Hack unlocks secret iPhone panorama camera mode

By Andrew Couts November 8, 2011

iPhone 4 camera — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Your iPhone’s camera can do something you didn’t know it can do: shoot panorama photos! This secret feature was uncovered by hacker and software developer conradev, reports iDownload Blog. He did so by tinkering with the iOS SDK, which unlocked the world-grabbing feature. Once enabled, the shooting mode allows users to shoot continuously from left to right.

After conradev revealed his finding, a number of other iOS jailbreakers have confirmed the hack. And renowned jailbreak developer chpwn has released a new version of his iPhone jailbreak in Cydia, called “Firebreaker,” that will automatically enable the panorama mode for those who use this jailbreak.

While this is the first time we’ve heard about this hidden feature, it certainly won’t be the last. We expect Apple has embedded this feature for testing, and plans to release it at some point in the future — so it’s not likely that they’re very happy about this leak.

From what we’ve seen of the photos so far, they are definitely panoramic pictures. But they lack the Apple polish, which is why we weren’t meant to see this feature just yet. Still, it’s interesting to catch a glimpse of what Apple has up its sleeve.

To find out more about how to enable panorama mode on your iPhone, click here.

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