The iPhone’s camera is a powerful tool, packed with features designed to help you capture stunning images in any situation. One of these invaluable features, especially for action shots and capturing fleeting moments, is Burst Mode. This mode allows your iPhone to take a rapid series of photos, mimicking professional high-speed cameras. Whether you’re photographing a sporting event, playful pets, or just trying to get the perfect jump shot, Burst Mode significantly increases your chances of capturing the ideal frame.
But what happens after you’ve taken a burst of photos? Your iPhone neatly groups these images together in your Photos app, choosing a representative thumbnail. Many users are unaware that there are more photos hidden within that single thumbnail and how to access them. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to view burst photos on your iPhone, select your favorites, and manage the rest.
Accessing Your Burst Photos on iPhone
Finding your burst photos is straightforward. Apple automatically organizes them into a dedicated album, making them easy to locate and review.
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Open the Photos App: Start by tapping the Photos app icon on your iPhone’s home screen. This is your central hub for all your photos and videos.
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Navigate to Albums: At the bottom of the Photos app screen, you’ll see several tabs. Tap on the “Albums” tab.
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Find the Bursts Album: Scroll down through your list of albums. You will find an album labeled “Bursts.” This album exclusively contains all the burst photos you’ve taken with your iPhone. Tap on “Bursts” to open it.
Accessing the Bursts album in the Photos app on iPhone
Accessing the Bursts album in the Photos app on iPhone, highlighting the album icon.
Reviewing and Selecting the Best Shots from a Burst
Once you’re in the “Bursts” album, you can start reviewing and selecting the best images from each burst series.
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Select a Burst Photo: Tap on the burst photo you want to review. It will open like a single image initially.
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Tap “Select…”: At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a “Select…” option. Tap this button. This action expands the burst, revealing all the individual photos within the series.
Accessing the Bursts album in the Photos app on iPhone
Tapping the “Select…” button at the bottom of the screen to expand and view all photos within the selected burst.
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Swipe and Choose Your Favorites: You’ll now see a filmstrip of thumbnails at the bottom of the screen, displaying each photo in the burst. Swipe left or right to preview each image in the series. To select a photo to keep, tap on the circle below each thumbnail. A blue checkmark will appear, indicating your selection.
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Tap “Done”: After you’ve reviewed all the photos and selected your favorites, tap “Done” in the top right corner.
Accessing the Bursts album in the Photos app on iPhone
Selecting preferred images from the burst sequence, marked with blue checkmarks for saving.
Saving or Deleting Your Burst Photos
After selecting your preferred images, your iPhone will give you options on how to manage the burst series.
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Choose to Keep All or Favorites: A pop-up window will appear, asking “Keep Everything” or “Keep Favorites Only.”
- Keep Everything: This option saves all photos in the burst series, along with the individual photos you selected, to your Camera Roll. The burst series will remain in the “Bursts” album.
- Keep Favorites Only: This option only saves the photos you selected with blue checkmarks to your Camera Roll. The entire burst series will be deleted from the “Bursts” album, except for the selected favorites which are now saved individually.
Choose the option that suits your needs. If you’re unsure, “Keep Everything” is often the safer choice, as you can always revisit the burst and delete unwanted photos later.
Accessing the Bursts album in the Photos app on iPhone
Selecting between “Keep Everything” to save the entire burst or “Keep Favorites Only” to save just the chosen images.
Tips for Using Burst Mode Effectively
Burst mode is incredibly useful, but here are a few tips to get the most out of it:
- Use it for Action Shots: Burst mode excels at capturing moving subjects. Use it for sports, pets, children playing, or anything in motion.
- Stabilize Your iPhone: While burst mode captures many frames, camera shake can still affect image quality. Try to keep your iPhone as steady as possible while shooting bursts.
- Review Bursts Regularly: Burst photos can quickly take up storage space. Make it a habit to review your bursts periodically and delete the unwanted series to free up space on your iPhone.
- Don’t Overuse It: While helpful, burst mode isn’t always necessary. For static subjects, a single well-composed shot is often better and saves storage.
By understanding how to view and manage burst photos, you can fully leverage this powerful iPhone camera feature to capture life’s most dynamic moments. Experiment with burst mode and discover how it can elevate your iPhone photography.
