Here are the Key Camera and Photo Improvements in iOS 12

Faster swipe to the camera, smarter search recognition, and intelligent sharing suggestions. In this post, we’ll detail all the upcoming camera and photo improvements in iOS 12.

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The world’s most popular camera is soon to be getting even better. We use iPhone cameras to capture over a trillion photos every year. That’s why Apple’s next software update will improve how we organize, share, and find our innumerable snaps. The following camera and photo improvements in iOS 12 will make it simpler than ever before to rediscover all the great photos on your iPhone.

iOS 12 Camera Improvements

Although many are still waiting on the next hardware update to iPhone cameras, we’ll all enjoy a software enhancement with this autumn’s release. iOS 12 brings a 70% faster Swipe to Camera function, making it possible to capture memories in an instant — without needing to unlock your iPhone first. This useful feature, freshly sped up, means you’ll always be ready to snap a picture at the exact moment you need to.

iPhone Plus and iPhone X users will benefit from lighting enhancements in the Portrait camera mode. Using software masks to separate the foreground and the background, iOS 12 can broaden the lighting dynamic between the two. Further separating your face from the scene behind it.

iMessage and Facetime Camera Effects

Taking clear inspiration from Snapchat’s filter selection, iOS 12 brings a range of camera effects to iMessage and Facetime. Whether snapping a selfie to send to a friend or catching up with Grandma over Facetime, soon you’ll be able to make it more fun by adding these effects to the mix:

iOS 12 Camera Effects:

• Filters: black and white, comic book, or watercolor
• Text effects: add speech bubbles or emojis
• Shapes: create stars, hearts, arrows, and more
• Stickers: adorn the screen with colorful pictures

The range of effects are likely to be further increased in future updates but it’s plenty to get stuck into for now. Sticker packs are already available to download from the App Store for use in iMessages; iOS 12 will allow you to use them in videos. Thanks to facial tracking software the stickers will dance across the screen as they follow the movement of your face.

iOS 12 Photos Search Improvements

With easy access to such a phenomenal camera, it’s easy to watch our iPhone photo libraries bloat to unmanageable sizes. That’s why iOS 12 brings further improvements to the search function in the Photos app. It will allow you to track down the exact pictures you’re looking for.

Just like always, your iPhone will analyze every photo in your library behind-the-scenes. In doing so, it looks for a range of features that may be called upon through a search. iOS 12 enhancements will improve recognition as it looks for each of the following elements:

iOS 12 Photos Recognition Elements:

• People: John Smith, Mom, Friends
• Objects: Cake, Camels, Cars
• Locations: Home, Mexico City, John’s house
• Scenes: In a forest, At work, In a museum
• Events: Glastonbury festival, My birthday, New Year’s Eve
• Dates and Key Moments: Last year, Summer holiday, January 2010
• Businesses: Japanese restaurants, Starbucks, John’s Car wash

What’s more, you can filter through your photos by searching for multiple things at once. While this is nothing new to iOS, Apple’s enhanced recognition should make it quicker and easier than ever to track down exact images you’re looking for.

Introducing Photos For You

After it’s successful implementation in the Apple Music app, get ready to see a For You tab appear in Photos on iOS 12. This new page will replace Memories and present you with a custom selection of photos from your library.

The For You tab will present Memories, Top Moments, Featured Photos, and Effect Suggestions that encourage you to make use of iPhone’s editing capabilities to enhance your existing photos. Alongside these features, you’ll be updated on Shared Album activity. iOS 12 will even suggest selections of photos to share with your contacts. 

Photo sharing is completed using iMessage’s end-to-end encryption. As a result, your photos remain safe and secure as they’re transferred in full quality to friends. Analysis of your library lets iOS 12 suggest specific contacts to share with. Specifically, people who might enjoy those particular photos (perhaps they are in them, or were at the same event). After a friend receives your photos, they’ll be prompted to send you relevant photos of theirs!

These camera and photo improvements in iOS 12 are sure to keep us snapping happy for years to come, capturing more perfect moments and spending more time enjoying what photos we already have. Take a look at Apple’s website, or check out our iOS 12 coverage, for more information on what to expect in this new software update.

Dan Helyer( Senior Writer )

Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.

He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.

Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.