Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

How to turn off the camera sound on an iPhone

By

Every iPhone camera is accompanied by a shutter click sound whenever you snap a photo. Sometimes that sound is an unneeded and unwanted intrusion—if you’re attending a meeting or in a crowded room, you may prefer to shoot photos in silence. There are a few methods for turning off the camera sound on your iPhone (whether you own the iPhone 15, iPhone 14, or an older model) which include:

  • Turning on Live photo
  • Flipping the mute switch on your iPhone
  • Turning the volume down on your iPhone

We'll explain each of these solutions in detail below, as well as tell you why you may not be able to turn it off in some locations.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Apple iPhone with iOS 14 or 15

How to turn off the camera sound with Live Photos

One of the easiest ways to shut off the camera sound is to enable Live Photos in the iPhone Camera app. When Live Photos is turned on, your shutter sound is turned off by default.

Step 1: Find the Live Photos icon. In iOS 17, the Live Photos control is the series of white circles at the top-right of the screen.

iPhone Camera with Live Picture enabled.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Tap to switch it on. A yellow Live badge can be seen for an instant. Tap again to switch it off. A white Live Off badge is visible for an instant.

When the Live Photos button does not have a line through it, that means it’s on. A diagonal strike through means the button is off. Live Photos differs from traditional photos in that the live file saves a small video for every shot you take, which takes up more space than other photos. If you don’t need Live Photos on all the time, be sure to tap to switch it off.

how to turn off the camera sound on an iphone live photos and
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Related

Step 3: Tap the Yellow arrow at the top-middle to fine-tune the Live Photos control to Auto, On, or Off.

iPhone Live Photos global controls for Auto, On, or Off.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Photograph silently by tapping the round, white Shutter button.

How to turn off the camera sound with the mute switch

Another easy way to mute the iPhone camera sound is to use the hardware ring/silent switch on the upper-lefthand side of the phone.

Step 1: When you flick the switch to mute, you’ll feel the iPhone vibrate and see a notification signaling the switch. Turning off the ringer mutes all notifications, incoming calls, and other alerts, so use this control judiciously.

iPhone mechanical Mute switch at the side of the phone.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Observe notations that let you know when Silent Mode is on or off.

iPhone Silent modes on or off via the Mute switch.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to turn down the volume to take silent photos

What can you do if the ring/silent switch isn’t working? If you’re having problems getting your ring/silent switch to cooperate, turning down the volume is the next best thing.

Step 1: Use the Volume button. Hold down the hardware volume button on the lefthand side of the phone until you see the screen-based volume indicator drop all the way down. But you have to do it at the right time, and if you do this in the iOS 14 or 15 Camera app, the camera will start shooting video.

Press on the iPhone Volume Down button.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Be sure to lower the volume before taking a photo. The real trick is to reduce the volume before you open the Camera app.

Step 3: Alternatively, while you’re still in the Camera app, you can swipe down from the top righthand corner (in iOS 14 or 15) to reach the Control Center.

Two ways to lower the volume on an iPhone.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Once you’re here, you can use the Slider to turn off the volume.

Be mindful of country restrictions

In some countries, predominently Japan and South Korea, the camera shutter sound remains on all the time. Shutter muting is not allowed, and phones bought and sold there are customized for those markets to guarantee total privacy and stop unknown recording or photographing.

Although it’s not statutory, producers and Japanese wireless providers have agreed to create phones that make a distinguishing noise whenever you launch or use the camera. If you’re living in or visiting these specific countries, your camera app will make a sound even if you mute your iPhone camera. Here are a few potential workarounds we've discovered.

Step 1: Muffle the sound by covering the speaker as you shoot.

Step 2: Plug headphones into the headphone jack and capture photos using your headphone as a shutter.

Step 3: Use a third-party camera app rather than your iPhone’s default Camera app.

Step 4: Use the Volume buttons on your iPhone as shutter buttons.

If you’re taking pictures legally and not infringing on anyone’s privacy in these nations, we suggest you give these alternative methods a try.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I turn off the camera click sound on my iPhone?

