How To Fix Overexposed Photos on an iPhone

Are you looking to post the best snap from your holiday collection on social media, but it is so bright you can barely see the background? Luckily, you can resolve this problem on your iPhone with a few workarounds.

To make things easier for you, we took the time to write a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to fix overexposed photos on an iPhone.

Fixing Overexposed Photos on Your iPhone

If you’re struggling with how to fix overexposed photos on an iPhone, our 4 step-by-step methods will help you do so without breaking a sweat!

Method #1: Using the Built-In iPhone Photo Editor to Edit Automatically

To fix an overexposed photo on an iPhone automatically using the built-in editor, follow these steps.

1. Open Photos.
2. Select “Recently Added”.
3. Choose the overexposed photo you want to edit.
4. Tap “Edit”, select “Auto”, and adjust other editing tools.
   
5. Tap “Done”.
6. Your photo will now be adjusted to the “Correct Exposure” settings!

Method #2: Using the Built-In iPhone Photo Editor to Edit Manually

You can also fix an overexposed photo by manually editing the built-in iPhone editor.

1. Open Photos, tap “Recently Added”, and choose the picture you want to edit.
2. Tap “Edit”.
3. Tap “Exposure” and drag it towards the left to decrease it.
   
4. Select “Brilliance” and increase it to add details.
5. Adjust the “Highlights”, “Shadows”, and “Brightness” options until you’ve achieved what you desire.
6. Optimize other editing tools and tap “Done”.

Method #3: Using Lightroom Photo & Video Editor

It is possible to fix an overexposed photo on an iPhone using the Lightroom Photo & Video Editor with the following steps.

1. Open Lightroom Photo & Video Editor.
2. Tap the photo icon, choose “Camera Roll”, and select the picture you want to edit.
3. Open the picture from the “Library”, tap “Light”, and decrease the “Highlights”.
   
4. Decrease the “Whites” to adjust the exposure.
5. Go to “Exposure” and drag the bar toward negative.
6. Adjust other editing tools and tap the “Share” button to save the picture.

Method #4: Using VSCO: Photo & Video Editor

Another way to fix an overexposed photo on an iPhone is using the VSCO: Photo & Video Editor with the following steps.

1. Open VSCO: Photo & Video Editor.
2. Tap the encircled “+” icon, select the picture you want to edit, and tap “Continue”.
   
3. Choose the picture again from “Studio”, tap “Edit”, and select the “Adjustment” icon.
4. Decrease “Exposure”.
5. Tap “Tone” and adjust the “Highlights” and “Shadows” options.
6. Optimize other editing tools, tap “Next”, and choose “Save to Camera Roll and Draft”.

Taking Correctly Exposed Photos on Your iPhone

You can avoid the need to fix overexposed photos on an iPhone by taking correctly exposed pictures with the following step-by-step methods.

Method #1: Using the AE/AF Lock

Follow these steps to take correctly exposed photos on an iPhone using the AE/AF Lock.

1. Open the Camera.
2. Face towards the photo subject.
3. Decide where you want the focus to be; tap and hold at the focus point.
4. Once the “AE/AF Lock” pops up at the top of the screen, tap “Capture”.
5. You have now locked the focus and exposure points on your iPhone camera!

Method #2: Using the Apple ProRAW Feature

With these steps, it is possible to avoid taking overexposed photos by using the Apple ProRAW feature on an iPhone with these steps.

1. Open Settings, select “Camera”, and tap “Formats”.
2. Tap the toggle button beside “Apple ProRAW”.
3. Open Camera and tap the capture button to take flawless pictures with the correct exposure!

Method #3: Using Third-Party Camera Apps

You can also avoid overexposed photos on an iPhone by using third-party camera apps with the following steps.

1. Open the App Store.
2. Download VSCO: Photo & Video Editor.
3. Sign up with an existing Apple/Google/Snapchat/Facebook account.
4. Tap Camera.
   
5. Select the focus point.
6. Drag the bar up and down to adjust exposure and press the shutter.

Taking Long-Exposure Pictures on Your iPhone

If you want to take better photos by experimenting with exposure on an iPhone, try taking long exposure pictures by following these methods.

Method #1: Using Live Photos

To take long-exposure pictures using live photos, follow these steps.

1. Open Camera, turn on “Live Photos”, and tap the timer icon to set a 10-second timer.
2. Frame the shot and tap the capture button.
3. Open Photos.
4. Select the picture you just took.
5. Swipe up to access “Effects”, choose “Long Exposure”, and tap “Done”.

Method #2: Using ProCam8

Another way to take long exposure photos on an iPhone is by using the ProCam8 app with the following steps.

1. Open App Store.
2. Download ProCam8.
3. Open the app, tap the arrow icon, and select “Slow Shutter”.
4. Tap “Light Trail”.
5. Adjust your photo frame and tap the shutter button.
6. You can now take an aesthetic long-exposure shot on your iPhone! 

Summary

In this guide, we’ve discussed how to fix overexposed photos on an iPhone. We have also discussed taking pictures with correct exposure settings and long exposure shots on an iPhone.

Hopefully, your question is answered, and you can now make your pictures stand out by tweaking the exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions