Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro introduced a variable aperture feature on its main camera, but the native iOS camera app only provides four aperture settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. This restriction applies both in manual mode and when the system automatically adjusts the aperture. However, Apple’s software development kit permits third-party camera applications to access finer aperture controls beyond these preset options.

BlackMagic Design’s free BlackMagic Camera app for iOS was among the first to implement this expanded functionality. The app initially offered 10 aperture presets spanning from f/1.48 to f/4.0, surpassing the limited steps available in the default camera app. A test video published by the iPhoneographers YouTube channel evaluated version 3.5 of the software, noting performance issues but confirming the feature’s existence. Subsequent updates, including version 3.5.1, addressed stability concerns while retaining the enhanced aperture controls.

Moment, a manufacturer of mobile photography accessories, announced on X that its $12.99 Moment Pro Camera II app now supports the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture. The update enables adjustments in 1/3 stop increments across 10 presets, aligning the functionality with traditional camera systems. While the iPhone 18 Pro’s small sensor may limit perceptible differences in background blur between adjacent aperture settings, Moment emphasizes that granular control offers greater creative flexibility for users seeking precise depth-of-field adjustments.

These developments illustrate how third-party applications are leveraging Apple’s SDK to extend hardware capabilities beyond the constraints of the default camera interface, providing users with more nuanced control over photographic parameters.