How to take amazing photos of fireworks on your phone

5K

 

Fireworks are back! Large-scale spectacular displays are planned again for July 4th around the country. So get ready to ooh and aah. It’s going to be a real blast. However, capturing the incredible rockets’ red glare and exploding stars can be tricky with a smartphone, especially when there’s only a second or two to snap the perfect shot.

Never fear; a few tips and settings on your phone’s camera app can fine-tune and improve your chances of capturing the bursting drama in the evening sky.

 

 

 

How to take low-light and night photos

Before you adjust any settings, start with the basics: where you stand, how steady your phone is and which camera mode gives you the cleanest shot.

 

Pick your location

Find the spot you plan to watch the fireworks display and take advantage of your surroundings. For example, try to position yourself to be near water where the reflection of the fireworks will add to the photo. You’ll want to make sure nothing is blocking your chance to take wide-angle shots encompassing a giant display of fireworks.

Pro Tip: Photographers often position themselves with the wind at their back so the smoke coming off the fireworks floats behind the display.

 

Steady your phone

Use something to stabilize your phone. The most important thing to do when taking pictures at night is to keep the phone camera still. The best option is a mini tripod or extendable tripod stand, but the next best thing is to find a stable object like a tree limb, picnic table or street sign to balance your phone against for added stability. This small effort to take any wobble out of your shot can make a huge difference in the quality of photos.

Additionally, avoid zooming in as it will tend to make your image pixelated and grainy.

 

Adjust camera settings

1) Turn off the flash

The newer your phone, the better it should perform at night, as a general rule. That shouldn’t stop you from turning off the flash so that it doesn’t accidentally get triggered when snapping fireworks.

On iPhone: Open the Camera app. Tap the Camera Controls button or swipe up from the camera modes at the bottom of the screen. Tap Flash, then choose Flash Off. This keeps your phone from firing the flash at the wrong moment and lighting up smoke, heads or nearby objects instead of the fireworks.

On Samsung: Open the Camera app and look for the flash icon or camera controls. Tap it and choose Off. The exact location may vary by phone maker, but the goal is the same: keep the flash from firing while you shoot the fireworks.

 

2) Adjust ISO

ISO allows you to adjust the camera’s sensor to light. However, most phone camera apps handle ISO automatically unless you use a manual or pro camera mode.

On iPhone, the built-in Camera app automatically manages ISO in low light. If you want manual ISO control, use a third-party camera app such as Camera+: Pro Camera & Editor, Halide Mark III or VSCO.

On Samsung and some other Android phones, you may be able to adjust ISO in Pro or Manual mode inside the built-in Camera app. If your phone does not offer that option, a third-party camera app may give you more manual control.

iPhone

Or VSCO: Photo & Video Editor 

iPhone

Android

If your setting is dark, a higher ISO can make the camera more sensitive to light. You should note, however, that raising ISO can also make the photo look grainier.

 

3) Use Night Mode

If your phone camera has this feature, it can improve photos taken at night. However, fireworks move fast and get very bright, so the longest Night Mode exposure may not always give you the best shot.

 

How to take a Night Mode photo using your iPhone

For iPhone 11 and later, Night Mode automatically turns on when the camera detects a low-light scene. Recent iPhones do a much better job in the dark than older models, but fireworks are still tricky because they move fast, brighten suddenly and disappear quickly.

Open the Camera app. When Night Mode is available, tap the Night Mode button. You can also tap the Camera Controls button or swipe up from the camera modes, then tap Night Mode. Choose a shorter or longer exposure option, then hold your iPhone as still as possible while the shot is captured.

For fireworks, start with a shorter Night Mode exposure so the bursts do not turn into a blown-out blur. Use a tripod if you want to experiment with longer exposure times.

When you’re ready, click the camera button, which is the white circle at the bottom of the screen.

 

How to take a Night Mode photo using your Android

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.

