Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Insta360 mobile app on iPhone 13
360 Cameras These handy Insta360 X5 editing tricks address my biggest problem with 360 action cameras
Two iPhones on a blue and green background showing the iOS 26 Camera app
iPhone iOS 26 is giving the iPhone's Camera app an upgrade I've been waiting years for
Luma Labs Modify Video
Artificial Intelligence Luma Labs' new Modify Video tool can reimagine scenes without reshooting
Data servers with colourful wires inside a meshed metal cupboard
Artificial Intelligence Google can now generate your AI videos more quickly than ever
28 Years Later behind-the-scenes
Entertainment You can totally tell that 28 Years Later was shot on an iPhone – and that’s a good thing
A phone showing the TikTok logo
Artificial Intelligence TikTok’s new AI Alive lets you turn images into videos – here’s how to try it for free
Meta AI Video Editing
Artificial Intelligence I tried the new Meta AI video editor and it's quite the trip into the uncanny valley
  1. Phones
  2. iPhone

How to create a time lapse video on your iPhone

How-to
By MacFormat published 3 November 2015

Time machines

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Getting ready

Getting ready

Recording a time lapse recording on an iPhone is simple enough. Just as with other camera modes, you need to set a focus point, possibly adjust the exposure – although for lengthy time lapses the light may change dramatically anyway – and, finally, tap the record button.

Starting a recording is straightforward, but getting good results requires some extra care and preparation. You'll need to find a good spot from which to shoot, just as for any photo or video, but special care has to be taken that you're not positioning the camera somewhere that a person, animal or vehicle will settle and ruin your results.

For a time lapse that's recorded from a fixed position, you need to ensure that the tripod is stable, and that it's unlikely to get knocked by passersby – even a small movement can ruin the shot.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
1. Prepare the hardware

1. Prepare the hardware

Ensure that the tripod is stable and your iPhone is securely attached. Open the Camera app and swipe the mode control across the screen until you reach the Time-Lapse mode.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
2. Compose and focus

2. Compose and focus

Position the tripod so that the scene is framed how you want it for when you begin recording the time lapse video on your iPhone. To avoid the camera refocussing if, say, a bird flies into view, lock the focus by tapping a finger on the area you want to focus on.

A yellow box appears, indicating that the focus point has been set there, but keep your finger held on the screen until the box animates briefly and a yellow 'AE/AF LOCK' label appears.

Be careful not to tap the screen again or this will clear the focus lock.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
3. Exposure

3. Exposure

The focus point's yellow box remains on-screen, although slightly dimmed. If it hasn't been set correctly, tap the screen to clear it and try again.

The lighting of a scene – especially a landscape – will inevitably change if you record for long enough, but you might still want to compensate for over- or under-exposure at the start.

The current exposure setting is indicated by the relative position of the sun icon that's adjacent to the yellow box.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
4. Adjust exposure

4. Adjust exposure

To change the exposure from the setting determined by the app – which it bases on what it sees at the point on which you focussed – tap and hold your finger on the screen again and slide it up or down to increase or decrease the exposure, respectively.

Notice how the sun icon moves to reflect your action. Make sure that you didn't accidentally clear the focus point when doing this – check that the yellow AE/AF LOCK badge is still at the top of the screen .

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
5. Start recording

5. Start recording

To begin recording a time lapse video on your iPhone, tap the red Record button. While the duration for which you record is relevant, you'll have to use your intuition and growing experience with shooting time lapses to work out how long to record for.

Rather than indicating the duration of the recording or the resulting time lapse, the only on-screen indication that anything is happening is the animated pattern of white markers around the Record button, which changes to a Stop button.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
6. Lockdown

6. Lockdown

Unlike in the iPhone Camera app's other video modes, tapping the screen while a time lapse is being recorded won't clear the focus and exposure settings. They are locked-in for the duration.

The Stop button is the only on-screen control that will react, but be careful not to press the Home button – that will also stop the recording.

Afterwards, you can distinguish time lapses from other videos by looking for the small clockface icon in the bottom left corner.

  • For more tips on using your iPhone check out our collection of guides on how to use iOS 9
Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
TOPICS
Apple
MacFormat
See more Phone How Tos
Read more
Insta360 mobile app on iPhone 13
These handy Insta360 X5 editing tricks address my biggest problem with 360 action cameras
Two iPhones on a blue and green background showing the iOS 26 Camera app
iOS 26 is giving the iPhone's Camera app an upgrade I've been waiting years for
Luma Labs Modify Video
Luma Labs' new Modify Video tool can reimagine scenes without reshooting
Data servers with colourful wires inside a meshed metal cupboard
Google can now generate your AI videos more quickly than ever
28 Years Later behind-the-scenes
You can totally tell that 28 Years Later was shot on an iPhone – and that’s a good thing
A phone showing the TikTok logo
TikTok’s new AI Alive lets you turn images into videos – here’s how to try it for free
Latest in iPhone
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
The iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a much bigger battery than any previous model
Two hands holding an iPhone that shows the Siri voice assistant being activated
Hurry! It's your last chance to claim in Apple's $95 million Siri settlement – here's how to do it
Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
Apple could move the logo on the iPhone 17 Pro, and that's a bigger deal that you might realise
Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
iPhone 17 Air leaked specs suggest it's likely to beat the S25 Edge in one key way – and lose out in another
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
The foldable iPhone edges closer to reality, according to a new leak – but there's bad news about the foldable iPad
Apple iPhone 16 Review
This ‘meh’ iPhone 17 Air camera tip might give us more insight than meets the eye
Latest in How Tos
Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar sprint to the finish line at Stage 12 of the 2024 Tour de France.
How to watch Tour de France 2025 Stage 4 for FREE
Henry Lloyd-Hughes as DS Nathan Rose in Ragdoll
How to watch Ragdoll on BBC iPlayer (it's free)
Finn Russell of British & Irish Lions makes a break in the lead up to his side's third try, scored by Elliot Daly, left, during the tour match between Western Force and the British & Irish Lions at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia.
Waratahs vs Lions FREE streams: How to watch British & Irish Lions tour live online from anywhere
England players singing national anthem
Argentina vs England FREE streams: How to watch 1st Test 2025 rugby live online from anywhere
Novak Djokovic plays a forehand at Wimbledon 2025
How to watch Evans vs Djokovic online: live stream Wimbledon 2025 tennis FREE
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell go head-to-head at the Austrian GP.
How to watch British Grand Prix F1 on Channel 4 today (it's free)
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Your employee logins are more valuable to criminals than ever - here's how to keep them protected
  2. 2
    ‘This is not a traditional nature documentary’: Apple TV+ reveals the groundbreaking tech behind its new nature series
  3. 3
    I've been scouting for Amazon Prime Day printer deals and this instantly caught my attention- HP Envy printer is on sale for only $100, and even includes a 3 month instant ink trial
  4. 4
    CitrixBleed 2 exploits are now in the wild, so patch now
  5. 5
    I watch horror movies and shows for a living – here’s the only streaming service I’m signing up for in July 2025

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...