It’s not the best – or safest – idea,experts told Metro (Picture: Getty Images)
Watching the solar eclipse today with your phone could damage not only your device but your vision,too,experts have told Metro.
Even when a big chunk of our star is obscured by the moon,otherwise called a partial solar eclipse,you should never look directly at the sun.
Stargazers need to buy special protective gear called eclipse glasses to see it,though most are sold out online and in stores.
Follow Metro’s live blog for the latest coverage of the 2026 solar eclipse
This might seem like the most obvious solution,but experts caution against it.
After all,to watch the eclipse through cameras,binoculars or telescopes,you need a special solar filter.
Director of optical practice for Boots Opticians,Kyla Black,tells Metro that eclipse chasers shouldn’t watch through their phone screens,in line with the advice issued by the College of Optometrists.
A partial solar eclipse through a science viewing box (Picture: Anadolu/Getty Images)
‘You should not watch the eclipse directly through your camera or phone camera due to the lenses not having specially designed solar filters,’ she says.
;While it’s tempting to look up and enjoy the moment,it’s important to remember that viewing a solar eclipse incorrectly can cause serious and permanent damage to your eyes.’
As did Emil Kurniawan of OCL Vision,a LASIK surgeon in London.
‘The temptation to manoeuvre yourself and your camera may then inadvertently cause you to glimpse the sun and risk permanent vision damage,’ Kurniawan says.
‘During any partial phase,that brief exposure is enough to injure the retina. The distraction of composing the perfect shot makes accidental exposure even more likely.’
Pointing either the back or front-facing phone camera at the sun for an extended period can also damage the device,says Uswitch.
@metrouk If eclipses happen every year,why do we keep calling them ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ events? Turns out,it’s all about where on Earth you are,because seeing a total solar eclipse from the same place is much rarer than you might think. #eclipse #solareclipse #spacethings #moon #science
♬ original sound – Metro
‘Point an unfiltered lens at the sun,and you risk burning out the sensor,just as looking with the naked eye risks your vision,’ the price comparison service’s mobiles expert,Jez Samuel,tells Metro.
‘A phone camera lens focuses sunlight into an intense point on the sensor behind it,and enough unfiltered exposure will kill pixels permanently. From then on,every shot carries the same dark marks.’
Getting a sun-burnt camera lens repaired can cost as much as £250.
All hope isn’t lost,though. You can still safely watch the solar eclipse using household items and a bit of arts-and-crafts know-how.
You can watch the eclipse indirectly with a DIY pinhole camera,which projects an image of the eclipse onto the ground that is safe to look at.
Also called a box projector,you just need scissors,white paper,tape,tin foil and a pin.
Cut the paper to fit the bottom of the box to act as a cardboard projector screen,using tape to hold it in place.
Cut two holes on the top of the box and stick the tin foil over one of the holes,punching a tiny hole in the foil. The other hole on the cardstock will act as the eyehole.
Face away from the eclipse and you’ll see the trickles of light stream through the pinhole,projecting the eclipse into the box.
The most inexpensive option is free – your hands.
Place one hand over the other at about a 90° angle and open your fingers slightly,forming a waffle pattern.
Sunlight will stream through them onto the ground or a hard surface,allowing you to see the moon swallowing the sun.
You can also use anything with holes to do the same thing,such as a colander or cheese grater,or even looking at the light filtered through trees.
Yet another cheap option (though maybe not as cheap as your hands) is paper.
A cross between the pinhole camera and the colander method,you just need two sheets of paper or one that you’ve torn in half.
With one sheet,poke a teeny tiny hole in it. Hold this sheet above the other,which will act as a projector screen as the eclipse light trickles through.
Your final way to see the eclipse is to catch a livestream,such as on Nasa or the Royal Museums Greenwich YouTube account.
Be careful picking a website,as scammers are creating dodgy livestream sites so they can pickpocket people’s data,NordVPN tells Metro.
The cybersecurity company’s chief technology officer,Marijus Briedis,says that during the 2024 eclipse in North America,crooks made fake SpaceX livestreams featuring a deepfake Elon Musk.
‘People should be suspicious if a supposedly free eclipse stream asks them to create an account,enter payment details,scan a QR code or download anything before they can watch,’ Briedis added.
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