How to change the aspect ratio on iPhone camera (16:9, 4:3, square)

Aspect ratio is the shape of a photo: its width compared with its height. The iPhone camera shoots 4:3 by default, the same shape as the sensor. You can switch to the wider 16:9, which matches phone and TV screens, or to a 1:1 square. The steps depend a little on your iOS version, so they are covered for iOS 26, iOS 27 and older phones below.

How to change aspect ratio on iPhone camera

In the Crop screen you can also choose Freeform to drag any shape, and flip between portrait and landscape versions of a ratio with the buttons below the photo. The crop is not permanent: tap Edit and then Revert at any time to get the full original back.

Ratios in other camera modes

• Portrait mode: supports 4:3, 16:9 and square, set the same way as Photo mode.
• Pano: always makes a long, thin image. Crop it in Photos afterward if you want a standard shape for printing or sharing.
• Night mode and Live Photos: keep whatever ratio you chose in Photo mode, so set it before you switch them on.
• Front camera selfies: use the same aspect ratio button. Tap the arrows to zoom out for group selfies and fit more people in.
• Older iPhones: on iPhone 8 and earlier, swipe along the mode names to find Square instead of using an aspect ratio button.

Landscape selfies without turning the phone

iPhone 17 models and later have a square front camera sensor with Center Stage. You can hold the iPhone upright and still take a horizontal selfie: tap the rotate button in the front camera view to switch between portrait and landscape framing. Center Stage can also widen the frame automatically when more people step into a group selfie. On older iPhones, you have to turn the phone sideways for a landscape selfie.

Does 16:9 lower the quality?

Yes, a little. Every iPhone camera sensor is 4:3, so 16:9 and square photos are cropped from it. On 48 megapixel iPhones, a 16:9 photo keeps fewer pixels than a 4:3 one. If you might want the widest options later, shoot in 4:3 and crop in Photos, since you can always undo a crop but you cannot get back pixels that were never saved.

In practice, the difference only matters if you print large or crop tightly later. For photos you share on social media or view on a phone, 16:9 looks just as sharp. If you shoot in 48 megapixel HEIF Max or ProRAW, you get the most detail in 4:3, which leaves plenty of room to crop to any shape afterward.

Aspect button missing?

• Check you are in Photo or Portrait mode. Video modes have no aspect ratio setting.
• Look in the controls tray rather than the top bar. On iOS 26 and 27 it moved inside the controls button unless you pinned it.
• On iPhone 8 and earlier, the option is the Square mode in the list of modes, not a button.
• Some third-party camera apps have their own ratio settings. The steps here are for Apple’s Camera app.

Why your photos show black bars

A 4:3 photo on a 16:9 TV or laptop screen leaves black bars at the sides, because the shapes do not match. A 16:9 photo on an iPad, which is closer to 4:3, leaves bars at the top and bottom. Nothing is wrong with the photo. If you mostly show pictures on a TV, shoot in 16:9 or crop to it; for iPad slideshows and prints, 4:3 fits better.

Aspect ratio for prints

Standard US print sizes do not match the iPhone’s 4:3 shape exactly. A 4x6 print is 3:2, so the lab trims a little from the long edges. An 8x10 print is 4:5 and trims more. To control exactly what gets cut, crop the photo yourself before ordering: in Photos, tap Edit, then Crop, and pick 4:6 or 8:10. See our guide to printing photos from iPhone at the right size for home printers.

Wallpapers and screenshots

• Screenshots always match your screen’s shape, which on Face ID iPhones is roughly 19.5:9. You cannot change that, but you can crop them in Photos afterward.
• For a Lock Screen wallpaper, a tall photo works best. 16:9 photos shot upright fill most of the screen; 4:3 photos get zoomed in when you set them.
• When you set a wallpaper, pinch to zoom and drag to reposition. The Lock Screen may also add a depth effect so the subject overlaps the clock.

What about video?

The camera records video in 16:9 when you hold the iPhone sideways, and 9:16 when you hold it upright, which suits Reels, TikTok and Stories. Decide how the video will be watched before you start recording, since turning it later means cropping away much of the picture. There is no aspect ratio button for video. To change a video’s shape, open it in Photos, tap Edit, then Crop, and choose a preset such as Square or 4:5.

• Instagram feed: 4:5 or square.
• Stories, Reels and TikTok: 9:16, shot upright.
• TV and YouTube: 16:9, shot sideways.
• Prints: crop to 4:6, 5:7 or 8:10 to match the paper.