Edit Cinematic mode videos on your iPhone

On iPhone 13 models, Cinematic mode applies a depth-of-field effect that keeps the subject of your video sharp while creating a beautifully blurred foreground and background. In the Photos app , you can change the focus subject where the effect is applied, and adjust the level of background blur—or depth of field—in your Cinematic mode videos. You can also turn off the effect.

Cinematic mode videos recorded on iPhone 13 models can be edited on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later models with iOS 15.

The Edit screen of a Cinematic mode video in landscape orientation. At the top left of the screen is the Cancel button, the Cinematic Manual button, and the Depth Adjustment button. At the top center of the screen, the Cinematic button is selected. At the top right of the screen is the Volume button, the Enter Full Screen button, and the Done button. The video is in the center of the screen and there is a frame around the focus subject. Below the video is the frame viewer that displays the point in the video where the subject focus changes. The editing tools are on the right side of the screen, from the top to bottom: Video, Adjust Color, Filter, and Crop.

Turn off the Cinematic effect

In Photos, open a video you recorded in Cinematic mode, then tap Edit.
Tap Cinematic at the top of the screen, then tap Done.

Repeat these steps to turn Cinematic mode back on.

Change the focus subject in a Cinematic mode video

Camera automatically identifies where to focus while you record in Cinematic mode and can automatically change focus if a new subject is identified. You can also change the focus subject manually.

In Photos, open a video you recorded in Cinematic mode, then tap Edit.
White dots under the frame viewer indicate where Camera automatically changed the focus while recording. Yellow dots indicate where the focus was manually changed.
Play the video, or slide the white vertical bar in the frame viewer, to the point where you want to change the focus.
Tap the new subject, outlined in yellow, on the screen to change the focus; double tap to set automatic focus tracking on the subject.
A yellow dot appears under the frame viewer to indicate the focus was changed.
Note: You can also touch and hold the screen to lock the focus at a specific distance from the camera.
Repeat the steps above to change focus points throughout the video.
To remove a manual focus change, tap the yellow dot under the frame viewer, then tap .
Tap Done to save your changes.

Tap to toggle between Camera’s automatic focus tracking and your manually selected focus points.

After you save your changes, you can revert a Cinematic mode video to the original if you don’t like your edits. Open the video, tap Edit, then tap Revert.

Adjust the depth of field in a Cinematic mode video

In Photos, open a video you recorded in Cinematic mode, then tap Edit.
Tap at the top of the screen.
A slider appears below the video.
Drag the slider left or right to adjust the depth of field effect, then tap Done.

To undo the change after you save, open the video, tap Edit, then tap Revert.

Export Cinematic mode videos to your Mac

You can use AirDrop to transfer Cinematic mode videos—with depth and focus metadata—from your iPhone to your Mac to edit in other apps.

In Photos, open the Cinematic mode video, then tap .
Tap Options at the top of the screen, turn on All Photos Data, then tap Done.
Tap AirDrop, then tap the device you want to share with (make sure the device you’re sharing with has AirDrop turned on).

For information about editing Cinematic mode videos on your Mac using Photos, see Edit a Cinematic mode video in Photos on Mac.

For information about editing Cinematic mode videos on your Mac using Final Cut Pro, iMovie, or Motion, see the Apple Support article Edit Cinematic mode video in Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and Motion on Mac.

See alsoRecord in Cinematic mode

Helpful?

iPhone User Guide

Edit Cinematic mode videos on your iPhone

Turn off the Cinematic effect

Change the focus subject in a Cinematic mode video

Adjust the depth of field in a Cinematic mode video

Export Cinematic mode videos to your Mac