How to Take Burst Photos on iPhone and Use Top Shot on Pixel
A dog mid-leap, a kid's jump into a pool, a group shot where someone always blinks: some moments are too quick to catch with a single tap. The fix is to take many photos in a fraction of a second and keep the best one. iPhone calls this Burst mode. Pixel handles it with a feature called Top Shot, which takes a burst for you and suggests the best frame.
The steps below follow Apple's and Google's help pages as of October 2026.
1. On iPhone: Burst mode
Apple describes Burst mode as a way to "capture photos of a moving subject," or to take "multiple high-speed photos so that you have a range of photos to choose from." It works with both the rear and the front-facing cameras, so it is useful for selfies too.
1.1. How to take a burst
- Open Camera.
- Swipe the Shutter button to the left and keep your finger down. The camera takes photos in rapid succession.
- Lift your finger to stop.
A quick swipe-and-hold is easy to do by accident when you only meant to tap, so it helps to practice once on something that is not moving.
1.2. The volume button shortcut
Apple offers a second way that is easier when you are holding the phone sideways: press and hold the volume up button. Turn it on first in Settings > Camera > Use Volume Up for Burst. This is handy for sports or pets, where you want to keep your eyes on the subject rather than on the screen.
1.3. Keep the good frames, delete the rest
A burst shows up as one Burst thumbnail rather than as dozens of separate photos. To pick your favorites:
- Tap the Burst thumbnail, then tap Burst (number), where the number shows how many shots it holds.
- Look for gray dots under the thumbnails. Apple says these mark the suggested photos to keep.
- Tap the circle in the lower-right corner of each photo you want to save as an individual photo.
- Tap Done.
If none of them are worth keeping, open the burst and tap the Delete button to remove the entire thing at once.
2. On Pixel: Top Shot
Pixel does not ask you to hold the shutter. Google explains that with Top Shot, "your Camera app takes a burst of photos and automatically chooses your best shot."
2.1. How to turn it on
- Pixel 10 and later: open Camera, tap Settings at the bottom left, and set Top Shot to Auto.
- Pixel 9a and earlier: same steps, but you can choose Auto or On.
Google adds that on Pixel 10 and later, photos taken with Top Shot support HDR+ quality.
2.2. Pick a different frame yourself
If the suggested frame is not the one you want, Google describes using Motion Photos to capture a moment in motion and then pick your favorite shot. On Pixel 10 and later, turn this on in the Camera app under Settings > Motion Photos, set to Auto or On. You can also export a motion photo as a short video: tap More, then Export, then Video, then Export.
2.3. Group photos: Auto Best Take
Group photos are where bursts earn their keep. Google says that on Pixel 10 and later, Auto Best Take can merge everyone's best facial expressions from multiple shots into a new image. To use it, you need Google Photos, Top Shot must be turned on, and you switch it on under Settings > More settings > Auto Best Take in the Camera app.
That merged picture is a combination of moments rather than one instant. For casual group shots that is usually welcome; for anything that needs to show exactly what happened, keep the original frames.
3. Which approach fits which moment
| Situation | iPhone | Pixel |
|---|---|---|
| Fast action you can predict, like a jump | Start the burst just before the moment | Tap once at the moment with Top Shot on |
| Long unpredictable action, like a pet playing | Hold the burst, or use the volume up button | Keep Top Shot on and tap the shutter |
| Group photo with blinkers | Burst, then choose the frame where eyes are open | Auto Best Take on Pixel 10 and later |
| Selfie in motion | Burst works on the front camera | Not covered on Google's Top Shot page |
4. Tips for sharper bursts
- Start early. Begin the burst a beat before the peak of the action, not at it.
- Use good light. Fast action in dim light blurs more easily, so step outside or near a window when you can.
- Keep bursts short. A second or two is usually enough. Long bursts mainly create cleanup work.
- Clean up the same day. Pick your keepers and delete the rest while you still remember which moment you were after.
5. Key takeaways
- On iPhone, swipe the Shutter button left and hold to take a burst, then lift your finger to stop.
- Turn on Settings > Camera > Use Volume Up for Burst to shoot bursts with the volume up button.
- Gray dots under burst thumbnails mark Apple's suggested keepers; tap the circles to save individual frames.
- On Pixel, Top Shot takes a burst automatically and suggests the best frame; set it to Auto in Camera settings.
- Pixel 10 and later can merge the best expressions from several group shots with Auto Best Take.