Northern Lights photography with an iPhone is very doable with a few key settings and a steady setup. Below is a practical, step-by-step guide you can follow to maximize your chances of getting great aurora images. Direct answer

• Use Night Mode with a long exposure, stabilize your phone, and shoot in RAW when possible. Start with the longest practical shutter speed (often 10–30 seconds, depending on brightness) and adjust based on how bright the aurora appears in the sky. Keep the ISO as low as possible to reduce noise, and set focus to infinity.

What to do

1. Stabilize and compose

• Use a sturdy tripod or place the phone on a stable surface. Even light hand shake can blur long exposures, so stabilization is essential. If you’re near trees or mountains, frame the aurora with a foreground element to add depth.
• Turn on a grid (if your phone supports it) to help with composition, ensuring your horizon is level.

2. Night mode and exposure

• Enable Night Mode. The camera will select a longer exposure automatically, but you can usually adjust the shutter time by tapping the night mode icon and using the slider.
• Set the exposure to the longest practical duration without blowing out the aurora. Start around 10–15 seconds and increase to 20–30 seconds if the aurora is dim. If it’s very bright, use shorter durations (1–5 seconds) to avoid overexposure and star trails.
• If you can, set a fixed exposure time (manual exposure) rather than relying solely on automatic Night Mode; this helps keep consistency across shots.

3. Focus and optics

• Set focus to infinity for distant aurora details. On many iPhones, you can tap and hold on the sky to lock focus and exposure, then slide your finger to adjust exposure if needed.
• Turn off any digital zoom. Shoot at the widest practical focal length to keep the aurora broad and sharp.

4. ISO, exposure, and color

• Keep ISO as low as possible to reduce noise (often ISO 800–1600 is a good starting point for auroras on mid- to high-end iPhones). Increase only if the aurora is faint and the exposure duration is already at the maximum you’re comfortable with.
• If your device supports RAW capture, shoot in RAW to preserve color and dynamic range for post-processing.

5. Additional tips to improve results

• Use a remote shutter release or the timer to minimize camera shake.
• Shoot in a cold environment; warm gloves can cause vibration when pressing buttons, so use a remote or timer.
• Take multiple shots at different exposure settings (a few at 10 seconds, a few at 20–30 seconds) to give yourself options to choose later.
• If there are artificial lights nearby, consider briefly using exposure compensation to prevent those sky lights from overpowering the aurora, then revert for subsequent shots.
• Review shots after you take them and adjust exposure or focus as needed.

6. Post-processing basics

• For RAW photos, adjust white balance to taste (often slightly cooler for auroras), reduce noise, and recover highlights without clipping the aurora’s greens and purples.
• Maintain natural color; overly saturated auroras can look artificial.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Overexposing: brighter auroras can bloom quickly; shorter exposures help preserve detail.
• Blurry images: insufficient stabilization or vibrations from wind or nearby traffic can blur long exposures.
• Inconsistent shots: if you change exposure between shots, your series may look uneven—limit changes unless you’re actively experimenting.

If you’d like, share details about your iPhone model, location, and whether you’re shooting from a tripod or handheld, and I can tailor the exact shutter speed/ISO recommendations for your situation.