On iPhone 15, if you take a photo of a person, cat, or dog, the camera detects them in the frame and captures rich depth information automatically — allowing you to turn it into a stunning portrait right away or later on in the Photos app. Here's how it's done.

iphone 15 portrait photo
Apple's Portrait Mode has become a popular way of taking impressive shots using a depth-of-field effect known as bokeh, allowing iPhone users to shoot a photo that keeps the subject sharp with a blurred background.

On previous iPhones, Portrait photos mode used a more laborious system than regular photos in order to capture the depth map in the image, and this resulted in more shutter lag as well as a lack of support for Smart HDR.

On iPhone 15 models, however, Apple's new next-generation Portraits use the same Photonic engine pipeline as regular photos, so there's no compromise in quality or shutter lag in either mode. That means you can turn a photo of a subject into a Portrait long after shooting. All it takes is a few taps when editing. The following steps show you how.

Quickly Change a Photo to a Portrait

  1. In the Photos app, tap any photo taken in Photo mode to view it in fullscreen. If depth information is available for the photo, a Portrait button will appear in the top-left corner.
  2. Tap the Portrait button and select Portrait from the dropdown to enable the depth of field effect.
  3. If you're not happy with the effect, tap the Portrait button again and select Portrait Off to disable it.

photos

Edit the Portrait Effect in Photos

  1. In the Photos app, tap any photo taken in Photo mode to view it in fullscreen. If depth information is available for the photo, a Portrait indicator will appear in the top-left corner.
  2. Tap Edit.
    photos

  3. Tap the Portrait button to enable the depth of field information.
  4. Use the Depth Control slider to increase or decrease the level of background blur in the portrait.
    photos

  5. To change the focal subject in the picture, simply tap the new subject, and the focus will switch to it.

  6. Tap Done to finish.
    photos

To undo all portrait effects, simply open the photo again, tap Edit, then tap Revert.

It's worth noting that when the portrait effect is applied to a Live Photo taken in Photo mode, the Live Photo effects aren't available. Tap Live to view the Live Photo or apply a Live Photo effect without the portrait effect applied.

Disable Auto Portrait Capture

If you want to save storage space, you can prevent the iPhone 15 camera from automatically capturing depth information in photos.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap Camera.
  3. Scroll down and toggle off the switch next to Portraits in Photo Mode.

settings

To learn how to take photos in Portrait mode during shooting, check out our dedicated how-to article.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Available at Significantly Lower Price Until Next Week

Friday April 18, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
Apple TV+ is currently available at a much lower price than usual, but time is running out if you want to take advantage of the offer. In the U.S., new and qualified returning customers can subscribe to Apple TV+ for just $2.99 per month, for three months. Afterwards, regular pricing of $9.99 per month applies. The offer is available in the Apple TV app, and at tv.apple.com, through April...