We've seen some great iPhone features rolled out over the years. However, night mode has to be one of our favorites - and most impressive - on iPhone 11 models and newer.

If you haven't taken any pictures in night mode or haven't mastered it yet, we're here to help. Since we think it's such a valuable feature, we've created this short guide to get you started.

Night Mode Basics

Did you even know that there is a night mode feature? You might be surprised that many iPhone users aren't aware of it! It's a dedicated feature without the need to toggle back and forth between modes. Yes, really! It's just that easy to maneuver. 

When your iPhone's camera detects a low-light environment, it turns on the night mode feature and automatically adjusts it as needed. How brilliant is that?! Very brilliant, as it turns out, because the results significantly improve an iPhone's ability to shoot in low-light conditions simply by increasing the exposure time. The result can be some pretty incredible low-light shots, even night photography.

How to use Night mode

As we've already said, night mode is an auto-feature. It works by detecting lighting conditions and adjusting as necessary. A moon icon on photo mode in the upper left of your camera screen will indicate how much light it detects.

A gray or yellow moon icon in a low-to-medium light environment indicates that the camera has detected the lower lighting. 

• If it's a gray moon, it indicates that night mode is available but not auto-enabled because the scene is too bright.

• If the moon icon is yellow, night mode will automatically be applied to the scene. You can adjust the exposure time by tapping the upward-facing arrow and the yellow moon icon at the bottom.

Hold the iPhone as still as possible or use a tripod during night mode shots. The yellow moon icon will indicate for how long; a countdown will appear above the shutter button.

With a bit of practice, you'll get the hang of adjusting the exposure using the yellow moon icon.