The iPhone has become a popular platform for filmmaking, as seen with the recent project “28 Years Later.”
Users are starting to recognize the mobile device’s storytelling potential, and this capability will soon expand further thanks to Apple’s announcement of enhanced support for Cinematic Mode in third-party apps.
Since the introduction of iOS 13, Cinematic Mode has allowed the iPhone camera to utilize computational photography and depth metadata from its LiDAR sensor.
This feature creates out-of-focus backgrounds, rack focus, and bokeh effects, which give videos a more cinematic quality. Until recently, filmmakers could only access this functionality through the native camera app.
During a recent session at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company introduced a new API that enables third-party developers – such as those behind Blackmagic Camera, Kino, and FiLMiC Pro – to incorporate Cinematic Mode video recording into their apps.
This announcement follows Apple’s earlier decision to allow third-party apps to edit Cinematic Mode videos starting with iOS 17.
With iOS 26, third-party apps will support Cinematic Mode, allowing filmmakers to track focus, perform rack focusing, and create a sense of depth of field.
They will also be able to transition focus automatically between subjects, all without the need to use the native camera app. Furthermore, monitors will display the depth-of-field directly in the video stream, enhancing the cinematic look.
Image Credit – Apple
Initially, this feature will support 4K and 1080p video capture at 30 frames per second using both dual wide and TrueDepth cameras. For 10-bit HDR video capture, the recommended format is x420 pixel mode.
The linked video offers detailed guidance for app developers on enabling the Cinematic Video Capture option in their app settings, along with additional audio options featuring spatial audio for use with Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
A public beta is expected to launch in July 2025, with iOS 26 likely to be released in September 2025, often within a week of the iPhone announcement event, which will herald the arrival of the new iPhone 17.
By then, we anticipate that developers for FiLMiC Pro, Blackmagic Camera, and other apps will have updated their offerings to take full advantage of Cinematic Video, showcasing just how cinematic mobile filmmaking can become.
Are cine lenses even needed anymore?
[source: MacRumors]
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