Apple Adds iOS 27 Camera Control Editing in RC, Ahead of Sept. 14 Public Release

Q: Why is Apple finally letting you customize the iPhone camera, and what hidden features automatically override your choices?

Apple is finally opening up the iPhone camera because the feature was likely timed to arrive alongside the iPhone 18 Pro launch and its bigger camera push, not because it needed the new hardware to work. Reporting from Mark Gurman and the iOS 27 Release Candidate both point to Apple holding back the customizable Camera interface until it could debut with the new Pro models’ upgraded imaging system, including variable aperture and new manual controls. But Apple is now rolling the interface customization out broadly to iPhones that support iOS 27, suggesting the customization itself is mainly a software change meant to make the Camera app less cluttered and more adaptable to different shooting styles. The hidden catch is that some controls can still override your layout automatically. Night Mode is the clearest example: even if you remove it, it can reappear when the phone detects low light. On newer Pro models, controls such as Action Mode or Dual Capture may also come back depending on the device and shooting context, even after being removed. Some reports suggest they disappear during editing but reappear once you save, which may be intentional context-aware behavior or a bug in the release candidate. Customization also applies separately by mode, including Photo, Video, Cinematic, and Portrait, so Apple is letting users tailor the interface while still reserving the right to surface certain tools when the camera believes they are needed.

3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Sep 10

Apple’s iOS 27 Release Candidate for developers adds a new Edit menu that lets users add or remove Camera app controls from a widget-like tray.
The feature appears under the six-circle button in the Camera interface and supports options such as Flash, Timer, Exposure, Filters, Night Mode and File Format, with a reset-to-default option.
Apple had not included the customization tool in its June WWDC preview, despite earlier reports that a more flexible Camera app was planned.
The addition arrives after the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch and appears to extend to all iPhones that can run iOS 27, not just the new Pro models.
Apple is scheduled to release iOS 27 to the public on Monday, Sept. 14.