How to reduce shutter lag on Samsung phones

Samsung phones, especially budget and mid-range ones, are notorious for shutter lag. Slow shutter speeds can cause blurry images and make it harder to capture moving objects. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to minimize this problem.

Table of Contents

• 7. Close other apps and clear memory
• 6. Tap the subject to focus
• 5. Reduce image resolution
• 4. Use Pro Mode to manually adjust shutter speed
• 3. Consider taking continuous photos
• 2. Turn off Auto HDR, Scene Optimizer and filters
• 1. Use the Camera Assistant module in Good Lock

7. Close other apps and clear memory

The camera app is one of the most memory-hungry apps on your phone, so to ensure it runs as expected, you need plenty of free memory. If most of the memory is taken up by background apps and other system processes, the camera app tends to malfunction.

This lack of sufficient memory results in slower image processing and therefore increased shutter lag. That’s why it’s a good idea to clear the memory before using the camera app. To do so, go to Settings > Device care > Memory and tap Clean now .

Tip : You may notice that some apps keep relaunching and running in the background even after you've cleared them from memory, taking up processing power. To avoid this, you can put them into Deep Sleep mode by going to Settings > Battery > Background usage limits > Deep sleeping apps and selecting the problematic apps.

6. Tap the subject to focus

Most people take photos on their phones by simply opening the camera app and tapping the shutter button. This is convenient, but can significantly increase shutter lag.

If you don’t tap your subject to focus before you take a shot, your phone has to take an extra second or two to guess what the subject is, focus on it, and adjust camera settings like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance accordingly. And this guess isn’t always accurate, so the camera can misfocus.

If you tap to focus manually, the camera will know what your subject is and be ready to shoot. You can even tap the lock icon in the viewfinder to freeze your current camera settings so they don't accidentally change while you're shooting.

5. Reduce image resolution

Shooting at a higher resolution will give you a larger file that you can zoom in on without losing too much detail, but it also requires your phone to do more image processing and therefore takes longer. This is especially true on cheaper devices because their processors are less powerful.

Shooting at a lower resolution will reduce processing time and therefore shutter lag. It is recommended to choose a lower resolution if you are shooting at night, as shooting at a higher resolution tends to add noise to the image in darker environments.

4. Use Pro Mode to manually adjust shutter speed

Pro Mode offers granular control over your camera settings. By manually increasing the shutter speed, you can significantly reduce the lag. However, keep in mind that reducing it too much can darken the image, so you may have to adjust the ISO accordingly for optimal results.

To use Pro Mode, swipe up on the camera modes row and go to the More tab. Here, drag the box labeled Pro next to the other camera modes and tap Save . In Pro Mode, use the slider to manually adjust the shutter speed.

Don't increase your shutter speed if you're shooting in a darker environment, as closing the shutter too early means your phone won't be able to capture enough light, resulting in grainy photos. If you're shooting landscapes during the day or objects in a well-lit room, you can experiment with your shutter speed.

3. Consider taking continuous photos

If you're shooting moving objects, use burst mode to make sure you don't miss the action. This is a camera setting where your phone takes multiple photos in quick succession, so it's more likely to capture the right moment and you don't have to time it perfectly.

To do this, open the Camera app, go to Settings , and tap Swipe Shutter button to , then select Take burst shot . Now, slide the shutter button down to take a burst shot. Burst mode photos are arranged in a single grid, so your photo library doesn't get cluttered.

Note : Burst mode is not supported in low light conditions, so make sure there is enough ambient light if you choose to use this feature.

2. Turn off Auto HDR, Scene Optimizer and filters

Applying filters, turning on Auto HDR, and using Samsung camera features like Scene Optimizer also add to the workload when processing images and can hinder your burst shooting, so try turning them off from the camera settings.

Auto HDR works by taking multiple photos at different exposures and combining them to create a single image with more detail. While useful, this process is time-consuming and can sometimes even make your photos look unnatural.

Scene Optimizer identifies what you're looking at and enhances colors and contrast accordingly, but its results aren't always objectively better. Filters can be applied after you take a photo in the Samsung Gallery app or through third-party photo editing apps.

1. Use the Camera Assistant module in Good Lock

Samsung's customization suite, Good Lock , includes all sorts of modules to help you get the most out of your device. One of these modules is Camera Assistant, and it includes a dedicated feature to reduce shutter lag, called Quick Tap Shutter.

You see, by default, the camera only takes a photo when you release the shutter button. But with Quick Tap Shutter enabled, the photo is taken as soon as you tap the button. It's a small change, but it can be useful for capturing split-second moments.

Since this is a Samsung exclusive, you can only download the Camera Assistant app from the Galaxy Store, not the Google Play Store. Once installed, launch the Camera app, go to Settings > Camera Assistant , and turn on the Quick Tap Shutter toggle .

Using just one or two of these tips may not make much of a difference, but using them all together will definitely make a noticeable improvement. Of course, don't expect iPhone-like smoothness; there's only so much you can optimize your camera system for as a user.