321Burst
321Burst is designed to be a private, lightweight, device-first camera app for coordinated group photo capture.
Available for testing on iPhone via TestFlight
Safety Tips
Please use this app safely.
- Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
- Do not use the app while driving, cycling, walking in traffic, or operating machinery.
- Take care when moving into position or stepping backward for a photo.
- Avoid using the app near roads, stairs, edges, water, or other hazards.
- Before triggering a coordinated capture, make sure all participants are in a safe place and ready.
- Capture timing and successful photo capture are not guaranteed. Do not rely on the app as the only way to record important or irreplaceable moments.
You are responsible for using the app and your device safely.
This app is provided "as is" and use is at your own risk, subject to applicable law and the applicable license terms.
Having an end-of-semester celebration? Want to try taking a group photo with a difference?
321Burst allows you to coordinate the taking of photos on more than one iPhone at a time. The app is small, uses peer communications to coordinate the timing of the photos and it is completely free – there are no in-app purchases and there are no accounts. Each photo stays on each individual's device unless they choose to share it.
Coordinating the timing may not always work perfectly, so only use 321Burst when you can re-create a moment easily!
No central server. No log-in.
No images shared unless you
share/export them yourself.
The app's storage is sandboxed, meaning the images taken are not automatically added to your device's photo library.
It is designed to allow you to stay in control of the images you share.
What is shared between devices?
When other people near you are using 321Burst, it will automatically exchange the minimal information in order to coordinate a synchronized photo burst:
- participant/device display names
- ready or not-ready state
- camera ready or not-ready state
- capture timing information
What is not shared?
Photos taken with 321Burst can only be viewed within the app on the device used for taking the photo unless your share the image.
- No central server collects images
- There is no remote gallery of your images
Who might want to use 321Burst?
By sharing your photos with your group, you can generate fun collages or videos.
For example:
- 3 or 4 people take photos from different angles at the same moment, so it seems as though the moment is frozen in time.
- 3 or 4 people take photos with an automatic 1 second delay between them, so a moving object is caught on several cameras.
321Burst depends on nearby device communication, so performance can vary from place to place depending on Wi‑Fi conditions and network settings. The good news is that it’s free and tiny — about 6MB — so it’s easy to experiment with and see where it works best for you.
What kinds of moments might it work well for?
Perhaps:
- mini celebrations
- student activities
- family gatherings
- team moments
- casual events
321Burst often works best with devices that already “know” each other in everyday use — for example, devices connected through Apple Family Sharing or devices that frequently use the same Personal Hotspot. Because it uses peer-based timing rather than a cloud service, it is best thought of as a fun, informal photo tool for shared moments, rather than a replacement for professional photography workflows at important one-off events.
Acknowledgements
Artwork by Cindy
App Development by Stephen Jeaco
The app is free to download and free to use and runs on iOS
Get 321Burst
iPhone/iPad users can try it out using TestFlight
More free apps from Stephen Jeaco are available from: