Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
Ever notice the focus stays fixed when recording video on the iPhone 5s? In fact, the only iOS devices that automatically adjust focus while recording are the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. While this feature was not added to the stock Camera app on older iPhones, those with jailbroken devices can now get a piece of the action.
The free jailbreak tweak AFVideo does the trick. Normally, refocusing a video while recording on the iPhone 5s / 5c or earlier requires a tap on the screen. Once AFVideo is installed, there are no options or settings to configure. The stock Camera app will simply begin to focus automatically, on the fly while video recording is in progress.
The developer, PoomSmart has brought many other camera-related tweaks to Cydia. AFVideo is compatible with all devices running iOS 7 and later, and should work with iOS 5 and iOS 6 to boot.
Testing on the iPhone 5 with iOS 8.1 worked as expected, although the auto focus is noticeably slower than on the iPhone 6. Even with AFVideo installed, the screen can still be tapped to manually select a focus and exposure point while recording video.
AFVideo is available from Cydia on the BigBoss repository for free. To start customizing iOS, click here for instructions on jailbreaking iOS 8.0-8.1.2. Those with older firmware can jailbreak with Pangu (iOS 7.1) or evasi0n 7 (iOS 7.0). Find out how to purchase and install Cydia tweaks with this guide.Follow the iPhoneFAQ Twitter feed and stay tuned to Facebook for the latest jailbreak tweaks and news.