There are three methods for turning off the camera click sound on your iPhone:

  • Turn on Live photo
  • Turn the camera sound off with the mute switch
  • Turn the volume down on your phone

Which of the iPhone has the best camera?

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the best camera in an iPhone—and arguably the best camera on the smartphone market, period. That's because the 15 Pro Max houses a 5x optical zoom versus the old 3x maximum. Check out our glowing review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Why can't I turn off the shutter sound on my iPhone?

If you're having trouble turning off the shutter sound on your iPhone, try switching to Live photo, flipping the mute switch on the side of your phone, or turning the volume on your phone all the way down.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jackie Dove
Jackie Dove
Contributor
Jackie is an obsessive, insomniac tech writer and editor in northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, and photo app…
iPhone SE deals: Refurbished 2nd and 3rd Gen iPhones
apple iphone se 2020 news new black camera and touch id 04152020

Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the planet, and whatever its current model happens to be almost always ranks among the best phones. This makes the iPhone an expensive purchase, which is where the iPhone SE comes in. Apple launched the iPhone SE in order to make an iPhone affordable to more people. The SE utilizes technology that’s a generation or two old and will often take the form factor of a previous iPhone model. Right now the it's a great phone to turn to for even more savings. There are some iPhone SE deals to take a look at out there, and while it’s difficult to find newer iPhone SE models, you can shop refurbished knowing the big retailers are likely backing the purchase with warranties and solid return windows. So whether you’re looking for some great iPhone deals or phone deals in general, below you’ll find the best iPhone SE deals to shop right now.
iPhone SE 2nd Gen deals

The second generation of the iPhone SE was initially launched in 2020, but it still manages to keep up with the needs of many phone users today. It utilizes the body of the Apple iPhone 8, which means it will have a home button and fingerprint ID instead of the Face ID technology in current iPhone models. That’s not much to give up, however, as the second generation iPhone SE still has a great display, a 12-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 4K video, and wireless charging capability.

Read more
Best refurbished iPhone deals: Get an iPhone 14 for $513
An iPhone 13 in white color option.

The Apple iPhone is one of the best phones on the market, and because of it they don’t often come cheap. There are some great iPhone deals out there, but it’s rare to find significant discounts on newer models without having to commit to a longterm contract with a carrier, and it’s even less frequent you come across one of the best iPhones with a major price drop. This is where shopping refurbished can come in handy. Refurbished iPhones — for the most part — will come backed with a functionality guarantee or extended return window, making refurbished iPhones as safe of a purchase as shopping new. There are a lot of refurbished iPhone models seeing great price drops right now, which is why we’ve done the heavy lifting of rounding up all of the best refurbished iPhone deals. You’ll find them below, as well as some information on which refurbished iPhone might be best for you.
iPhone XR -- from $136

A refurbished model but one that's unlocked and comes with a full one-year warranty, the Apple iPhone XR is still pretty stylish for its age. It has a large 6.1-inch LCD screen with 1,792 x 828 resolution with Liquid Retina technology ensuring it looks super sharp. Powered by the A12 Bionic chip, it's starting to show its age but still has potential. There's also a 12MP back camera that can shoot 4K videos while the front-facing camera is 7MP and ideal for selfie-taking.

Read more
Nomad’s new iPhone case and Apple Watch band may be its coolest yet
Nomad Glow 2.0 Sport Case and Apple Watch Sport Band in daylight.

Though the world of Apple accessories is a dime a dozen, one of the better brands that you can buy is Nomad. Nomad has a variety of amazing leather Apple Watch bands and cases, as well as non-leather options, too. In August 2023, Nomad released a one-of-a-kind Glow in the Dark Apple Watch band that sold out in about 12 hours.

Since that Glow in the Dark band was a limited edition, no one was sure if Nomad was going to re-release it, and this explains the high resale prices you’ll find on eBay. But Nomad just released the Glow 2.0 Apple Watch Sport Band as well as a new Glow 2.0 Sport Case for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. And, yes, they're just as wonderful as before.
The new and improved Glow 2.0

Read more