Unlock Enhanced Aperture Control with These Camera Apps for iPhone 18 Pro

One of the notable limitations of the iPhone 18 Pro’s new main camera featuring a variable aperture is that the native iOS camera app restricts you to just four settings in manual mode: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. These same restrictions apply when the app automatically adjusts the iris in Auto aperture mode. However, this isn’t a strict limitation of the camera hardware itself. Apple’s SDK enables third-party camera apps to offer more precise control over the aperture.

The BlackMagic Camera app for iOS, which is feature-rich and completely free, was among the first third-party apps to support the iPhone 18 Pro’s adjustable aperture. Unlike the native app, it provides 10 presets with additional options between the settings available in iOS. The iPhoneographers YouTube channel recently tested this functionality in version 3.5 of the app, describing it as “pretty buggy.” Fortunately, the app has since been updated to version 3.5.1, which includes general performance and stability enhancements.

In a similar vein, Moment announced on X that its $12.99 Moment Pro Camera II app has also been updated to support the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture. This app allows you to adjust the aperture from f/1.48 to f/4.0 in 1/3 stop increments, providing 10 presets similar to Blackmagic’s app, aligning with the approach taken by most digital cameras. Given the small sensor size of the iPhone 18 Pro, you might find it challenging to notice differences in background blur and focus depth when comparing photos with f-stops that vary by just 1/3 of a stop, but having more control is always a plus.