How to Photograph the Northern Lights with an iPhone: Settings, Apps, and Step-by-Step Guide

To photograph the Northern Lights with an iPhone, use Night Mode on a tripod with a 10–30 second exposure. No third-party app is needed on iPhone 12 or later — the native camera's computational photography captures vivid aurora colors, often revealing greens, purples, and pinks invisible to the naked eye. The key requirements are a stable tripod, a dark location away from city lights, and patience.

This guide covers exact settings for every compatible iPhone model, a step-by-step shooting workflow, the best aurora forecast tools, composition techniques, and how to edit your photos afterward. Whether you're heading to Iceland, Norway, Alaska, or catching an unusually strong aurora at lower latitudes, your iPhone is more capable than you think.

Which iPhones Can Photograph the Northern Lights?

Not all iPhones are created equal for aurora photography. The critical feature is Night Mode, which enables long exposures with computational noise reduction.

iPhone Model	Night Mode	Max Exposure	Ultra-Wide (0.5×) Night Mode	ProRAW	Best For
iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Yes	Yes	Best results — 48MP sensor, fastest processing
iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Yes	Yes	Excellent — 48MP main, 5× optical zoom on Pro Max
iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Yes	Yes	Excellent — 48MP main sensor
iPhone 14 / 14 Plus	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Yes	No	Very good
iPhone 13 series	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Yes (Pro models)	Pro models only	Very good
iPhone 12 series	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Yes (Pro models)	Pro models only	Good
iPhone 11 series	Yes	30 sec (tripod)	Limited	No	Acceptable
iPhone XS / XR / X and older	No	N/A	No	No	Not recommended (use NightCap app as workaround)

If you have an iPhone 12 or later, use the native Camera app. Night Mode's computational photography outperforms most third-party apps because it stacks and aligns multiple frames intelligently, reducing noise while preserving color. Third-party apps like NightCap Camera are mainly useful for older iPhones without Night Mode.

Pro/Pro Max advantage: ProRAW capture saves a DNG file with all the computational processing baked in but with far more editing latitude than a standard JPEG. If you plan to edit your aurora photos in Lightroom or Snapseed, shoot ProRAW.

Settings: Exactly What to Use

Native Camera App (iPhone 12+)

This is the simplest and most effective approach. No third-party app needed.

Step 1: Mount your iPhone on a tripod. Night Mode activates automatically in low light, and with a stable mount it extends to 30 seconds.

Step 2: Open the Camera app. The Night Mode icon (a crescent moon) appears in the top-left. Tap it and drag the exposure time slider to 10–30 seconds. Start with 10 seconds for bright, fast-moving aurora; go to 30 seconds for faint displays.

Step 3: Tap the screen on a bright star or the horizon to set focus, then press and hold to lock focus and exposure (AE/AF Lock appears). This prevents the camera from refocusing between shots.

Step 4: Use a Bluetooth remote shutter or set a timer (3 or 10 seconds) to avoid touching the phone when the shutter fires. Any vibration during a long exposure causes blur.

Step 5: Shoot in the widest lens (0.5× ultra-wide) to capture the most sky. Switch to the 1× main lens for tighter compositions with more detail.

Step 6 (Pro models): Enable ProRAW in Settings → Camera → Formats for maximum editing flexibility. The file is ~25MB per photo but preserves far more color and dynamic range data.

Manual Settings via Third-Party Apps

If you want full manual control (or have an older iPhone), these settings work well:

Setting	Bright Aurora (KP 5+)	Moderate Aurora (KP 3–4)	Faint Aurora (KP 1–2)
Exposure	5–10 sec	10–20 sec	20–30 sec
ISO	800–1600	1600–2500	2500–3200
Focus	Infinity (manual)	Infinity (manual)	Infinity (manual)
White balance	Auto or ~4000K	Auto or ~4000K	Auto or ~3500K
Format	RAW/DNG if available	RAW/DNG if available	RAW/DNG if available

Recommended apps for manual control: NightCap Camera ($2.99 — long exposure mode, noise reduction), ProCamera ($14.99 — full manual ISO/shutter/focus), Slow Shutter Cam ($1.99 — exposure times up to 15 sec). For a broader comparison of stargazing and photography apps, see our full guide.

Step-by-Step Shooting Workflow

Before You Leave

Check the aurora forecast. The KP index measures geomagnetic activity on a 0–9 scale. KP 3+ means visible aurora at high latitudes (65°N+). KP 5+ means strong aurora visible from lower latitudes (50–55°N). Use these tools:

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (swpc.noaa.gov) — 30-minute and 3-day forecasts
• My Aurora Forecast app (iOS/Android, free) — push notifications when KP rises
• SpaceWeatherLive app/website — real-time solar wind data and aurora probability maps

Check the weather. Clear skies are essential — clouds block the aurora entirely. Use Clear Outside or a local weather app to find cloud-free windows.

