You don’t need a professional camera to bring home proof you saw the aurora. Every phone made in the last five or six years is capable of capturing the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi you just need to know which settings to use and a few habits that separate a blurry green smudge from a photo you’ll actually want to print. This guide walks you through exactly that, step by step, whether you’re shooting on an iPhone or Android.
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Can You Actually Photograph the Northern Lights With a Phone?
Yes. Since Night Mode arrived on the iPhone 11 in 2019, and Night Sight on Google Pixel phones around the same time, smartphones have been able to take long-exposure shots in near-total darkness which is exactly what aurora photography needs. Most phones from the last five years, including mid-range Android models, now ship with some version of this feature. You won’t get a photo as sharp as a mirrorless camera on a tripod with a manual 15-second exposure, but you’ll get a genuinely good one, often good enough that people assume you used a “real” camera.
What You'll Need Before You Head Outside
- A phone from the last 5–6 years (iPhone 11 or later, Pixel 4 or later, or a recent Samsung Galaxy)
- A small tripod, or anything flat and stable a windowsill, a fence post, or a snowbank works fine
- A full battery and, ideally, a power bank cold drains phone batteries fast in Lapland’s winter temperatures
- Thin gloves you can still operate a touchscreen with, so bare fingers aren’t out in the cold
- A dark spot away from direct light porch lights, car headlights, and streetlamps will wash out the shot
Best Phone Camera Settings for the Northern Lights
The two things that matter most are exposure time and stillness. Everything else is a smaller adjustment on top of those two.
iPhone: Step-by-Step Night Mode Settings
- Rest your iPhone on a tripod or a completely still surface handheld shots blur during a long exposure.
- Open the default Camera app and point it at the sky. The yellow Night Mode moon icon appears automatically in low light.
- Tap the Night Mode icon and drag the slider as far right as it goes, for the longest exposure your phone allows (usually 10–30 seconds).
- Turn off flash, stay on the main 1x lens, and avoid digital zoom — zooming reduces light and sharpness.
- Tap the shutter and stay completely still until the exposure finishes. A countdown will show you how long it’s capturing for.
- If the aurora is very bright and moving fast, shorten the exposure to 1–3 seconds instead — this captures the movement and shape rather than a blurred glow.
Android: Night Sight / Expert RAW Settings
- On Google Pixel, open the Camera app and select Night Sight from the mode carousel; on newer Pixels, use Astrophotography mode if it appears automatically.
- On Samsung Galaxy, switch to Pro or Expert RAW mode for manual control over ISO and shutter speed.
- Set a low ISO (100–800) to avoid grainy photos, and a shutter speed of 5–15 seconds if manual controls are available.
- Rest the phone on a tripod or stable surface — the same rule as iPhone applies here.
- Disable flash and any beauty or HDR filters that might flatten the colors of the aurora.
Step-by-Step: How to Shoot the Aurora on Your Phone
- Check an aurora forecast app or website before heading out, so you know roughly when activity is expected.
- Get away from direct light sources the darker your surroundings, the more detail your phone will pick up.
- Set up your tripod or stable surface and frame the shot, ideally with some tree line, cabin, or horizon for scale.
- Switch on Night Mode / Night Sight and use the settings above.
- Take a test shot, check the result, and adjust exposure time up or down depending on how bright the display is.
- Shoot several photos in quick succession the aurora shifts shape within seconds, so more frames means more good options.
Where to Photograph the Northern Lights Near Rovaniemi
Light pollution is the single biggest factor working against your photos, which is why location matters as much as your camera settings. Invisible Forest Lodge sits inside the Arctic forest just 10 minutes from Rovaniemi’s town centre, far enough from streetlights for a genuinely dark sky. Guests staying in our Aurora Hut igloo can shoot straight through the glass roof from bed, or step outside onto the private deck for an unobstructed view. If you’re deciding between accommodation types, our guide to Glass Igloo vs Aurora Hut in Rovaniemi breaks down which one gives you the best shot at aurora photography during your stay.
Timing matters too. Read our guide on when the Northern Lights start in Rovaniemi and our best time to visit Rovaniemi month-by-month guide to plan a trip around the darkest, clearest skies of the season.
7 Mistakes That Ruin Aurora Phone Photos
Using flash – it lights up nothing but snow a few feet in front of you and ruins the shot
Shooting handheld during a long exposure even small movements blur the whole frame
Zooming in digitally – it reduces light and sharpness; crop the photo afterward instead
Shooting through a closed window – glass reflections and condensation blur the aurora’s colors
Leaving the phone in a warm pocket then taking it straight into the cold — the lens fogs up
Overexposing a bright, fast-moving aurora – it turns into a flat green glow with no shape
Not checking the forecast – heading out on a night with heavy cloud cover or low activity wastes the trip
Best Free Apps for Tracking the Northern Lights
My Aurora Forecast – real-time aurora activity index and push alerts
Aurora Alerts – location-based notifications when activity picks up nearby
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center the official US government source for solar activity and Kp-index data
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a tripod to photograph the northern lights on my phone?
You don’t strictly need one, but you do need something stable. A tripod gives the most consistent results, but a windowsill, railing, or snowbank works just as well for a long exposure shot.
Can Android phones photograph the northern lights as well as iPhones?
Yes. Google Pixel’s Night Sight and Samsung’s Pro or Expert RAW mode both support the long exposures needed for aurora photography. The exact interface differs from iPhone’s Night Mode, but the underlying principle a still phone and a long shutter time is the same.
Why does my phone camera see the aurora but my eyes don't?
A camera sensor collects light over several seconds, while your eyes process light in real time. During a faint aurora, your eyes might only register a pale grey-white streak, while a 10–30 second exposure on your phone gathers enough light to reveal the green, purple, and pink colors clearly.
What's the best exposure time for aurora photos on a phone?
Start around 10 seconds for a typical display. Use up to 30 seconds for faint, slow-moving aurora, and drop down to 1–3 seconds when the display is bright and moving quickly, so you capture shape and detail instead of a blurred glow.
Will photographing the aurora drain my phone battery faster?
Yes, cold temperatures alone reduce battery life significantly, and long-exposure Night Mode shots use more power than a normal photo. Keep your phone in an inside pocket between shots and bring a power bank if you’re planning to shoot for more than an hour.
Ready to See It for Yourself?
The best camera settings in the world won’t help if you’re not somewhere dark enough to see the aurora clearly. Our Aurora Hut igloos put you right under the northern sky, just 10 minutes from Rovaniemi.
