By Matteo Martignago, cinematographer and colorist. Updated July 2026.
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The iPhone has no dedicated long-exposure shooting mode. The built-in way is to shoot a Live Photo, then apply the Long Exposure effect in the Photos app, which blends about three seconds of motion into a single frame. For true 15 to 30 second exposures, light trails, and RAW files, you need a third-party app like Slow Shutter Cam or Spectre.
Quick version:
- Open the Camera app, turn on Live Photos (the concentric-circles icon at the top), and take the shot while holding steady.
- Open the photo in the Photos app and tap the Live badge in the top-left corner.
- Choose Long Exposure from the menu. Your still now shows blurred motion.
Does the iPhone have a long exposure mode?
Not as a shooting mode. Even on the current iOS 26, the stock Camera app has no manual shutter speed, no bulb setting, and no built-in long-exposure control. What it does have is a post-capture Long Exposure effect for Live Photos, which fakes a long exposure by blending the frames a Live Photo records over roughly three seconds into one image.
That distinction matters. A real camera holds its shutter open and lets the sensor gather light for seconds or minutes. The iPhone hardware shutter tops out around one second, so it never truly exposes for that long. Instead, the native effect and every long-exposure app stack and blend many quick frames to simulate the look. Knowing it is frame-blending, not a slow shutter, explains the limits below.
Method 1: long exposure with the built-in camera (free, no app)
Step 1: turn on Live Photos and shoot
Open the Camera app and stay in Photo mode. At the top of the viewfinder, tap the Live Photos icon (the concentric circles) so it is on, with no slash through it. Frame your scene, hold the phone as still as you can, and press the shutter. The iPhone records about 1.5 seconds before and after the press, which is the raw material for the effect.
Step 2: convert it to a long exposure
- Open the Photos app and find the Live Photo you just took. To locate it fast, go to Albums, then Utilities, then Live Photos.
- Look at the top-left corner of the open photo. Tap the Live badge with the small downward arrow next to it.
- In the menu that appears (Live, Loop, Bounce, Long Exposure), choose Long Exposure.
- The iPhone blends the frames into a single still with blurred motion. To undo it, reopen the same menu and pick Live again. The change is non-destructive, so your original is safe.
Older versions of iOS hid these effects behind a swipe up on the photo. That still works on some devices, but the top-left Live dropdown is the current, reliable control.
What the native method can and cannot do
The built-in effect is good for one thing: smooth daytime water. Because iOS aligns the frames using the static parts of the scene as anchors, you can often shoot a waterfall or a wave handheld and still get sharp rocks with silky water. Keep these limits in mind:
- The length is fixed at about three seconds and cannot be adjusted. That is the whole Live Photo buffer.
- The photo must have been a Live Photo at capture. You cannot turn a normal still into a long exposure after the fact.
- Resolution drops to around 20 megapixels, even on iPhones that shoot 24, and the blend trims a few pixels off the edges, more so if you shoot handheld.
- No RAW. The effect outputs a standard image, so there is less latitude for heavy editing.
- Light trails and night scenes need a tripod. Over a three-second exposure in low light, any handheld drift smears the whole frame.
Fix: the Long Exposure option is missing
If you do not see the Long Exposure choice, the photo almost certainly was not a Live Photo. The effect only exists for Live Photos, so Live Photos must be on before you take the shot. Check that the concentric-circles icon in the Camera app is on, retake the photo, and the option will appear in the top-left menu.
Method 2: true long exposure with a third-party app (15s, 30s, bulb)
When you want real 15 or 30 second exposures, night light trails, star trails, or RAW files to edit, you need a dedicated app. These apps still stack frames rather than holding the shutter open, but they let you set the duration, watch the exposure build on screen, and export far more detail than the native effect.
The best long exposure iPhone apps
| App | Cost | Max exposure | RAW | Handheld? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slow Shutter Cam | ~$2 one-time | 30s plus bulb | No | No | Best all-round value: water, light trails, low light with a live preview |
| Spectre Camera | Free; $4.99 Pro | 3s free, 15 to 30s Pro | No | Yes (AI) | Easiest handheld shooting; cleanest interface; can remove crowds |
| ReeXpose | Free; $4.99 Pro | Multi-frame merge | Yes (DNG) | Partial | The RAW pick for editing in Lightroom or Darkroom |
| Even Longer | Free; paid IAP | Up to hours | Yes (Pro) | No | Power users: star trails, intervalometer, extreme durations |
| NightCap | ~$3 to $4 one-time | Unlimited trails | No | No | Astrophotography: stars, meteors, the ISS |
| ProCamera | $5.99 plus IAP | ~30s (LowLight Plus) | Yes | Partial | An all-in-one manual camera if you want a single app |
If you buy only one, Slow Shutter Cam is the reliable, no-subscription workhorse, and the one that has lived on my own phone for years for quick two-second water shots. If you want to shoot without a tripod, Spectre uses AI to align frames so handheld daytime shots stay sharp. If you plan to edit heavily, ReeXpose exports a true RAW file. Skip general camera apps sold as long-exposure tools: Halide is a superb manual camera but not a slow-shutter app (its makers built Spectre for that), and VSCO is mainly an editor whose camera has no slow-shutter mode.
