Cincinnati Observatory director Dean Regas said he is hearing from many people who plan to record the eclipse on their smartphone, perhaps to post on Facebook.
RELATED: More eclipse coverage | Eclipse times in your town | Ways to view eclipse without glasses
Experts say pointing your phone at the sun for several minutes might not be the best idea.
"If you have your camera phone pointed at the sun for long periods of time, it could damage the electronics inside of it," Regas said.
RELATED: HOW TO SAFELY WATCH, PHOTOGRAPH THE ECLIPSE
NASA says it's OK to snap a few quick photos of the eclipse. Apple has said there is no issue taking photos of the sun with iPhones.
But if you are shooting the sun for more than a few seconds, NASA suggests placing a darkening filter or eclipse glasses over your phone's camera to prevent any possible sun "burn in," that could leave a white dot on future photos.
"Hold that filter in front of the camera," Regas said, "and that will help out a lot."
If you don't have any way of filtering the sun, tech blogs suggest you lower the amount of light your phone allows in.
On an iPhone, look for a picture of the sun next to the yellow focus square. With your finger, drag the sun down the screen, which will darken the picture and let less light in.
The concerns may be overblown. But when it comes to a $500 phone, Regas says better safe than sorry.
That way you don't waste your money.
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