I love this new iPhone camera feature, but there's a reason I'll never use it.

Since the introduction of Photographic Styles on Apple devices, I mainly used the Standard filter and then edited my images in the Photos app if necessary. With the update to iOS 18, the option to change Photographic Styles after taking a photo was enabled, which led me to experiment and try different options. I soon realized that I had been missing out on something, but I also understood why I probably wouldn't use this feature again.

When I tried to modify the Photographic Style of an existing photo, I couldn't find the option. Was it my mistake? Had Apple hidden such a relevant feature? No, it turned out that it wasn't available for my photos for a simple reason: I had taken them in the wrong format. I wondered how many others might be in the same situation. I had always saved photos on my iPhone as JPEG files, as I sometimes use them in articles, either for a quick product glance or more detailed camera comparisons. This format makes it easy to upload directly to WordPress and view online without issues. The alternative would be Apple’s HEIC format, which is the default on a new iPhone, but I had restored new models from iCloud backups while keeping the JPEG format.

So far, this had not been a problem, as I never found reasons to change it, and I still need photos from my iPhone for work. However, in order to change the Photographic Style after taking the photo, it must be saved in HEIC format. If you want to check the format on your iPhone, you can go to Settings > Camera > Formats. There, you have options like Most Compatible, JPEG, or High Efficiency, which corresponds to HEIC.

Once my photos were saved in the correct format, the option to change Photographic Styles magically appeared in the editing section. I had always used the Standard version, mainly because I tended to forget there was an option to change it. Now that I had complete control over the Photographic Styles, I wondered if the inconvenience of the HEIC format would really be worth it. Honestly, it's hard for me to answer, as while I like the feature, I'm not sure I'll use it frequently.

A part of the process of modifying the Style is fun and well-designed, as it allows you to adjust the style by moving a pointer over a grid, which significantly transforms the look of the image. Switching between these styles is straightforward and made me realize how monotonous the Standard Style can be.

However, at the end of the day, I still felt the need to make additional edits to the photos, even after applying a different Photographic Style. The options did not provide the exact look I was seeking, which led me to ponder why bother changing the Style in the first place. Just like on Instagram, I continue to edit the photos on my iPhone after applying a Photographic Style, as achieving the desired look requires more adjustments.

Even though the process of switching between Styles is interesting and the Standard Style can feel somewhat dull, I doubt I will continue to use this extended feature. The need to edit images elevates the issue associated with the requirement to save as HEIC. Having JPEG files readily available is much more convenient, and I’m almost certain that I won’t remember to switch between file formats. Most likely, I will end up choosing the format that is most comfortable for me: JPEG.

The situation also complicates with videos since selecting High Efficiency in the Settings menu results in the camera saving videos in HEVC format, which is less convenient. Although I should feel frustrated with Apple for this limitation, I understand that there must be a technical reason behind the need for the High Efficiency format. However, at this crossroads, I find myself compelled to choose between an interesting feature and the convenience I'm already accustomed to, opting for comfort even though I acknowledge that I will occasionally miss the flexibility that Photographic Style editing allows.