In iOS 18.2, Apple has introduced a thoughtful new feature for the Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models that helps prevent accidental camera launches by requiring the screen to be on before the button will register clicks. Keep reading to gain more control over when the Camera app opens.

iphone 16 pro capture button
Apple located the Camera Control button to make it conveniently placed for quick access, but it can sometimes be too responsive – especially during those moments when you're not actually trying to take a photo.

Recognizing the potential for this, Apple in iOS 18.2 has added a new Require Screen On feature for Camera Control. It's particularly useful if you often find your iPhone accidentally opening the Camera app while it's in your pocket or bag. By requiring the screen to be on first, you can significantly reduce those unwanted camera launches while still maintaining quick access when you need it.

Require Screen On for Camera Control

Here's how to enable the new option to prevent accidental Camera Control presses:

  1. Open the Settings app on your ‌iPhone 16‌.
  2. Scroll down and tap Display & Brightness.
  3. Look for the Camera Control section.
  4. Toggle on Require Screen On.

settings

Once enabled, you'll need to wake your ‌iPhone‌'s screen before the Camera Control button will respond. This extra step adds just enough friction to prevent accidental activation while keeping the camera readily accessible when you need it.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro

Top Rated Comments

Spock Avatar
10 weeks ago
What is the point of the button again?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gordon1234 Avatar
10 weeks ago
The article is a bit misleading. This has been the way camera control has worked since it was launched. iOS 18.2 adds an option to turn it off for the first time.

I immediately turned it off, as I want the camera button to always do the same thing no matter what.

I think the default behavior is the worse behavior honestly, since it makes camera control inconsistent: sometimes it requires 2 presses, and sometimes just 1. Especially if you’re pulling the phone out of your pocket at the same time you’re opening the camera, it’s pretty much a crapshoot: will the motion of the phone wake up the screen before I press the button or not?

If you’re like me and don’t have an issue with accidentally opening the camera, I recommend turning the Require Screen option off. Otherwise, I would actually recommend the option in camera control settings to always require two button presses. This reduces the chance of accidental activation while allowing you to still have an action that does the same thing every time.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
patriotsfan82 Avatar
10 weeks ago
Surely this is backwards and Apple has added the ability to launch the camera with the screen off instead?

I'm rocking 18.1 and since day 1 my camera button will only launch the camera if the screen is on. If the screen is off it wakes the device only and requires a second click to launch the camera. That it doesn't reliably take me to the camera in all cases has been extremely annoying.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lyrics23 Avatar
10 weeks ago
I prefer to change it to double-press to activate, this way it works with the screen on or off, reliably and without messing around with getting the screen turned on first.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
10 weeks ago
This was always on by default before and how it worked the option now lets you cancel it so it will open any time, so the story is wrong
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gordon1234 Avatar
10 weeks ago

What is the point of the button again?
Things worth photographing are often fleeting. Having a single physical control I can press anytime, anywhere to get a camera instantly, and press again to take photos, is awesome. The fact that it doesn’t rely on the touch screen at all means I can take photos with gloves, dirty hands, and other situations where I’m not able to interact with the touch elements of the phone.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
iphone 17 lineup cad render majin bu

Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

Monday February 24, 2025 2:49 am PST by
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...