Prices and tiers were current at this update and can change, so check the App Store before you buy.
How to shoot a long exposure in the app
- Mount the iPhone on a tripod. Real multi-second exposures need one, even with the handheld-friendly apps.
- Pick a mode that matches the scene: motion blur for water, light trails for traffic and stars, or low light for night.
- Set the duration, starting around one to two seconds for water and 10 to 30 seconds for traffic trails.
- Keep ISO low to limit noise, and expose for the highlights so bright lights and skies do not blow out.
- Trigger the shutter without touching the phone, using the self-timer or a remote, and watch the on-screen preview until the effect looks right.
Gear: tripods and ND filters
Two accessories separate a snapshot from a clean long exposure.
- A tripod is effectively required for anything at night or any real multi-second exposure, and it keeps you at full resolution for daytime shots too. A small phone tripod and a phone clamp are enough to start. Trigger the shutter with the self-timer, a Bluetooth shutter remote, the volume button on a pair of wired earbuds, or, on recent iPhones, the Camera Control button, so you never nudge the frame.
- A variable ND filter darkens the scene so you can run a genuinely slow app shutter in daylight without blowing out the sky. A clip-on variable ND filter for phones is the simplest option. One important caveat: an ND filter does nothing for the native Live Photo effect, which is a fixed frame blend, not a real exposure. It only helps true app-based exposures in bright light.
Creative ideas by scene
- Silky water. Waterfalls, rivers, and ocean waves are the friendliest subjects. The native effect handles daytime water handheld; for a longer, glassier blur, use an app on a tripod at one to two seconds.
- Light trails and traffic. Find an overpass or a busy street at dusk, put the phone on a tripod, and run a 10 to 30 second exposure in an app to stretch headlights into ribbons. See our guide to light trail photography for compositions.
- Night, city, and star trails. After dark you need a tripod and an app with a long or unlimited exposure. NightCap and Even Longer are built for stars and star trails. Our night street photography guide covers the city side.
- Crowd removal. Spectre can average out moving people over a few seconds, leaving a nearly empty plaza or monument. Hold the frame steady while the app captures and blends the sequence.
Editing your long exposures
If you shot RAW in an app like ReeXpose, the DNG file gives you room to recover highlights, lift shadows, and fine-tune white balance in Lightroom, Darkroom, or Snapseed. For native long exposures, which are standard images, small adjustments to contrast, exposure, and warmth in the Photos app usually finish the shot. Straighten the horizon, nudge the highlights down to protect bright water or skies, and add a touch of contrast to bring back the crispness the blend softened.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take long exposure photos on iPhone without an app?
Yes. The built-in Live Photo Long Exposure effect is free and needs no app, though it caps at about three seconds and shoots only daytime-friendly blur well. For longer exposures, light trails, or RAW, you need a third-party app.
Does the iPhone actually slow the shutter?
No. The iPhone hardware shutter maxes out around one second. Both the native effect and long-exposure apps simulate a slow shutter by capturing many frames and blending them, rather than holding the sensor open.
How do you take a 30-second long exposure on iPhone?
Use an app such as Slow Shutter Cam or ProCamera on a tripod, set the exposure to 30 seconds, keep ISO low, and trigger it with the self-timer or a remote. The native Live Photo method cannot go past about three seconds.
Why is the Long Exposure option not showing up?
Because the photo was not a Live Photo. The effect only works on Live Photos, so turn on Live Photos in the Camera app (the concentric-circles icon), retake the shot, and the Long Exposure option will appear in the top-left Live menu.
Do you need a tripod for long exposure on iPhone?
For daytime moving water, not always, because the native effect and Spectre align frames well enough to shoot handheld. For anything at night, for light trails, or for any real multi-second app exposure, you will need one.
Do you need an ND filter for iPhone long exposure?
Only for true app-based exposures in bright daylight, where an ND filter cuts the light so a slow shutter does not blow out. The native Live Photo effect gains nothing from one, since it never opens a real shutter to begin with.
What is the best long exposure app for iPhone?
Slow Shutter Cam is the best all-round value for most people. Spectre is the easiest for handheld shooting, ReeXpose is the pick if you want RAW files, and NightCap is built for stars and astrophotography.
Which iPhones can take long exposure photos?
Any iPhone that shoots Live Photos, which is every model from the iPhone 6s onward, can use the native Long Exposure effect. The third-party apps work on essentially any current iPhone, and a few RAW apps require a recent model and iOS version.
The bottom line
The iPhone cannot truly hold its shutter open, but it fakes a long exposure convincingly. Start free with the Live Photo Long Exposure effect for silky daytime water. When you want real 15 to 30 second exposures, light trails, or RAW, add a tripod and an app like Slow Shutter Cam or Spectre.
