Underwater photography is one of the most exciting parts of scuba diving—but not everyone wants to invest in a high-end underwater camera. The good news? You can absolutely capture stunning underwater photos using your smartphone. Yes—your phone can handle underwater photography with the right equipment, correct shooting techniques, and a bit of practice.
- Can You Really Use a Smartphone for Underwater Photography While Scuba Diving?
- Essential Gear You Need to Take Photos Underwater With Your Phone
- Choosing the Right Underwater Phone Case for Photography
- Additional Accessories That Improve Phone Underwater Photography
- Best Smartphone Camera Settings for Clear Underwater Shots
- How to Take Good Underwater Pictures With Any Phone
- How to Take Photos Underwater With iPhone
- Underwater Photography Settings for Samsung Phones
- How to Take Underwater Photos With Your Phone: Practical Shooting Techniques
- Master Your Buoyancy Before Shooting
- Lighting Tips for Underwater Smartphone Photography
- Colour Correction Tips: Restoring Red and Yellow Tones
- Best Apps for Underwater Photography and Editing
- Best Shooting Apps
- Best Editing Apps
- How to Protect Your Smartphone While Scuba Diving
- Leak Test Before Every Single Dive
- Rinse & Post-Dive Care
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Best Smartphones for Underwater Photography (If You Want to Upgrade)
- Examples of Great Underwater Shots You Can Capture with a Smartphone
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 1. Can you take underwater photos with your phone while scuba diving?
- 2. How deep can a phone go underwater?
- 3. Is it safe to use an iPhone underwater?
- 4. Do I need a special case for my Samsung phone?
- 5. How do I get clear underwater photos with my phone?
- 6. Why are my underwater photos so blue?
- 7. Can I shoot moving fish with my smartphone?
- 8. What is the best lighting for underwater smartphone shots?
- Final Tips for Better Smartphone Underwater Photography
In this guide, you’ll learn how to take underwater photography with your smartphone while scuba diving, along with gear tips, settings, lighting techniques, editing recommendations, and safety precautions every beginner diver should know.
Whether you’re a beginner diver, adventure traveler, or underwater photography enthusiast, this guide helps you take vibrant, clear underwater photos using the device you already own.
Can You Really Use a Smartphone for Underwater Photography While Scuba Diving?
Yes—smartphones today are powerful enough to capture sharp, colourful underwater images, especially in shallow to mid-depth dives. However, a smartphone alone cannot go underwater safely.
You need a proper underwater housing and must understand depth limitations, lighting behaviour, and shooting techniques.
Key Things to Know
- Smartphones are not dive-proof even if they claim to be “water-resistant.”
- Touchscreens do not work underwater; housings use buttons or mechanical triggers.
- Most housings support depths from 15m to 40m, depending on the model.
- Without proper lighting, photos can appear blue, green, or hazy.
Your phone is capable—but only when paired with the right setup.
Essential Gear You Need to Take Photos Underwater With Your Phone
Before learning how to take photos underwater with your phone, make sure you have the right equipment designed for scuba depths.
Choosing the Right Underwater Phone Case for Photography
Your housing is the most important part of underwater smartphone photography. A good case prevents leaks, protects your phone from pressure, and gives you physical buttons to take photos.
Types of Underwater Housings
| Type | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Soft pouches | Cheaper, shallow water only | Snorkeling, pool photography |
| Hard housings | Rigid polycarbonate/aluminium, dive-safe | Scuba diving |
| Dome housings | Add-on dome for wide-angle effects | Split shots, wide reef scenes |
What to Look For
- Depth rating (minimum 30–40m recommended for scuba)
- Mechanical shutter buttons
- Compatibility with your iPhone, Samsung, or universal models
- Double-lock system
- Leak alarm sensors
iPhone & Samsung Considerations
- For iPhone users, search for housings specifically rated for your model.
- For Samsung divers, using a scuba diving phone case Samsung edition ensures the right button alignment.
Must-Have Accessories
- Anti-fog inserts
- Lanyard or wrist strap
- Moisture absorber packs
- Red filter (optional)
If your case fails, your phone fails—so invest wisely.
Additional Accessories That Improve Phone Underwater Photography
Even small accessories can dramatically improve photo quality.
Recommended Add-Ons
- External video lights (essential beyond 5–10 meters)
- Mini dome ports for wide-angle reef shots
- Color-correction filters (red for blue water, magenta for green water)
- Float arms to improve buoyancy balance
- Clip and lanyard to prevent losing your phone
Good accessories = better stability, safer handling, and clearer images.
Best Smartphone Camera Settings for Clear Underwater Shots
Learning how to take good underwater pictures begins with dialing in the right camera settings. Automatic modes don’t always work well underwater.
How to Take Good Underwater Pictures With Any Phone
Here are the recommended settings for most smartphones:
General Settings
- Shoot in RAW if available
- Set resolution to maximum
- Turn on image stabilization
- Keep ISO low (100–400) to avoid grain
- Use manual white balance if possible
- Enable burst mode for moving fish
Focus Tips
- Tap-to-focus won’t work underwater
- Instead, use continuous autofocus or manual focus sliders in apps
Stability
Keep your elbows close, control your breathing, and hover neutrally buoyant to avoid motion blur.
How to Take Photos Underwater With iPhone
If you’re using an iPhone, the keyword technique is control and correction.