Charge everything. Cold temperatures drain iPhone batteries fast. Charge to 100%, bring a power bank, and keep the phone in an inside pocket between shooting sessions to keep the battery warm.

Clear storage. Night Mode photos are 5–10MB each (25MB+ in ProRAW). A two-hour session can easily produce 2–5GB. Offload old photos to iCloud or a computer before your trip.

At Your Location

Arrive early and scout. Get to your location before the aurora peaks (typically 10 PM – 2 AM local time). Scout for interesting foreground elements — a lake for reflections, a lone tree, a mountain silhouette, a cabin. The best aurora photos include a foreground that anchors the composition. For destination ideas, see our guides to stargazing spots in the US and darkest places on Earth.

Set up your tripod. Any small tripod works — the Joby GorillaPod is popular because it wraps around railings, rocks, or branches. Extend it to eye level if possible so you're not bending down to check shots. Make sure the surface is stable.

Let your eyes dark-adapt. Spend 15–20 minutes without looking at your phone screen. The aurora may appear faint or whitish-green to the naked eye at first. Your iPhone will capture far more color than you see — this is normal and one of the surprises of iPhone aurora photography.

Shooting

1. Mount the iPhone on the tripod facing north (or wherever the aurora appears)
2. Open the Camera app → Night Mode → set exposure to 10 seconds initially
3. Tap the sky to focus → press and hold to lock (AE/AF Lock)
4. Set a 3-second timer or use a Bluetooth remote
5. Take the shot — hold perfectly still
6. Review the photo: if too dark, increase exposure time; if too bright or blurry from aurora movement, decrease it
7. Try the ultra-wide (0.5×) lens for sweeping sky shots, then the 1× lens for detail
8. Shoot continuously — the aurora changes rapidly, and the best moments are unpredictable
9. Try both landscape and portrait orientation
10. Include foreground in at least some shots — pure sky photos lack scale and context

Composition Tips That Make the Difference

A technically perfect exposure of a green sky is forgettable. A well-composed shot with foreground interest is wall-worthy.

Include a foreground element. A reflection in water doubles the impact. A silhouetted tree, church, mountain, lighthouse, or tent gives the viewer scale. Aim to keep the foreground in the bottom third of the frame.

Use the ultra-wide (0.5×) lens when the aurora spans the whole sky. This captures the full curtain in a single frame. Switch to the 1× main lens when the aurora concentrates in a specific area — the larger sensor on Pro models produces cleaner, more detailed results at 1×.

Shoot both horizontally and vertically. Vertical curtains of aurora often look best in portrait orientation.

Leave room for the aurora. If the display is near the horizon, don't center it — place it in the upper two-thirds of the frame so the foreground grounds the composition.

Capture the motion. The aurora's best moments are when it moves rapidly — curtains ripple, pillars shoot upward, colors shift. Shorter exposures (5–10 sec) freeze this structure better than 30-second exposures, which can blur fast-moving aurora into a green wash. Adjust exposure time to match the aurora's speed, not just its brightness.

How to Edit Your Aurora Photos

Straight out of camera, Night Mode photos are usually good. A few minutes of editing can make them great.

Quick Edits in iPhone Photos App

Open the photo → Edit → adjust these sliders:

• Brilliance: +20 to +40 — lifts the dark areas without blowing out the aurora
• Contrast: +10 to +20 — separates the aurora from the sky background
• Saturation: +10 to +15 at most — the colors are already vivid; overdoing saturation makes the photo look artificial
• Noise Reduction: slight increase if you see graininess, especially on non-Pro models
• Sharpness: +5 to +10 to crisp up stars and aurora detail

Editing ProRAW Files

If you shot in ProRAW, edit in Lightroom Mobile (free) or Snapseed (free) for better control:

• Bring down highlights if the aurora core is overexposed
• Lift shadows to reveal foreground detail
• Use the HSL panel to fine-tune green/purple/pink hues independently
• Apply slight clarity (+10 to +20) to enhance aurora structure
• Reduce noise in Lightroom's Detail panel

Don't over-edit. The temptation is to crank saturation until the sky looks like a neon sign. Resist. The iPhone's computational photography already captures accurate colors — subtle editing enhances, heavy editing destroys.

Recording Aurora Video and Time-Lapses

Still photos get the most attention, but aurora video on iPhone can be stunning.

Native video: Switch to Video mode and shoot at 4K 30fps with the ultra-wide lens. The aurora will appear fainter and faster-moving than in photos, but the real-time motion is captivating. On iPhone 14 Pro and later, Action Mode stabilizes handheld video, though a tripod still produces smoother results.

Time-lapse: The built-in Time-Lapse mode works but gives you no control over interval or exposure. For better results, use the Hyperlapse Pro or NightCap Camera app's time-lapse mode, which lets you set a longer exposure per frame.

