Getting Started with Poly: Photo, Video & Time Lapse

8 min read · Photography

Poly turns your iPhone into a pocket instant camera — no cartridges, no waiting for film to arrive in the mail, but the same unhurried feeling as a real polaroid. Here is everything you need to know before your first shot.

1. What you need: iOS 18 or later

Poly runs on iPhones with iOS 18 or later. Download it from the App Store, open it, and grant camera access when asked — that is the entire setup. There is no account to create before you can start shooting.

2. Three shooting modes: Photo, Video, and Time Lapse

Poly has three shooting modes: Photo for a single instant-style print, Video for short motion clips with the same polaroid framing, and Time Lapse for compressing minutes or hours into a few seconds. Switch between Photo, Video, and Time Lapse from the mode control near the shutter button — each one keeps the same square frame and film look, just a different way of capturing time.

3. Choose your film look before you shoot

Unlike editing after the fact, Poly wants you to pick your film emulation first. Browse the classic pack — FLÄRN, SOLVA, BRÖKK, VYLUR, and GRÅLT — in the film filters guide, or go stranger with the Weird Film pack — LÖMUR, DREKI, SKRÍM, FROSINN, and NÓTT. Committing to a look before the shutter is what makes the result feel like film instead of a filtered photo.

4. Lenses: 0.5× to 3×

Poly supports lenses from 0.5× for wide environmental shots to 3× for closer portraits, mapped to whatever hardware lenses your iPhone has. Wide is great for landscapes and group shots; the longer end compresses backgrounds and flatters faces. Try a scene at a couple of different lengths before you settle on one.

5. Timer: 3, 5, or 10 seconds

For group shots or self-portraits, use the built-in timer set to 3, 5, or 10 seconds. Prop your phone up, frame the shot, start the timer, and get into position — one less reason to ask a stranger to hold your phone.

6. Watch it develop, then find it in your library

After you shoot, your polaroid develops on screen the way a real print does — the image slowly resolving into color. Once it is done, it lands in your library, organized like a real polaroid box, and syncs across your devices with iCloud so your collection is never stuck on one phone.

7. Premium, and one setting worth knowing about

A free Poly account covers the basics; Premium unlocks the full set of film emulations, the complete Weird Film pack, and additional frame and caption styles. One setting worth finding early: if your front-camera selfies look reversed compared to what you expect, open Settings and toggle mirror front camera to match your preference. Once you are comfortable with the basics, read our guide on how to shoot great polaroid photos for composition and lighting tips.