BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Like our eyes, our smartphones cannot look directly into the sun. Without eclipse glasses, looking at the sun can burn our retinas. Likewise, a smartphone lens focuses light, and should not be used to take pictures of the sun without a solar filter.
A smartphone lens filter can not only protect your camera's lens, but it will also increase the quality of the photos.
Nasa says you can briefly remove the filter during totality and switch off the flash.
If you forget to grab a solar filter for your phone, an alternative is to use the filter from a spare pair of eclipse glasses, but you may not get the best quality pictures.
Without eclipse glasses and a lens filter, taking pictures of the eclipse with a smartphone could damage the camera's sensor and your eyes.
