New Text Formatting Tools in iOS 12 Camera Effects

With the release of iOS 12, Apple overhauled the built-in camera within the Messages and FaceTime apps by introducing a dedicated effects system. Among these creative additions were new text formatting tools that allowed users to overlay dynamic, stylized typography onto photos and videos before sending them. This guide outlines the specific text tools, styles, and manipulation options introduced to camera effects in iOS 12.

Accessing the Text Tool

To use the text formatting tools in iOS 12, users open the camera through the Messages app and tap the star-shaped Effects icon located next to the shutter button. Tapping the Text button (represented by an "Aa" icon) opens a tray filled with various typographic styles that can be added directly to the viewfinder.

Typographic Presets and Styles

Rather than providing a standard font-selection menu, iOS 12 introduced text formatting through curated typographic sticker styles. Users could choose from several distinct designs:

  • Comic and Graphic Styles: High-contrast, comic-book-inspired lettering with thick black outlines, suited for expressive captions.
  • Speech and Thought Bubbles: Classic dialogue bubbles containing customizable text, allowing users to frame their words as spoken thoughts or statements.
  • Neon and Glow: Vibrant, illuminated lettering designed to stand out against dark backgrounds.
  • Graffiti and Urban Fonts: Stylized, street-art-inspired lettering.
  • Clean and Minimalist Type: Modern, bold sans-serif options for straightforward, clear captions.

Text Manipulation and Sizing

Once a text style was selected and typed out, iOS 12 offered intuitive gesture controls to format and position the text on the screen:

  • Resizing: Users could pinch inward or outward to scale the text up or down to any size.
  • Rotation: Twisting two fingers allowed users to rotate the text to any angle.
  • Positioning and Layering: Text could be dragged anywhere in the frame and layered on top of other effects, such as filters, shapes, and Memoji or Animoji stickers.

Dynamic Face Tracking

For devices equipped with the TrueDepth camera system (starting with iPhone X), text placed near the user's face could automatically anchor to their movements. This feature allowed speech bubbles and captions to naturally follow the user's head as they moved or tilted it on camera.