Pro tip: Record a 30-minute time-lapse of the aurora while simultaneously taking still photos on a second device (or alternate between stills and video). The time-lapse captures the full evolution of the display in a way that still photos can't convey.

Essential Gear Checklist

You need very little beyond the iPhone itself:

Essential: A tripod (Joby GorillaPod ~$25, or any compact tripod), a Bluetooth shutter remote (~$10), and a portable battery bank.

Strongly recommended: Thin gloves with touchscreen-compatible fingertips (you'll be tapping settings in sub-zero temperatures), hand warmers (one in the pocket with your phone keeps the battery warm), and a headlamp with a red mode (preserves night vision while adjusting gear).

Nice to have: A wide-angle clip-on lens (adds even more sky coverage to the 0.5× lens), a microfiber cloth for wiping condensation off the camera lens (the phone fogs up when you pull it from a warm pocket into cold air).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I photograph the Northern Lights with an older iPhone (X, XS, XR)?

These models lack Night Mode and have smaller sensors with worse low-light performance. You can try using NightCap Camera or Slow Shutter Cam with ISO 3200 and 15-second exposures, but results will be significantly noisier and less colorful than iPhone 12+. If serious aurora photography matters to you, the camera upgrade from any pre-11 iPhone to a 12 or later is dramatic.

Why do my iPhone aurora photos look more colorful than what I saw?

This is normal. The human eye is poor at detecting color in dim light — aurora often appears whitish or faint green to naked vision. The iPhone's long exposure collects far more light than your eye, and the camera sensor detects the actual wavelengths present (green from oxygen at 557nm, purple/red from nitrogen at higher altitudes). Your photos aren't "fake" — they're more accurate representations of the light than what your eyes perceive.

Do I need Night Mode or can I use a third-party app?

On iPhone 12 and later, Night Mode is usually the best choice — Apple's computational photography (frame stacking, noise reduction, alignment) is extremely sophisticated. Third-party apps like NightCap and ProCamera are most useful for: older iPhones without Night Mode, situations where you want full manual ISO/shutter control, or specialized features like star trails mode. For other stargazing app recommendations, see our full guide.

What exposure time should I use?

Match exposure to the aurora's speed and brightness. Fast-moving, bright aurora (KP 5+): 5–10 seconds preserves the curtain structure. Moderate aurora (KP 3–4): 10–20 seconds balances brightness and detail. Faint aurora (KP 1–2): 20–30 seconds captures what your eyes can barely see. Start at 10 seconds and adjust based on results.

Should I use flash?

Never. Flash has zero effect on the aurora (it's hundreds of kilometers away), destroys your dark-adapted night vision, and ruins the exposure by illuminating nearby objects. Keep flash off.

What's the best time to photograph the Northern Lights?

Peak activity is typically between 10 PM and 2 AM local time, though strong displays can appear earlier or later. The darkest hours around midnight give the best contrast. Check your aurora forecast app — activity often comes in waves with quiet periods in between, so stay out longer than you think you need to.

Can I photograph the aurora from lower latitudes (UK, northern US)?

Yes, during strong geomagnetic storms (KP 7+). These events happen several times per year and can make the aurora visible from latitudes as low as 45–50°N. Sign up for push alerts from My Aurora Forecast or SpaceWeatherLive to catch them. The aurora at lower latitudes tends to be lower on the northern horizon and more red/purple than the green curtains seen at high latitudes.

How do I photograph the aurora over a lake for reflections?

Find a still body of water and position the aurora in the upper half of the frame with the reflection filling the bottom. Use the ultra-wide lens to capture both sky and reflection. The reflection will be dimmer than the sky — if using manual settings, you may need a slightly longer exposure. The reflection doubles the visual impact and creates the most striking aurora compositions.

Can I photograph Northern Lights and stars together?

Yes. A 10–15 second exposure at ISO 1600 captures both aurora and pinpoint stars. Longer exposures (25+ sec) may show slight star trailing due to Earth's rotation. For truly sharp stars alongside the aurora, keep exposures under 15 seconds and increase ISO slightly to compensate. The 500 Rule (divide 500 by your focal length for max star-sharp exposure) applies to iPhone photography too: with the ultra-wide at ~13mm equivalent, that's about 38 seconds — generous enough for most aurora shots.

More iPhone and night sky photography guides:

• How to Photograph Stars with iPhone
• Astrophotography with iPhone
• Astrophotography with iPhone 14 Pro
• Phone Through a Telescope: How to Take Photos
• How to Take Astrophotography with Your Phone
• How to Photograph the Moon with a Telescope
• DSLR Astrophotography on a Budget
• Best Stargazing Locations in the US
• Darkest Places on Earth for Stargazing

New to stargazing? Our Stargazing 101 guide covers everything from your first night out to building an observation log.