Start shooting
- Allow Camera and Photos access when Surface asks. Location is optional.
- Tap the film name at the top left and choose a profile.
- Tap the viewfinder to focus. Drag the exposure control to brighten or darken the frame.
- Compose and press the silver shutter.
Your capture is saved to Apple Photos and appears in Surface’s Darkroom. The selected film profile is locked into the photograph at capture.
Film profiles
Surface includes four black-and-white profiles and four color profiles.
| Black & white | Color |
|---|---|
| Selenium 400 | Chroma 100 |
| Bromide 125 | Tonal 400 |
| Metol 125 | Radian 400 |
| Palladium 3200 | Remix 100 |
The film profile is set when you take the photo and cannot be changed afterward. You can still adjust exposure, color, and other settings in the editor.
The viewfinder
Focus and exposure
Tap the viewfinder to choose focus and exposure. Surface can show focus peaking when Camera Peaking is enabled in Capture Settings. Use the exposure ruler to bias the camera brighter or darker.
Aspect ratio
Choose the framing ratio from the top bar. Surface records that framing with the photograph.
Camera controls
Open the vertical control rail with the plus button. It holds Flash, Timer, Flip Camera, and Slow Shutter. Availability follows the active camera and device hardware.
Portrait Mode
Surface’s Portrait Mode is a physical macro-camera switch, not a simulated portrait effect. It uses the iPhone’s ultra-wide camera at its native framing where supported.
Blur and light leaks
Blur for depth
Tap Blur and choose one of four geometries: Band, Linear, Vignette, or Tilt-shift. Drag the handles in the viewfinder to position the focused area, then use the ruler to set strength.
Light-leak overlay
Tap Overlay to add a light leak. Set its strength with the ruler. Randomizer changes the source, rotation, flip, and crop. Surface deals through twelve source photographs before it repeats one.
Blur and light leak can be used together. Both become part of the captured photograph.
Darkroom and Apple Photos
Tap the thumbnail at the lower right of the viewfinder to open the Darkroom. Surface shows the photographs associated with its album in your Apple Photos library.
- Sort newest first or oldest first.
- Import a photograph from Photos for editing.
- Select multiple items for batch actions.
- Remove an item from Surface while keeping it in Photos, or delete it from Photos too.
Surface does not keep a separate cloud library. If iCloud Photos is enabled, sync is between your device and Apple.
Editing
Open a photograph and choose Adjust. Every adjustment is non-destructive and keeps the captured film profile.
| Light | Exposure, Contrast, Blacks, Whites |
|---|---|
| Color | Saturation, Warmth, Tint |
| Texture | Grain, Halation, Vignette |
| Geometry | Straighten and Crop, including Freeform, Original, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 5:7, 7:5, 3:2, 2:3, 16:9, and 9:16 |
Undo and redo step through the session. Reset clears adjustments and restores the original capture framing; it also clears undo history. Cancel restores the last saved edit. Done writes the adjustment back to Photos without replacing the original resource.
Photo information
The information sheet can show Film, ISO, Format, Resolution, Megapixels, Camera, Lens, and capture date. For Surface captures, ISO represents the selected film’s box speed; it is not a reliable reading of the sensor’s exposure settings. If the photograph has coordinates, a Location row resolves the place name and opens it in Apple Maps.
Location appears only when the photograph contains coordinates. Resolving a place name uses Apple’s location services; the Surface developer does not receive those coordinates.
Resolution and formats
| Choice | What to know |
|---|---|
| 12 MP | Available across supported capture formats. |
| 24 MP | Apple’s deferred processed capture, where supported. The final resolution depends on the device, framing, and capture conditions. ProRAW is not available at 24 MP. |
| 48 MP | Uses the physical wide camera where supported. |
| HEIC | A space-efficient processed capture option. |
| JPEG | A widely compatible processed capture option. |
| ProRAW | Retains a DNG original on supported devices at 12 or 48 MP. Not available at 24 MP or during Slow Shutter. |
48 MP and ProRAW controls appear on supported hardware. ProRAW is disabled at 24 MP. The film-rendered photograph is saved as a JPEG adjustment alongside the original in Apple Photos; capture format and the rendered image are separate.
Shortcuts and access
Surface registers one system action: Open Surface. Say “Open Surface,” “Launch Surface,” or “Take a photo with Surface” to open the app directly to the viewfinder. The phrase does not press the shutter or change film.
You can also add Surface to the Lock Screen or Control Center for one-tap access. Capture Settings links to Apple’s Shortcuts app so the same action can be included in your own automations.
Membership
Dismiss the initial membership offer to try five saved captures. After those captures, a purchase is required to keep shooting. Surface offers Lifetime, Yearly, and Monthly options. Check the in-app App Store purchase sheet for current local prices and any available offers.
Purchases and subscriptions are managed by Apple. Use Restore in Surface Settings if you reinstall the app or move to another device with the same Apple ID.
Privacy
Surface has no analytics, trackers, ads, Surface account, or photo-processing server. Camera and editing work on your iPhone, and photographs live in Apple Photos. Apple services handle purchases, optional iCloud Photos sync, and location-name lookup. Feedback you choose to send is delivered to support and recorded privately for follow-up.
Read the complete Privacy Policy.
Help
Use the feedback form to send a bug report, feature request, or general feedback. You can also email [email protected].