Iris

Photography, in your hands.

An open-source iPhone camera for photographers who want fast automatic capture,
direct manual control, and distinctive live looks—without leaving the viewfinder.

Features · Repository · Getting started · Docs · Contributing · License

Iris is still in development. There is no released app yet—no App Store listing, TestFlight, or public download. This repository holds the product in progress; early access will be announced when a build is ready.

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Why Iris

The stock iPhone Camera is fast but hides photographic controls. Pro camera apps often bury those controls in dense interfaces. Filter apps usually apply a style only after capture.

Iris combines all three:

1. A dependable automatic camera
2. Understandable manual controls
3. Original Iris Looks previewed live in the viewfinder

Open Iris, choose a look, and take a finished photograph—or take direct control of exposure, focus, and white balance without leaving the frame.

Features

Auto + Manual	Capture immediately, or lock shutter, ISO, focus, white balance, and EV
Live Iris Looks	Natural, Daylight, Noir, Chrome, and Faded—shown before you shoot
Hardware-honest	Controls and ranges come from the active camera device
Offline by default	Core capture works without an account or network connection
Photographer formats	Processed HEIC/JPEG and RAW (DNG) when the device supports it

v1 targets still photography on iPhone. Video and Android are out of scope for the first release.

Repository

Iris is an npm workspaces + Turborepo monorepo:

apps/
  mobile/     Expo iOS camera app
  web/        Astro marketing site
docs/         Product and contributor documentation
packages/     Shared packages (as they land)

Getting started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22+
• npm 11+
• macOS with Xcode (for iOS simulator / device builds)
• A physical iPhone for camera development and QA

Camera features require a custom Expo development build. Expo Go is not enough for the full capture stack.

Install

git clone https://github.com/MohtashamMurshid/iris.git
cd iris
npm install

Develop

Start everything through Turbo:

npm run dev

Or start one workspace:

npm run mobile      # Expo mobile app
npm run web         # Astro marketing site

Mobile helpers:

npm run mobile:ios
npm run mobile:android
npm run mobile:web

Checks

npm run lint
npm run typecheck
npm run build

Documentation

Document	Description
Product requirements	Goals, scope, UX, and acceptance criteria
Documentation index	Map of all project docs
Contributing guide	How to propose changes and open PRs
Code of conduct	Community standards
Security policy	How to report vulnerabilities
Mobile app notes	Expo workspace specifics

Design principles

1. The frame comes first. Controls should not obscure the subject longer than necessary.
2. Manual means locked. Iris must never silently override a setting the user explicitly locked.
3. Preview honestly. The saved processed image should closely match the live Look preview.
4. Respect the hardware. Show only controls and ranges the active device supports.
5. Fast by default, deep on demand. Auto mode should be immediate; advanced controls one gesture away.
6. Original, not imitative. Iris serves a similar need to pro camera apps without copying protected assets or proprietary profiles.

Contributing

Iris is early and open to thoughtful contributions—especially around capture UX, Look rendering, accessibility, and documentation.

1. Read CONTRIBUTING.md
2. Open an issue to discuss larger changes before coding
3. Keep PRs focused and aligned with the PRD

By participating, you agree to follow the Code of Conduct.

License

Iris is released under the MIT License.

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_{Built for photographers who want their phone to feel more like a camera.}