Grid lines can help you take better photographs, providing a shortcut to good composition. And while everyone is aware of the 3x3 grid that helps photographers apply the rule of thirds, there are other grid types available. My Google Pixel boasts four options, so I tried them all out to see what impact each one had on my photos.

Enable Grid Types on Your Smartphone Camera

If you own an Android phone but don’t have any option to enable grid lines or change the grid type, you may installPixel Camera(formerly Google Camera). It’s free and can be used instead of your native camera app. Pixel Camera comes loaded with four different grid types, meaning you’ll have a small selection to choose from.

The iPhone cameraonly has one grid type available, so as an iPhone owner, all you can do by default is choose to either enable or disable the 3x3 grid lines. Otherwise, you’ll need to install an alternative camera app on your iPhone, and use that instead. We recommendProCamera, which offers several different grid types, including the golden ratio as discussed below.

Stalybridge Buffet Bar shot without gridlines

My Methodology for Testing Grid Types

As mentioned in the opening, I own a Google Pixel, which has Pixel Camera installed as the camera app. So, to test the impact that different grid types can have on your photographs, I shot three different subjects using each of the four grid types available. Which are no grid, a 3x3 grid, a 4x4 grid, and a golden ratio grid.

I tried to keep the subject as near identical as possible in all four shots, just moving my phone left, right, up, or down, changing the angle, and/or zooming in and out slightly to adhere to the grid lines. Here are the results (with the resulting photos).

A view down the canal in Stalybridge shot without grid lines

Shooting Without a Grid

Shooting without a grid is the default on most smartphone cameras, and what the manufacturers assume you’ll opt for. And it may be your preferred option if you’re an experienced photographer who knowsthe rules of compositionwell enough to not need any assistance.

There is nothing wrong with shooting without a grid overlay if that’s your preference. Even if you’re not experienced, you may prefer an unencumbered view of the subject you’re shooting, with nothing but your own instincts to guide you. In which case, disabling the grid lines completely is the correct decision.

Stalybridge Buffet Bar shot with a 3x3 grid

I found that shooting without a grid made me default to my own instincts. I would line the subject up, take a moment to consider what I was shooting, and then click the shutter button.

Shooting With a 3x3 Grid

The 3x3 grid is the standard grid type. It’s what iPhone users can use without having to install an alternative camera app, and the primary option Google offers in Pixel Camera. As the name suggests, the 3x3 grid type splits the viewfinder into three parts, horizontally and vertically, giving you nine equally-sized sections.

The 3x3 grid is popular because it aligns with the rule of thirds, a well-known and popular composition technique that many people employ. Enabling a 3x3 grid type takes all the guesswork out ofthe rule of thirds, as you can use the grid lines to line up a shot so that it complies with the rule of thirds. This is especially useful when shooting landscapes and cityscapes.

A view down the canal in Stalybridge shot with a 3x3 grid

I found shooting with a 3x3 grid very comfortable, as I’ve been considering the rule of thirds for years. While you should never feel beholden to the grid, it can help you consider the composition of a shot.

Shooting With a 4x4 Grid

The 4x4 grid is less common than the 3x3 grid and doesn’t have a golden rule of composition named after it. However, it does the exact same thing; splitting the view of your subject into four parts rather than three, both horizontally and vertically. You are, therefore, left with 16 equally-sized sections, and this segmentation can help you frame your subject.

A 4x4 grid is useful when there are lots of elements in a shot. While you’re unlikely to be able to line everything up along the eight lines that crisscross your view, they can help make sense of the subject and help you move in and around your subject until the composition is just right.

Stalybridge Buffet Bar shot with a 4x4 grid

The 4x4 grid isn’t something I have used before, but I found it quite useful for some shots. For others, where there weren’t many elements in the shot, it added too many lines and segments to worry about.

Shooting With a Golden Ratio Grid

The golden ratio grid type is the most interesting of the options I tested here, and the one you’re least likely to be familiar with. It’s based on the golden spiral or Fibonacci spiral. The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical sequence where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers.

This is turned into a spiral by turning the Fibonacci sequence into tiles, and connecting the opposite corners of the squares with circular arcs. And when you replicate the golden spiral four times (starting from the four corners), you get the golden ratio. Which, on your smartphone screen, will take the form of nine squares in a grid pattern. However, unlike the 3x3 and 4x4 grid types, the squares are not all equally-sized.

I found shooting with the golden ratio grid enabled a bit of an eye-opener, as I had never used it before. It certainly makes you consider the composition of each shot, but I wasn’t too enamored with the end results.

What I Learned by Trying Different Grid Types

Ultimately, I think grid lines are extremely helpful for smartphone photographers. They’re an easy-to-use weapon in any photographer’s arsenal, so unless you find them distracting, you may as well use them. And, unsurprisingly, the 3x3 grid is the most obvious grid type to pick, as it’s an uncomplicated way of getting good composition.

The 4x4 grid and golden ratio grid certainly have their place, but there’s a reason the rule of thirds is such a well-known and well-used technique. As iPhone and Android offer a 3x3 grid as standard (unless your Android’s manufacturer has decided to supplant Google’s camera app with its own), enabling and using the 3x3 grid type is a no-brainer.

I always have grid lines enabled on my phone, and I urge you to do the same. It’s a very easy way of focusing your mind when taking photos with your phone, turning you from a casual snapper to someone who takes their photography seriously. After all, you may only have one chance to take a photograph of a particular subject, so you’d best make an effort to get it right bytaking a moment or two before hitting the shutter button.