On 12 August 2026, Spain will witness its first total solar eclipse in over a century. Filming it without proper protection can damage your phone's camera in minutes. Here's how to do it safely.
The Moon will completely cover the solar disc on 12 August along a band across northern and eastern Spain. It will be the first total eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula in more than 100 years; the previous one took place in 1912. The shadow cast by the Moon will enter over Galicia and cross the country from west to east, reaching Palma de Mallorca, where the Sun will finally set.
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On the mainland, the partial phase will begin at around 19:30 (peninsular time), and the moment of greatest darkness will arrive between 20:27 and 20:35, depending on the exact location. The phenomenon will end shortly before 21:30, with the Sun already very low on the horizon and, in some places, virtually set. Where it does occur, totality will last just under two minutes.
That same night also coincides with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, so anyone who stays put at their viewing spot will be in for a double treat.
Why your mobile is at genuine risk
The reason you need to be careful is not just to protect your eyes. A smartphones optics work, in a sense, like a magnifying glass: they concentrate the light entering through the lens onto a tiny surface, the camera sensor.
Pointing that lens at the Sun for several minutes without any protection can overheat the camera module and permanently burn the photodiodes that make up the sensor, leaving marks or dead pixels that cannot be recovered. It can also trigger the phones thermal protection and cause it to shut down abruptly.
There are no public statistics on how many phones have been damaged during previous eclipses, but there are known cases of users whose photodiodes were damaged, with photos showing banding or black spots.
There are some nuances: some specialists point out that a quick, isolated shot does not usually damage sensors as small as those in a phone, which are much smaller than in a professional camera, and that the risk increases when you use zoom for a long time or attach an external telephoto lens.
The more minutes the lens spends pointing at the Sun without a filter, the greater the likelihood that the sensor will fail and black spots will appear in your footage because some photodiodes burn out and stop working for good.
How to film it without putting your mobile at risk
The rule repeated in all the guides consulted is simple: as long as any part of the Sun is visible, the camera needs a solar filter, with no exceptions. The only standard endorsed by NASA and astronomy societies is ISO 12312-2:2015, the same one eclipse glasses must comply with.
You do not need to buy an expensive accessory. A low-cost option is to cut out the lens of a certified pair of eclipse glasses and place it in front of your phones camera, covering the entire optics without leaving any gaps where light could leak through.
Those looking for something more robust can opt for high-density neutral solar filters, ND100000, designed for smartphones and available for under 40 euros.
Tips for filming or photographing the eclipse with your mobile without killing it in the process
- Lock exposure and focus on the Sun before you start recording. Each phone has different camera software, but usually it is enough to tap on the Sun and hold your finger there until a small padlock icon appears.
- Activate the cameras manual or professional mode, with a low ISO, between 100 and 200, and a fast shutter speed, below 1/1000, because in automatic mode the image often comes out overexposed even with the filter in place.
- Use a tripod and the self-timer to avoid camera shake or blurred / shaky photos and videos.
- During the partial phase, a time-lapse with intervals of one or two seconds captures the progress of the eclipse better than real-time video, because the Moons movement is very slow.
- If you are within the path of totality, switch to real-time video (without protection) only during the seconds when the disc is completely covered, to record the solar corona.
- Favour optical zoom over digital zoom, which only enlarges the pixels and reduces image quality.
- Keep an eye on your phones temperature. The August heat, combined with the Sun itself, can overheat it and cause an automatic shutdown, so it is best to keep it in the shade between shots and carry a power bank.
What you must never do if you want your camera to survive the eclipse
- Do not leave your phone recording for several minutes on end pointing directly at the Sun, not even with the filter fitted.
- Do not remove the filter at any time except during the exact seconds of totality, and only if you are within the band where the eclipse will be total.
- Do not attach binoculars, telescopes or telephoto lenses to your phone without a certified solar filter.
- Do not look at the Sun through the viewfinder or lens of a camera, telescope or binoculars, even if you are wearing eclipse glasses: the concentrated rays can burn through the filter and seriously damage your sight.
- Do not leave your phone exposed to the Sun for long periods between shots.
It is also worth remembering that watching the eclipse on your phone screen poses no risk to your eyesight (but it can to your phones eyes, its camera) because you are not looking through an optical system that amplifies the light.
The danger lies in the sensor, just as it does in our eyes, not in the screen. And anyone who does not manage to get the perfect shot should not worry too much; there will be specialist photographers covering the event with the right equipment, and for most people it will be enough simply to remember the sky darkening in the middle of the afternoon.
