The Halide camera app now offers full control of the iPhone 18 Pro’s aperture

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

A new update to Lux Optics’ anti-algorithm Halide camera app for the iPhone and iPad adds two new photography looks and support for the variable aperture on the new iPhone 18 Pro’s main camera. Halide isn’t the first alternative to the native iOS camera app to add support for the new feature, but it offers more finite control over aperture settings than other third-party apps.

The iOS camera app limits aperture adjustments to just four presets, but both the BlackMagic Camera and Moment Pro Camera II apps expand that to 10 presets in 1/3 stop increments, similar to what most digital cameras offer. Halide Mark III goes even further by letting you select any f-stop setting from f/1.48 down to f/4.0. Although it’s hard to imagine you’ll see any noticeable difference between f/4.0 and f/3.99, the option is available. The Halide developers are also considering adding f-stop presets in future updates based on user feedback.

Halide Mark III launched earlier this year with added features including a new film simulation engine and multiple looks that can be applied to photos. Today’s update adds a new Dawn look to the collection that applies “filmic warmth in the mid-tones and highlights with gentle, rich shadows” and Quicksilver, which “pairs high contrast with muted color, inspired by silver-retention processes.”

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.