The top smartphones of 2025, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Pixel 9 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro, offer incredible night photography features that enable them to capture sharp pictures in dimly lit environments. We have also been really delighted by Xiaomi’s 14 Ultra’s nighttime photography because to its big sensor and variable aperture. If you’re eager to take some evening photos with your phone, you might not have to spend a fortune because even more reasonably priced phones, such as the Pixel 8A, have really powerful nighttime photography features.

In the past, a DSLR on a tripod was needed for this type of low-light photography in order to get lengthy exposures spanning multiple seconds. Nonetheless, a lot of modern phones may capture stunning nighttime photos without the requirement for additional

apparatus. This is fantastic since it eliminates the need to bring a bulky camera and tripod into town each time you wish to capture a beautiful sunset photo.

A riverboat at night
Amazing night-mode cameras have been a feature of Samsung’s latest flagship phones, the Galaxy S series.
CNET/Andrew Lanxon
It takes more than just waiting until nightfall and pulling out your phone to get a picture you like enough to print and hang on your wall. To get images you’ll want to look back on in years, you’ll still need to strive for them.

I’ve worked as a professional photographer for years, and I usually use my phone and pro camera to take pictures at night. So, here are my best recommendations for

How to take amazing pictures with any phone at night.

See also: Top Camera Phone

1. Understand how to turn on night mode.

Make sure your phone’s night mode is turned on before you start shooting if it has one, as the majority of phones made in the previous few years do. When the iPhone recognizes that you are in low light, night mode will automatically activate on phones such as the iPhone 16 series or other newer iPhone models. While some Android phones have night modes that work automatically, others need you to employ particular night photography modes (Night Sight on the Pixels, simply Night on the Galaxy S24 series).

It’s possible that various phones have different naming conventions or settings, so if you’re not sure how

A Google search for the model and “night mode” should provide the answers you need to utilize yours, or whether your phone even has one. Since night modes are becoming more and more essential on camera phones, it’s likely that if you’ve recently purchased a new phone, it will come with some sort of night mode.

An illustration of building columns illuminated with festive lights
These amazing Christmas lights decorating the columns add even more color and brilliance to this midnight picture.

2. Seek out the illumination

Even with the excellent low-light capabilities of modern iPhones and Galaxy phones, a great photograph still need some light in the frame. Thus, moving into

You are unlikely to get good outcomes in the darkest region of a forest. Alternatively, consider visiting densely populated locations, such as city centers, where you might discover light sources like as street lights, storefront displays, and perhaps even some holiday-themed festive lighting.

See also: Top Accessories for iPhone Cameras

3. Hold on to your moment.

People are frequently the subject of great street and city photography, and taking pictures at night can be a lot of fun. When the light is restricted, you need to make sure the person is precisely where you want them to be, and that might entail some patience.

Here are two instances of night mode images captured on dimly lit city streets.
These two photos in night mode rely on

mostly on timing—the lone individual strolling in the primary pool of ground light was captured on the left. The goal on the right was to catch the biker as he sped by.
CNET/Andrew Lanxon
Consider, for example, that you are shooting on a street with streetlights. Every lamp creates a pool of light, and when a person passes through it, they are momentarily illuminated before they are once more rendered invisible in the shadows. Having your photo ready and your finger hovering over the shutter button is my recommendation in that case. After waiting for a few minutes, you can finally snap your picture when someone walks right into that puddle of light. It may be quite beneficial to be patient.

4. Remain steady
Even

You may still obtain the greatest photos by keeping the phone as motionless as possible when shooting the picture, even if night modes on phones don’t require a tripod as a DSLR’s multisecond exposure does. Look for a low wall, a garbage can, or anything else you can use to support your phone while you take your picture if you don’t have a tripod with you.

Holding the phone firmly in both hands, keeping it somewhat close to your chest, and tucking your elbows in toward your stomach will help support it if there is nothing around. This may be the difference between a crisper image and lessening the natural wobbling in your hands.

lengthy

exposure image of a vehicle with streaks of light
A nocturnal long-exposure photo captured using the Pixel 7 Pro.

5. If you have motion modes, use them.

In addition to taking great ordinary nighttime images, the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro (and the previous Pixel 8 and 7 series) also offer a long-exposure mode that lets you snap some artistic pictures that are often only possible with a tripod. The setting is very effective at night, especially for subjects like vehicles moving along city streets, but it also works well during the day to blur sights like waterfalls.

The headlights and taillights are blurred by the extended exposure, transforming from static balls of light into ethereal lines that snake their way

through the situation. To achieve this look, make sure Long Exposure is toggled on and utilize the Motion mode on your phone. This type of long-exposure photography is best achieved by holding the camera still while capturing both moving (such as vehicles, buses, or bikers) and stationary (such as buildings and streetlights) things. It may need some effort and yield inconsistent results, but when it does work, it’s really effective and gives your nighttime photos a unique touch.

However, not all phones come with this as standard, and while some third-party applications try to do the same, I haven’t seen many that truly function or that match the quality I’ve discovered with the

pixels.

Examples of images before and after editing I adore this black and white picture edit of a midnight scene. Bright city lights against dark backdrops provide a natural contrast that works nicely in monochrome.

6. Make your shoots better.

As is the case with all good photographs, the key to turning an image into a true work of art is ultimately how it is edited. The majority of my editing is done with Adobe Lightroom Mobile, although Google’s Snapseed is also really strong and available for free on iOS and Android.

Since nighttime photos are inherently dark, you might want to start by adjusting the exposure. Take caution: Low-light photos, even nice

The more you brighten the image, the greater the image noise (a fuzzy grain) will appear in night mode photos. To balance things out, you might need to add a little more shadow and subtract some brightness, particularly if you’ve captured strong street lights. Keep your focus on the specifics and avoid going overboard.

After that, it all depends on what you think looks nice, so take your time experimenting with the various tools and see what you can create. In my opinion, pictures taken at night may frequently appear fantastic in black and white because of the inherent contrast between the dark backgrounds and dazzling lights, which makes monochrome conversion easy.