Samsung Galaxy

Open the Camera app. Swipe through the camera modes and tap More. Tap Night. Hold your phone as still as possible, then tap the shutter button. On some Galaxy phones, Night may also appear in the main camera mode row if you have moved it there.

Google Pixel

Open the Camera app. In the photo mode carousel, tap Night Sight. Tap the shutter button, then hold still for a few seconds while your phone captures the photo.

Other Android phones

Open the Camera app and look for Night, Night Sight, Low Light or a similar camera mode. It may appear in the camera mode row or under More. Do not use your phone’s Display or Dark Mode settings for this, since those change the screen appearance rather than the camera’s night photo mode.

 

4) Use Burst Mode

This feature allows you to quickly shoot a burst of photos at once.

 

How to use Burst Mode on your iPhone

• Open the Camera app.
• Make sure you are in Photo mode.
• On newer iPhones, including iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 and later models: Place your finger on the white Shutter button at the bottom of the screen, then slide it to the left and keep holding it there.
• Your iPhone will keep taking photos quickly, and a counter will show how many shots you’ve captured.
• Lift your finger to stop the burst.
• On older iPhones, press and hold the white Shutter button to keep taking photos in a burst. Lift your finger when you want to stop.
• To choose the photos you want to keep, open the Photos app and tap the burst photo. It may look like a stack of photos in your photo library.
• Tap Burst (#) to open all the shots in that burst.
• Gray dots under some thumbnails may show the photos your iPhone suggests.
• Tap the small circle on each photo you want to save.
• Tap Done, then choose whether to keep only your selected favorites or keep everything from the burst.

 

Pro Tip: You can also press and hold the volume up button to take Burst shots. To enable this:

• Go to Settings.
• Scroll down to Camera and tap it.
• Then toggle on Use Volume Up for Burst. This is available on iPhone XS, iPhone XR and later.

To delete the entire Burst, tap the thumbnail, then tap Delete. It will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the photos from the burst. Tap it.

 

How to use Burst Mode on your Samsung Galaxy

Settings may vary depending on your Android’s manufacturer

• Open the Camera app and make sure you are in Photo mode.
• Place your finger on the white Shutter button, then swipe it toward the nearest edge of the screen and keep holding it there. In portrait view, this usually means dragging it down toward the bottom edge.
• If Burst Mode is already enabled, a counter will appear as your phone captures multiple shots. Lift your finger to stop.
• If swiping the shutter does not take burst photos, tap the four-dot Quick controls button or the Settings gear in the Camera app.
• In Camera settings, look for Swipe Shutter button to. You may need to scroll or use the settings search bar.
• Tap Swipe Shutter button to, then choose Take burst shot.
• Go back to the Camera app and repeat the shutter swipe.
• Open Gallery afterward to review the burst, save your favorites and delete the shots you do not want.

 

For other Androids

• Hold down the photo button, and it will take a burst of photos for as long as you hold down the button.
• You will then be able to find the individual photos in your photo gallery. 

 

 

Related Links: 

• Drone shows light up Fourth of July, but fireworks are back
• Summer’s hottest tech 2026
• Best gear to keep you cool this summer

 

 

Kurt’s key takeaways

Fireworks photos come down to timing, stability and a little experimenting before the show starts. Turn off the flash, keep your phone steady and avoid digital zoom whenever you can. Night Mode can help in darker scenes, but do not assume the longest exposure is always better. Fireworks move fast, so shorter exposures may give you a cleaner burst with less blur.

Afterward, use your phone’s built-in editing tools to adjust brightness, contrast, highlights and shadows. On iPhone, you can also try the Long Exposure effect on a Live Photo for a more dramatic look. If you want to stack several fireworks shots into one image, use a dedicated photo editing app with layering tools.

Have you tried using your iPhone or Android to capture fireworks at night? What worked best for you? Let us know by commenting below.

FOR MORE OF MY SECURITY ALERTS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE CYBERGUY REPORT NEWSLETTER HERE

 

 

Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.  CyberGuy.com articles and content may contain affiliate links that earn a commission when purchases are made.