How to Stop iPhone Photo Burst
When you hold down the shutter button or volume up button on your iPhone camera app, it automatically takes multiple shots in quick succession, and this is how photo bursts happen.
This is great if you’re trying to capture fast-moving action or want to choose from different facial expressions in a group photo.
However, if that is not your intention, it can quickly eat up storage space on your phone and make it harder to find the photo you actually wanted.
Understanding the Cause of Photo Bursts
Burst mode is a mobile camera feature that lets you capture multiple shots in quick succession.
While this can be useful for capturing action shots or getting the perfect group photo, it can also take up a lot of storage space on your phone if not managed properly.
Understanding how and when to use burst mode will help you avoid cluttering up your camera roll with hundreds of nearly identical images that you simply do not need.
Adjusting your Camera Settings
Turning Off HDR
It’s great for getting clear and detailed shots, but it can also cause the camera to take multiple images in rapid succession, resulting in an unwanted burst photo.
There are alternatives to still getting that HDR-quality you want though, such as manually adjusting exposure or using editing tools post-capture.
Turning off HDR can also help in saving storage space on your phone.
Adjusting Burst Speed
While photo bursts are especially helpful when you’re trying to capture fast-moving subjects or action shots, adjusting burst speed in your camera settings allows you to be more in control of how many images are taken and at what interval.
This technique prevents duplicates, which in turn helps you save storage space on your phone, as well as have a more organized photo library.
Using a Timer or Remote Shutter
Using a timer or remote shutter is also one way to avoid photo bursts on your iPhone camera.
This is especially useful when taking group photos and you want to be included in the shot.
With a remote control, you can take pictures from afar without having to rush back into position for the burst mode.
For added stability while using a timer or remote shutter, consider investing in a tripod. It will keep your phone steady and prevent blurry shots.
Another option is voice control which allows you to activate the camera by simply saying ‘take photo.’
That, or simply turn off burst mode altogether in settings.
Practicing Proper Shutter Button Technique
Using proper finger placement and consistent pressure when pressing the shutter button can prevent unintentional photo bursts and ensure that you capture the image you want.
To practice good technique, place your finger lightly on the shutter button before applying a steady amount of pressure.
Do not tap or quickly release button, as this can trigger burst mode.
Managing Burst Photos on your iPhone
Instead of scrolling endlessly through dozens of nearly identical photos, you may use Apple’s built-in feature to select only the best shots from a burst.
Just tap on the burst photo in question, swipe left or right to view each individual photo within it, and then tap ‘Select…’ on the ones you want to keep.
From there, you can choose whether to save just those selected photos or delete all but them.
And if you ever change your mind about which photos you saved from a particular burst, don’t worry – you can always go back and edit it later using the same process under ‘Edit > Select’ in your camera roll.
Once you’ve selected which photos to keep, you can then proceed to editing all of them at the same time.
Many popular third-party photo editors like Adobe Lightroom and VSCO allow you to easily import and edit multiple photos at once, making it easy to fine-tune even large sets of burst photos with just a few taps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Delete Individual Photos from a Burst without Deleting the Entire Burst?
Organizing burst photos can be tricky, but with a little know-how, it’s possible to keep your favorite shots while getting rid of those that didn’t quite turn out.
To do this, simply open up the Photos app and select the burst in question.
Then tap on ‘Select’ at the bottom of the screen and choose which photos you want to keep or get rid of.
How Can I Tell if a Photo was Taken as Part of a Burst?
One way to identify if a photo was taken as part of a burst is by looking for the word ‘Burst’ at the top of the screen in the Photos app.
This indicates that there are other shots related to this one, which you can access and manage individually without deleting the entire burst.
Does Using the Flash Affect the Burst Mode on my iPhone?
Using the flash on your iPhone may affect burst frequency.
You may be trying to capture a perfect shot in low light conditions, and the flash kept triggering.
This then caused multiple photos to be taken at once, and then creating a burst of images that later made it difficult to choose the best one.
Turning off the flash altogether will help reduce the number of bursts and allow you to focus on getting the single shot that you need.
Can I Turn Off Burst Mode for Specific Camera Modes, such as Portrait or Panorama?
Yes. As a matter of fact, mobile device photographers often find the need to disable the burst mode, especially when taking portrait or panorama shots.
However, if you want to take multiple shots without using the burst mode, there are alternatives such as using the timer function or tapping and holding the shutter button for continuous shooting.
This gives you more control over your photography and helps you capture the perfect shot without having to sift through multiple images afterwards.
Is there a Way to Recover Photos that were Accidentally Deleted from a Burst?
Recovering burst photos is possible with the help of third-party apps like Disk Drill or EaseUS MobiSaver.
These tools can scan your device and recover deleted bursts as long as they haven’t been overwritten yet.
Final Thoughts
You can either stop or use your iPhone’s photo burst feature depending on what you need for the occasion as long as you know how to manage it. Just remember:
- You can delete individual photos from a burst without deleting the entire burst, by opening the Photos app and selecting the burst.
- A small grey dot on the bottom of each photo indicates if it was taken as part of a burst.
- Using flash may not have any direct effect on the burst mode function on your iPhone, but turning it off beforehand may prevent the camera from triggering the flash and causing multiple shots to be taken at once.
- Turning off burst mode for specific camera modes like portrait or panorama may be helpful.
Remember, recovering deleted photos from a burst may still be possible using third-party recovery software.
