Press the Camera button to start the camera. This button is usually found on the long edge of your phone. (You can take a photo or video even if your phone is locked or asleep—just press the Camera button.)

Tip

Some phones don't have a Camera button. To take photos on these phones, go to the App list and tap Camera, then tap anywhere on the screen to snap a photo. For more info, check your phone's manual.

If you're taking a video, tap Video Camera video mode icon to switch to video mode—the icon will change to black-on-white Video camera icon, and you'll see the video counter on the screen.

Hold the phone steady, either vertically (portrait view) or horizontally (landscape view). To zoom in or out, just pinch or stretch with your thumb and forefinger.

Do one of the following:

To take a photo, press the Camera button halfway down to focus, and then press it all the way down to snap it.

To record a video, press the Camera button to start recording, and then press it again to stop recording.

The photo or video will be automatically saved in the Camera Roll album in the Photos Hub.

Tips

You can also tap any point in the viewfinder to focus and take a photo—but first you might need to turn this option on in the Photos + camera settings. From the App list, tap Settings Settings icon, flick to Applications, and then tap Photos + camera > Tap screen to take pictures and videos when using the built-in Camera app Checked box icon.

To change some of the more advanced settings for your camera (such as ISO or aspect ratio), tap More More icon, and then tap either Photo settings or Video settings.

Taking a picture in a quiet place? You can mute the shutter sound. From the App list, tap Settings Settings tile > Ringtones + sounds, and then tap Camera shutter Checked box icon to turn the shutter sound on or off.

After you take a photo or video, tap Back Back icon (or flick right) to see it.

Tips

To see your previous photos and videos in filmstrip view, pinch the photo or video as if to shrink it, and then flick left or right to see the filmstrip. This works in both landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) view.

Got some extra special pics? Add them to Favorites, then use them to personalize your phone. Learn how in Personalize my phone with my photos.