How to Take Burst Photos on iPhone

Burst mode on iPhone lets you capture a rapid sequence of photos with a single press of the shutter button. It’s ideal for action shots, moving subjects, or any moment where timing is tricky—you can keep the best frame and discard the rest. This guide covers the two ways to activate burst mode on current iPhones, how to review and save your favorites, and what to do when it doesn’t work as expected.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone running iOS 13 or later (the steps are the same on iOS 17 and 18).
Enough free storage for the burst set—each burst can be dozens of photos.
For iPhone 11 and later: a quick finger or thumb, since the shutter button needs a fast swipe or press.

Step-by-Step

Open the Camera app from your Home Screen or Lock Screen (swipe left on the lock screen).
Choose the Photo mode—it’s the default, but if you’re in Video, Portrait, or another mode, tap “Photo� at the bottom of the viewfinder.
Frame your subject and make sure the focus and exposure look right (tap the screen to set focus if needed).
Take the burst using one of these methods:
- iPhone 11 and later (except iPhone 15/16 Pro models): Press and quickly slide the shutter button to the left. Keep holding it—the camera will fire continuously until you lift your finger. You’ll see a counter showing how many photos you’ve captured.
- iPhone 15/16 Pro and Pro Max: Press and hold the shutter button firmly. Burst mode starts automatically after a moment, and a counter appears. You can also use the same slide-to-left gesture if you prefer.
- Older iPhones (iPhone X and earlier, or any iPhone with a physical Home button): Press and hold the shutter button—it fires continuously until you release.
Release the shutter when you’ve captured the moment. The camera stops and saves the entire burst as a single set.
Review your burst: Open the Photos app, tap the burst thumbnail (it’s marked with “Burst� in the corner), then tap “Select� at the bottom.
Choose your favorites: Scroll through the frames, tap the ones you want to keep (a checkmark appears), then tap “Done� in the top-right corner.
Save only the selected frames: Choose “Keep Only X Favorites� to delete the rest of the burst, or “Keep Everything� if you want to keep the whole set. The selected photos are saved as regular photos in your library.

Common Mistakes

Holding the shutter too long: You might end up with hundreds of photos, which eats storage and makes it harder to find the best frame. Release as soon as the action is over.
Using the wrong gesture: On newer iPhones, a simple long-press without sliding may not trigger burst mode—you must slide left or press firmly (on Pro models). If you just hold, you might take a single photo or a video depending on your settings.
Forgetting to select favorites: If you don’t go through the burst and select frames, the whole set stays in your library, cluttering your photo feed.
Not checking storage: Bursts can be large, especially on Pro models with 48MP sensors. If you’re low on space, the camera may stop early or fail to save.
Expecting burst mode in other modes: Burst works only in Photo mode, not Portrait, Night, or Video.

Tips

Use burst for fast-moving subjects: Kids, pets, sports, or any scene where timing is unpredictable—burst gives you a safety net.
Hold steady: Even though burst helps, keep your phone as still as possible. You can use a tripod or rest your elbows on a surface.
Turn off “Live Photo� for cleaner bursts: Live Photo can interfere with burst on some models, and it adds extra data. Turn it off (the concentric circles icon) before shooting.
Use the volume button: On older iPhones, holding the Volume Up button also triggers burst. On newer models, it may take a video instead—check your settings.
Edit after selecting: Once you’ve kept your favorites, you can still edit them like any other photo—crop, adjust exposure, apply filters.

Troubleshooting

Burst mode isn’t starting: Make sure you’re in Photo mode. If you’re using an iPhone 11 or later, try sliding the shutter button left quickly rather than pressing and holding. On Pro models, press harder or check that “Burst� is enabled in Settings > Camera (it’s on by default).
You only got one photo: You may have tapped the shutter instead of holding it. Press and hold firmly, or slide left, and keep holding until you see the counter.
The counter doesn’t appear: This can happen if your storage is almost full. Free up space or connect to Wi-Fi and enable iCloud Photos to offload originals.
Burst photos are missing from Photos: They’re grouped under the same date/time. Scroll to that moment and look for a thumbnail with “Burst� in the corner. If you don’t see it, check “Recently Deleted� in case you accidentally deleted it.
You can’t select favorites: Tap the burst thumbnail, then tap “Select� at the bottom. If the button isn’t there, you might be viewing a single photo—tap the burst thumbnail again to open the full set.
Burst mode takes too many photos: The camera fires as fast as it can, which can be 10–30 frames per second. Release earlier, or use the “Keep Only Favorites� option to clean up quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many photos can I take in a burst?

There’s no set limit—the camera keeps shooting until you release the shutter, limited only by your available storage. In practice, bursts are usually 10–100 photos.

Does burst mode work on all iPhone models?

Yes, every iPhone with a camera supports burst mode, but the activation method differs. Older models (iPhone X and earlier) use a simple press-and-hold; newer models require a slide or a firm press.

Can I use burst mode with the front camera?

Yes, burst mode works with the front-facing camera too, using the same gestures. It’s handy for group selfies or action shots.

Do burst photos take up more storage than regular photos?

Yes, because you’re saving many frames at once. A burst can use tens or hundreds of megabytes. After you select favorites and delete the rest, the storage is freed.

Can I turn off burst mode?

On iPhone 11 and later, you can disable the slide-to-burst gesture in Settings > Camera by turning off “Use Volume Up for Burst� (if you want to use the volume button for something else) or by not sliding. However, there’s no global switch to disable burst entirely—it’s a core camera feature.

Why do my burst photos look blurry?

Burst mode doesn’t improve motion blur—it just takes many shots quickly. If your subject is moving fast, you may still get blur if the shutter speed is too slow. Try shooting in brighter light or using a faster shutter speed (if you’re using a third-party camera app).

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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