How to Use the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR

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Use these tips to help you master the iPhone XS, iPhone XR and iPhone X — from how to navigate the devices to getting the most out of their new features.

How to Use Optical Zoom on the iPhone XS

The iPhone XS and iPhone X sport dual-lens cameras that take stunning portraits with lighting effects. But the secondary telephoto lenses in both of these handsets are also capable of ultra-zoomed-in shots. You can get 10 times closer to a subject with a combination of optical and digital zoom.

Here’s how take advantage of the camera’s zoom feature in the iPhone XS and iPhone X. (You can ignore this tip if you've got a single-lens iPhone XR.)—Caitlin McGarry

1. Open the Camera app.

2. Aim the lens at what you want to capture. Zoom in by tapping the 1X button hovering at the bottom of the camera preview. That’s the optical zoom.

3. You’re using optical zoom when the button now reads 2X. If you want to zoom in on your subject without physically moving toward it, you can use digital zoom by pinching to zoom in closer.

The digital zoom lets you zoom in up to 10 times.

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Tom's Guide Staff
Tom's Guide Staff

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7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • spal26558
    It's good I understand n I will tell my friend also
    Reply
  • doduyvuong
    If i switch the Control USB Restricted Mode on iPhone XS and i forget it for so longtime, untill the batterie is running out, can i still be able to recharge it to use t again?
    Reply
  • webgtlnbrgrs
    Gee, it asked me if I wanted to up load all the info from my iPhone 7 , I clicked yes, and it said put both phones close together and it did it all on it's own, I don't understand why you even wrote this article ..
    Reply
  • dittodan
    I tried several times and this only brings up a screen to let you "slide" to make it go off. What am I doing wrong?
    Reply
  • dittodan
    Tried adding an Amazon and and PayPal CC and it denied me. Before I got this phone, both of the cards were signed up and working fine.
    Reply
  • dittodan
    Is this higher capacity charger the same one used for an iPad?
    Reply
  • powerharp
    After years of using Android, I changed to an iPhone ONLY because iPhone can stream audio to my hearing aids. After 2 weeks with the iPhone there are several clearly inferior characteristics. Most annoying is that you cannot close all open apps at once. The requirement to swipe each open app up or possibly do three at once is garbage. it is extremely difficult to switch between apps as will, something I did frequently on my clearly superior Android phones. Also, Android has apps that allow you to record phone calls but Apple doesn't, claiming that it is illegal in a lot of places. It's also legal in a lot of places. The iPhone function to swipe to get to the open apps is a joke (Android just requires a touch) and the procedure to get to the previous screen when browsing is also laughable compared to Android.
    Reply