Best iPhone Settings Underwater
- Use apps like Halide, ProCamera, or Moment
- Manually adjust white balance
- Shoot RAW for cleaner editing
- Increase exposure slightly for darker water
Colours & Clarity
iPhones tend to smooth details underwater. Shoot with slightly higher sharpness and adjust later.
Underwater Photography Settings for Samsung Phones
Samsung phones are known for punchy colours, which helps underwater—but they can oversaturate.
Samsung Underwater Tips
- Use Pro Mode
- Keep sharpness at medium
- Avoid auto white balance (it gets confused underwater)
- Use Scuba diving phone case Samsung compatibility for proper button alignment
- Shoot in RAW for editing flexibility
The better your settings, the easier your post-processing.
How to Take Underwater Photos With Your Phone: Practical Shooting Techniques
Gear matters—but the way you shoot matters even more. Here’s how to get sharp, clear, vibrant photos.
Master Your Buoyancy Before Shooting
Good buoyancy = stable shots.
Poor buoyancy = blurry shots + damaged coral.
Tips
- Practice hover skills before using your camera
- Avoid touching the reef or sand
- Keep fins up to avoid stirring debris
- Move slowly to avoid scaring fish
Lighting Tips for Underwater Smartphone Photography
Light disappears fast underwater. At 10 meters, reds vanish. At 20 meters, even blues fade.
Your Options
✓ Use natural sunlight (best at 0–10 meters)
✓ Add video lights for depth
✓ Avoid using the phone’s tiny LED—it’s too weak
Avoid Backscatter
- Don’t point lights directly at subjects
- Keep lights off to the side
- Stay away from sandy bottoms
Lighting is the #1 factor that transforms dull underwater shots into beautiful images.
Colour Correction Tips: Restoring Red and Yellow Tones
Without colour correction, underwater photos appear blue or green.
How to Fix This
- Use manual white balance apps
- Add a red filter to your housing for tropical blue waters
- For green water diving, use a magenta filter
Apps That Auto-Correct Colours
- Dive+
- Snapseed
- Lightroom Mobile
With proper colour correction, your underwater shots will look natural and vibrant.
Best Apps for Underwater Photography and Editing
Smartphone apps can significantly boost image quality—both before and after shooting.
Best Shooting Apps
These help control focus, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance underwater:
- Halide (iPhone)
- ProCamera
- Moment Pro Camera
- Open Camera (Android)
Best Editing Apps
For post-dive enhancement:
- Lightroom Mobile (RAW editing)
- Snapseed (quick corrections)
- Dive+ (automatic underwater colour restoration)
- VSCO (creative tones)
Use a combination of apps for the best results.
How to Protect Your Smartphone While Scuba Diving
Even the best housings can fail if misused. Protect your phone at every stage.
Leak Test Before Every Single Dive
Always:
- Seal your housing
- Submerge it in freshwater
- Check for bubbles or droplets
- Inspect O-rings for hair, sand, or twists
Never skip this step.
Rinse & Post-Dive Care
After every dive:
- Rinse the case in fresh water
- Press all buttons underwater to remove salt residue
- Dry completely before opening
- Store with silica gel
This prevents corrosion and extends housing life.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Opening the case on a wet boat deck
- Using damaged or dry O-rings
- Forgetting to test the housing
- Overloading the case with thick phone covers
- Going beyond the depth rating
Treat your case like dive gear—inspect carefully.
Best Smartphones for Underwater Photography (If You Want to Upgrade)
You don’t need a new phone to shoot underwater—but certain features help:
What to Look For
- Large camera sensor
- OIS + EIS stabilization
- RAW shooting
- Good low-light performance
- Ultra-wide lens support
- Strong processor for app performance
These features ensure crisp, colourful underwater images.
Examples of Great Underwater Shots You Can Capture with a Smartphone
Smartphone divers can capture:
- Close-up shots of clownfish
- Wide reef scenes
- Silhouettes of divers
- Macro textures like coral polyps
- Sunburst shots near the surface
- Schools of fish
- Turtle portraits
Your phone is capable of surprisingly professional results with the right technique.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can you take underwater photos with your phone while scuba diving?
Yes—using a proper rated waterproof housing and correct settings.
2. How deep can a phone go underwater?
Phones are not meant for diving; but a good housing can go 30–40m or deeper depending on the model.
3. Is it safe to use an iPhone underwater?
Only with a dedicated underwater case. iPhone’s water resistance does not cover scuba depths.
4. Do I need a special case for my Samsung phone?
Yes. Look for housings specifically labelled scuba diving phone case Samsung to ensure correct button alignment.
5. How do I get clear underwater photos with my phone?
Use proper lighting, keep ISO low, stabilize your shots, and correct colours using apps or filters.
6. Why are my underwater photos so blue?
Water absorbs red and yellow light. Use filters, lights, and editing tools to restore natural colour.
7. Can I shoot moving fish with my smartphone?
Yes—use burst mode, stay stable, and approach slowly.
8. What is the best lighting for underwater smartphone shots?
Natural sunlight at shallow depths or external video lights as you go deeper.
Final Tips for Better Smartphone Underwater Photography
- Practice buoyancy before shooting
- Stay shallow for natural light
- Always test your case before diving
- Shoot RAW whenever possible
- Use a red or magenta filter
- Edit photos to restore colour
- Move slowly and respect marine life
Smartphone photography underwater is accessible, budget-friendly, and incredibly rewarding. With the right gear and techniques, your phone can capture breathtaking memories from your dives.
For more scuba diving guides and tips, visit ScoobadiveGuide.
