Trying to take the best picture and video possible on your iPhone or iPad? You can easily increase the video resolution in the Camera app and switch to the HEIF format for the highest-quality photos.
Follow these methods to adjust your camera settings for higher quality photos and videos. To improve photo quality, changing media formats is a simple and effective method.
To change the media format, open your iPhone’s Settings app, usually found on the home screen. Scroll down and tap Camera. Tap Formats at the top of the Camera options. Select a format that works best for your needs: High Efficiency or Most Compatible. High Efficiency compresses photos and videos to HEIF and HEVC formats, which are smaller files than JPEG and H.264. HEIF images can be high quality since they have a broader dynamic range than JPEG, but they are less compatible. Most Compatible saves photos in the JPEG format, which doesn’t support transparency but tends to be more compatible on different systems and software.
To change photo resolution from 12 MP to 24 MP, navigate to Settings > Camera > Formats. To increase photo resolution to 48 MP, enable RAW or Resolution Control in the same Formats menu. Note that you can convert HEIF files to JPEG later using the Photos app’s export function.
To change video resolution, open your iPhone’s Settings app from the home screen. Scroll down and tap Camera. Tap Record Video to see a list of resolution options. Select a higher resolution option. The options will vary by phone or tablet model, and the setting will take effect immediately. 4K is the highest resolution option available. Increasing the frames per second (fps) will increase the smoothness of the video. However, be aware that increasing the resolution will increase the file size for videos.
If you plan to edit your photos professionally or need maximum quality, enable RAW mode for 48 MP photos. Keep in mind that RAW files are significantly larger, so use this setting only when you need the extra detail. Now that you’ve adjusted your resolution settings, take some test photos and videos to see the difference in quality. Compare shots taken in HEIF format versus JPEG to decide which works best for your needs.
If you share photos frequently with others who use different devices, you may want to stick with the Most Compatible setting. Consider exploring other camera settings like Smart HDR, Deep Fusion, and Night Mode to further enhance your photography. These features work alongside your resolution settings to produce stunning images. Remember that higher resolution photos and videos take up more storage space, so you may need to manage your iPhone storage more frequently or consider upgrading your iCloud storage plan.
