For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been putting all the iPhone 18 Pro (and 18 Pro Max) camera upgrades to work. While the variable aperture system has drawn plenty of attention — and rightfully so, given the natural depth of field it delivers — the bigger upgrade for me has been the introduction of new Pro Controls.
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been asking for this. Apple has historically been reluctant to give users full manual control, but over the last few generations, it’s slowly been rolling out incremental features that prove it’s actually listening. Even so, it wasn’t until recently that I stumbled onto something that takes the feature to another level: the ability to fully customize the Pro Controls layout to match your exact shooting style.
Whether you want shutter speed pinned front and center, or the focus slider positioned for precise fine-tuning, customizing this interface completely transforms the experience. Here’s how to do it.
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How to customize Pro Controls layout using the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max
1. Open the camera app, access Pro Controls
Customizing the Pro Controls layout to keep your favorite tools within reach is surprisingly simple. Start by opening the Camera app, then press and hold any of the control icons located on the side opposite the shutter button.
On a brand-new iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max, you’ll typically see the default icons for Live Photos and the LED flash — just long-press either one.
2. Make your selections
You’ll now see an Add Photo Controls overlay displaying icons for every available manual setting. You can configure anywhere from two to eight controls at a time. Once you’ve picked what you need, simply drag and drop the icons into whatever order or layout works best for your shooting. Click Done when you’re finished to save the layout.
All of your selections will stay locked in the exact order you arranged them, making Pro Controls vastly more practical since you’re no longer forced to constantly tap the six-dot icon to dig into settings. I love this level of customization because it gives me the flexibility to tweak key parameters on the fly, letting me refocus on framing and shooting instead of fumbling through menus.
Best of all, this layout customization carries over seamlessly to video recording. While you’ll find familiar core adjustments like aperture, shutter speed, manual focus, and white balance, Apple also adds video-specific tools like Dual Capture, Action mode, and Adaptive — the latter designed for time-lapse recording to dynamically slow the frame rate when motion is detected.
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