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How to set a timer on your iPhone camera

The iPhone camera has plenty of features that can really enhance your photos, but did you know there’s also a timer feature to help with your photo taking?

You’ll no longer need to rely on a stranger passing by to take a group shot, thanks to the timer feature, and it’s incredibly easy to set up. 

Keep reading to discover how to set a timer on your iPhone camera.

What you’ll need:

The short version:

  1. Open Camera app
  2. Tap the arrow symbol at the top centre of the screen
  3. Scroll across the options and tap on the timer symbol
  4. Choose how long you’d like the time to count down for
  5. Tap the Shutter button to start the timer
  1. Step
    1

    Open Camera app

    If the Camera app isn’t on your home screen, then you can scroll across to the App library and find the app there. You can also tap the Search option at the bottom of your home screen and search for the Camera app there.iPhone home screen shot

  2. Step
    2

    Tap the arrow symbol at the top centre of the screen

    This can be tricky to spot, as the symbol blends in with the rest of the screen. Just be sure to look at the top-centre of the screen.iPhone camera with features arrow highlighted

  3. Step
    3

    Tap on the timer symbol

    You may need to scroll across the numerous camera features to find the timer symbol.iPhone camera with timer symbol highlighted

  4. Step
    4

    Choose how long you’d like the timer to count down for

    You can choose between a three-second timer (3s) and a ten-second timer (10s).iPhone camera with timer highlighted

  5. Step
    5

    Tap the Shutter button to start the timer

    This is the button you’d normally use to take a photo. Once you press this, the countdown will flash.iPhone camera with arrow pointing to shutter

Troubleshooting

How do I know whether the timer is set?

Once you have successfully set the timer, you will see the timer symbol and how long the timer will be, on the top-right corner. If you can’t see this, then you may need to check again to make sure you did set the timer correctly.

How do I turn off the timer?

Turning off the timer is the same as setting it. Simply repeat steps one, two and three, but on step four instead of selecting a timer, tap Off.

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