Technologies

I’m Finally Using the iPhone 17 Pro’s Camera Control, Thanks to These iOS 26 Settings

In just a month, I’ve already used Camera Control on my iPhone 17 Pro Max more than I did in a whole year with the iPhone 16 Pro.

I was keen on using the Camera Control button when it first debuted on the iPhone 16 Pro. But in over a year of use, it caused more accidental swipes and presses than its intended use cases to take photos and adjust camera settings. I was frustrated with the experience and hoped that Apple would remove it from the iPhone 17 lineup. Instead, the Cupertino, California-based company made its touch-sensitive capacitive control surface more customizable with iOS 26. And I’m happy to report that it helped!

I’ve been using the iPhone 17 Pro since launch and spent 5 to 10 minutes customizing the Camera Control to my liking. The result? Minimized accidental swipes and more conscious usability.

I transformed my Camera Control experience by changing a few iOS 26 settings

When setting up a new iOS 26-supported iPhone, Apple includes a toggle (now turned off by default) called Light press to adjust Zoom, Exposure and more. This is what used to cause a lot of fake input earlier. I’m glad it is turned off by default.

Apple now also lets you customize the Camera Control further from the Settings menu. I tweaked settings there to personalize my shortcuts, functionalities and more.

For example, I’ve set the Camera Control to launch a Code Scanner on Double Click without requiring the screen to be on. This allows me to scan and pay at payment kiosks (my most frequently used mode of payment) without needing to open the payment app and then tap on a menu to scan a code. If I enter the Code Scanner without Face ID, it requires authentication before making the payment, so it is still as secure as ever.

Earlier, I had set an Action Button shortcut to open Google Pay, but I realized I still need a one-press solution to turn the phone to silent mode. Adding a Code Scanner shortcut to Camera Control frees the Action Button to be my Silent Switch again. Moreover, Code Scanner lets you select from multiple apps to pay a vendor, which could be useful for people who use multiple payment apps.

Secondly, I have turned off the Swipe gesture and selected only three controls that I use most often. Now, when I open the Camera app, I can lightly press on the Camera Control button and then swipe between my selected controls. It doesn’t register swipes from the get-go. This has reduced fake touches and my frustrating experience with the swipe gesture.

To further streamline my controls, I chose Exposure, Styles and Tone, and left out Depth, Zoom and Cameras. This way, I have access to hidden viewfinder settings with a single press-and-swipe gesture at my fingertips.

I also turned off the Clean Preview toggle, so I can still switch between cameras with a single tap, and switched on the Lock Focus and Exposure toggle for a light press-and-hold gesture.

Customizing these settings helped me personalize Camera Control and use it more often. Now, it appeals to me with the settings I need and the way I need them, instead of being an overcrowded mess. And you can personalize your Camera Control, too. Here’s how:

Change Camera Control launch functionality

You can use Camera Control as another Action Button to launch an app of your choice. The only requirement is that the app should have access to the camera.

Go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control.
Under Launch Camera, select the app you need.
Go back and select Single Click or Double Click to open the said app.

I rely on Double Click so I don’t accidentally trigger an app when taking out the iPhone from my pocket. In my opinion, it is the safer and more convenient choice.

Under the same Launch Camera menu, you can also choose if you want the screen to be on or off when opening the app. I have turned it off to save the extra step of scanning my face to access the said app.

Choose the Controls that you want to appear on Camera Control

Apple allows you to choose from six controls, namely, Exposure, Depth, Zoom, Cameras, Styles and Tone. I have chosen three because the other three are available as on-screen toggles in the viewfinder.

Go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control.
Under Controls, make sure Camera Adjustments is turned on.
Tap on Customize.
Under Gesture, turn on Light Press and toggle off Swipe.
Under Controls, choose the functionalities you need.
Now, turn off the Clean Preview toggle if you require the viewfinder toggles to remain accessible.

You can further adjust the Camera Control pressure by going into Settings> Camera > Camera Control > Accessibility.

Turn on Lock Exposure and Focus with Camera Control

This setting will help you lock the exposure and focus without needing to press and hold on the viewfinder. It can be beneficial when you need consistent settings, especially when moving the camera from one subject to another.

Go to Settings > Camera > Camera Control.
Swipe down to Lock Exposure and Focus.
Tap on the toggle to turn it on.

For me, Camera Control was a hot mess when it debuted last year because I was either using on-screen controls or the new button. That’s why room for more personalization and customizability has been a game-changer. I realized I could access on-screen toggles while adding hidden settings to one-tap access. On my iPhone 17 Pro, I now use the Camera Control to open my payments app, adjust Exposure and Styles as well as trigger Visual Intelligence when needed.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, April 8

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 8.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Hint: It uses a lot of the letter Z for some reason. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___-Carlton (hotel chain)
Answer: RITZ

5A clue: Span of the alphabet
Answer: ATOZ

6A clue: Cable channel with an out-of-this-world name
Answer: STARZ

7A clue: Takes care of, as a squeaky wheel
Answer: OILS

8A clue: Toy on a string
Answer: YOYO

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: When a post receives far more negative comments than likes, in social media slang
Answer: RATIO

2D clue: World’s leading wine producer
Answer: ITALY

3D clue: Middle of the human body
Answer: TORSO

4D clue: Sleeping sound
Answer: ZZZ

6D clue: Tofu base
Answer: SOY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 8, #562

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 8 No. 562.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Working out.

Green group hint: Cover your face.

Blue group hint: NFL players.

Purple group hint: Leap.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Exercises in singular form.

Green group: Sporting jobs that require masks.

Blue group: Hall of Fame defensive ends.

Purple group: ____ jump.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is exercises in singular form. The four answers are crunch, plank, situp and squat.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sporting jobs that require masks. The four answers are catcher, fencer, football player and goaltender.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Hall of Fame defensive ends. The four answers are Dent, Peppers, Strahan and Youngblood.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ jump. The four answers are broad, high, long and triple.

Technologies

The $135M Google Data Settlement Site Is Live — See If You’re Eligible

Use the settlement website to select your preferred payment method, and you may end up $100 richer.

You can now file a claim in the $135 million Google data settlement. The case centers on claims that Android devices transmitted user data without consent. Specifically, the class action lawsuit Taylor v. Google LLC contends that Google’s Android devices passively transferred cellular data to Google without user permission, even when the devices were idle. While not admitting fault, Google reached a preliminary settlement in January, agreeing to pay $135 million to about 100 million US Android phone users.

The official settlement website for the lawsuit is now live. The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will consider whether Google’s settlement is fair and listen to objections. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement.

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device.

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its «allow background data usage» option is toggled off.

Who can be part of the settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

Be a living, individual human being in the US.
Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website.

If you choose to do nothing, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but you may not receive it if you don’t select a payment method.

How much will I get paid?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the cap is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after any appeals are resolved.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.