In the iPhone Camera app, choose Photo or Portrait, open Camera controls, choose Timer, select a delay and press the shutter. Apple’s current guide lists 3, 5 and 10 seconds; older iOS interfaces may show fewer choices.
Set the timer step by step
- Open Camera and select Photo or Portrait mode. Choose the front or rear camera and frame the picture.
- Tap the Camera Controls button, or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom to reveal the controls.
- Tap Timer and select an available delay.
- Place the phone securely, check focus and framing, then press the shutter and move into position.
- Open the saved result in Photos and check that everyone is sharp and inside the frame.
These steps follow Apple’s current Camera-tools guide, checked October 30, 2026. They are documentation-based; this revision does not claim a physical iPhone test or screenshots from an owned device.
If you cannot see the timer
First check the shooting mode. The built-in still-photo timer described here is not a general countdown for starting a video. Reveal the additional camera controls rather than looking only at the top row of the viewfinder. If your older interface uses an arrow or a different control arrangement, consult the guide for that iOS version.
Do not interpret a missing five-second option as a fault when the installed version offers only three and ten seconds. Record the model and OS version when comparing instructions; the presence of a newer control in Apple’s current guide does not update an older phone.
Choose enough time and set focus deliberately
A short delay can reduce movement from pressing the shutter when the phone is supported. A longer delay gives you more time to join a group. The timer cannot keep a subject still or rescue a phone that is sliding off its support.
Tap the intended subject area to focus. If you use an exposure/focus lock, set it at the distance where the subject will stand; locking on an empty foreground and then stepping farther away can leave the face soft. Inspect the result at a useful size before repeating the session.
Turn the timer off
Open the same Timer control and select Off. Check its displayed state before the next shot rather than assuming closing Camera resets every setting. If the interface differs, use the installed-version guide instead of resetting unrelated camera preferences.
Why are there multiple images?
Saved-image behavior can depend on model, software and capture settings. Inspect what Photos actually saved. Do not promise that enabling Live Photos or flash will disable every timer sequence on every iPhone. The separate iPhone burst-mode guide explains how to identify and manage a burst.
When you need a different tool
For repeated interval capture or a timed video recording, choose a tool that explicitly supports that task and test its saved result. For a simulated long exposure, follow the separate iPhone long-exposure workflow; countdown delay and exposure duration are different settings.
If the photo is for a document, follow the passport-photo requirements as well. To combine several finished shots, see making an iPhone collage. Record your actual controls and file results with the Download the device-check worksheet (ZIP; open the HTML file inside).
