Ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse, the wide consensus is that “you’ll need to use a special solar filter to protect your camera” (via NASA) even on phones.
Most of the advice out there is in reference to large cameras. (If you want to know what that looks like, this camera rental service has a gallery of melted sensors, as well as mirror and lens iris damage from a previous solar eclipse.)
In terms of smartphone cameras and the eclipse, Marques Brownlee asked and received a more tailored response from NASA’s Photography Department earlier this week: “the phone sensor could be damaged just like any other image sensor if it’s pointed directly at the Sun.”
This is especially true if you’re using any sort of magnifying lens attachment on the phone. You would need to utilize the proper filters just like on any other camera.
The space agency’s “best practice” is to “hold a pair of eclipse glasses in front of your phone’s lenses when photographing the Sun at any point other than totality.”
However, at totality, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun, make sure to remove the filter so you can see the Sun’s outer atmosphere – the corona.
NASA
Google’s Pixel Camera team also shared tips earlier this week and also said to “pack solar filters so you can look at and take photos of the sun before totality.”
In general, solar filters (for your eyes) meet ISO 12312-2. Viewers compatible with this international safety standard “reduce visible sunlight to safe and comfortable levels but also block all but a tiny fraction of solar UV and IR radiation.”
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