A manual camera for iPhone

ISO, shutter, white balance, focus and exposure in your hands, with the readouts to check a shot before you take it.

Set the exposure and focus yourself

AnyFront Camera is a manual camera app for iPhone. A row of controls sits on the main camera screen, and each one is yours to set:

ISO, for how sensitive the camera is to light.
Shutter speed, for how long the exposure lasts.
White balance, with temperature (warmer or cooler) and tint (greener or more magenta) set separately.
Focus, set by hand.
Exposure compensation (EV), to nudge the exposure brighter or darker.

Tap to focus and expose, then use AE/AF lock to hold the exposure and focus where you want them while you reframe.

If manual controls are new to you, a few basics help. A slower shutter speed or a higher ISO makes the picture brighter, but a slower shutter can blur anything that moves and a higher ISO can add noise. Exposure compensation is the quick way to nudge a shot lighter or darker, and the histogram and zebras below show you where you landed.

The main camera screen on an iPhone: live histogram, the manual control row (ISO, shutter, WB, focus, EV), PHOTO and VIDEO modes and the shutter button.

Select ISO, for example, and a ruler dial opens in a panel over the bottom of the viewfinder.

With ISO selected, a ruler dial opens in a panel over the bottom of the viewfinder, here set to ISO 400.

See the shot before you take it

Four on-screen aids help you judge exposure, focus and composition while you frame:

Histogram: a live graph of how dark and bright tones are spread across the frame.
Zebras: stripes that mark the brightest areas, so you can see where highlights are close to being lost.
Focus peaking: highlights the edges that are in focus.
Grid and level: a grid to help you compose, and a level to keep the horizon straight.

Zebras on the bright sun and focus peaking on the horizon.

Lenses and everyday controls

Every lens your iPhone has is available, for example 0.5x, 1x and 3x and the front camera, on the models that have them. You also get zoom, tap to focus and expose, flash and a timer.

Some controls depend on the hardware. Controls your iPhone does not support are simply not shown, so the screen never offers something your phone cannot do.

The first time you open the app, a short guided tour points out the controls on the screen, then it asks for the camera, the microphone and permission to add to your photo library. Show walkthrough in Camera Settings > About brings the tour back.

Photo and video formats

Photos: HEIF or JPEG, plus RAW and ProRAW where your iPhone supports them.
Video: HEVC at 4K or 1080p, at 24, 30 or 60 frames per second, plus ProRes and Log where your iPhone supports them.

Photos and videos are saved to your Photos library, like the built-in camera. The album button on the camera screen shows your photos and videos inside the app, free on every iPhone; it asks for access to your library the first time you tap it, and never before. The format options live in the Camera Settings sheet, next to the Grid, Level, Histogram and Zebras overlays.

The Camera Settings sheet on an iPhone: photo format (HEIF here), video at 4K, 30 fps and HEVC with a color profile setting, and the Grid, Level, Histogram and Zebras overlays.

Free on every compatible iPhone

The camera and every manual control above are free, on every iPhone that runs iOS 27 or later. There is no account to create, no ads and no analytics. Its only network use is the App Store, for AnyFront Pro, and iCloud Photos, when it shows you a photo or video kept there. It never uploads photos, videos, sounds or face data. The privacy policy has the details.

Extras for iPhone Duo

If you own an iPhone Duo, there is one more thing to try. While the phone is open and the camera is running, the cover screen faces the person you are photographing. AnyFront Camera can show them a photo or video from your library, one of eight animations, or a live mirror of the shot. You choose and switch what is showing from the inner screen, without leaving the camera.

AnyFront Pro is a monthly subscription with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. On every iPhone, it adds AnyFront's library of 18 attention sounds for pets and babies, plus your own sounds from Files or recordings up to 10 seconds; pick one in the camera and play it to get their attention. On an open iPhone Duo with iOS 27.1 or later, the live mirror and Bubbles are free; AnyFront Pro unlocks your photos and videos, the other seven animations and the message card. The iPhone Duo cover screen camera page shows how it works.

Guides and answers

Tips for photographing babies, pets, toddlers and yourself:

Questions about price, supported iPhones or privacy? See the FAQ or support.