During events like weddings or concerts, burst mode ensures you capture key moments, such as the exchange of vows or an artist’s performance.
Low-Light Situations: In low-light conditions with high risk of motion blur, burst mode can help increase the chances of getting a sharp image by capturing multiple exposures quickly.
Managing and Selecting Burst Photos
In this section, we’ll cover how to find your burst photos on your iPhone, how to select them, and how to delete them.
Finding Your Burst Photos
To find your burst photos, open the Photos App, tap on the ‘Albums’ button, then scroll down to the list of ‘Media Types’, and you’ll see an item called ‘Bursts’:
Selecting your burst photos
When you open a burst photo in the iPhone Photos app, you’ll see an icon in the top left of the photo. It says ‘Burst’ and tells you how many frames are in the capture:
At the bottom of the screen, tap on ‘Select,’ and you’ll see the frames that make up your burst photo:
Deleting Burst Photos
Note that the grey dot is the frame that the app recommends as the best of the ten. In my experience, this feature hasn’t been very useful – the frame recommended by the app is rarely the best one.
Taking burst photos is a great technique for ensuring you get the perfect action shot or a shot with perfect focus. But it uses up a lot of storage space on your iPhone. It’s a good idea to delete the frames you don’t want every time you take a burst photo.
To do this, tap on the frame you want to keep. You’ll see a blue tick in the bottom right corner:
Then tap on ‘Done’ in the top right corner. Then tap on ‘Keep Only One Favorite’:
All the other frames will now be deleted.
Conclusion
This article covers how to access burst mode on your iPhone camera, when to use burst mode, and how to select and manage your burst photos.
Mastering burst mode photography on your iPhone unlocks many creative possibilities, from capturing dynamic action shots to ensuring perfect focus in close-up photography.
By familiarizing yourself with accessing, utilizing, and managing burst photos, you can elevate your photography game and ensure every shot is a keeper while optimizing your device’s storage space.
