Camera and photo library in iOS Swift

Introduction

Using the camera and photo library lets users take pictures or pick photos from their device. This makes apps more interactive and personal.

When you want users to take a new photo inside your app, like for a profile picture.

When you want users to select an existing photo from their gallery.

When building a social app that shares photos.

When creating a document scanner app that uses the camera.

When allowing users to customize content with their own images.

Syntax

iOS Swift

import UIKit

class ViewController: UIViewController, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate {
  func openCamera() {
    guard UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(.camera) else { return }
    let picker = UIImagePickerController()
    picker.sourceType = .camera
    picker.delegate = self
    present(picker, animated: true)
  }

  func openPhotoLibrary() {
    let picker = UIImagePickerController()
    picker.sourceType = .photoLibrary
    picker.delegate = self
    present(picker, animated: true)
  }

  func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [UIImagePickerController.InfoKey : Any]) {
    if let image = info[.originalImage] as? UIImage {
      // use the selected image
    }
    picker.dismiss(animated: true)
  }
}

Use UIImagePickerController to access camera or photo library.

Set sourceType to .camera or .photoLibrary depending on what you want.

Examples

This opens the camera for the user to take a new photo.

iOS Swift

let picker = UIImagePickerController()
picker.sourceType = .camera
present(picker, animated: true)

This opens the photo library so the user can pick an existing photo.

iOS Swift

let picker = UIImagePickerController()
picker.sourceType = .photoLibrary
present(picker, animated: true)

Sample App

This app shows two buttons: one to open the camera and one to open the photo library. When the user picks or takes a photo, it appears on the screen.

iOS Swift

import UIKit

class ViewController: UIViewController, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate {
  let imageView = UIImageView()
  let cameraButton = UIButton(type: .system)
  let libraryButton = UIButton(type: .system)

  override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    view.backgroundColor = .white

    imageView.frame = CGRect(x: 50, y: 100, width: 300, height: 300)
    imageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFit
    view.addSubview(imageView)

    cameraButton.frame = CGRect(x: 50, y: 420, width: 140, height: 50)
    cameraButton.setTitle("Open Camera", for: .normal)
    cameraButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(openCamera), for: .touchUpInside)
    view.addSubview(cameraButton)

    libraryButton.frame = CGRect(x: 210, y: 420, width: 140, height: 50)
    libraryButton.setTitle("Open Library", for: .normal)
    libraryButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(openPhotoLibrary), for: .touchUpInside)
    view.addSubview(libraryButton)
  }

  @objc func openCamera() {
    guard UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(.camera) else { return }
    let picker = UIImagePickerController()
    picker.sourceType = .camera
    picker.delegate = self
    present(picker, animated: true)
  }

  @objc func openPhotoLibrary() {
    let picker = UIImagePickerController()
    picker.sourceType = .photoLibrary
    picker.delegate = self
    present(picker, animated: true)
  }

  func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [UIImagePickerController.InfoKey : Any]) {
    if let image = info[.originalImage] as? UIImage {
      imageView.image = image
    }
    picker.dismiss(animated: true)
  }

  func imagePickerControllerDidCancel(_ picker: UIImagePickerController) {
    picker.dismiss(animated: true)
  }
}

Important Notes

Always check if the camera is available before opening it to avoid crashes.

Remember to add usage descriptions in your app's Info.plist for camera and photo library access.

Handle user denial of permissions gracefully.

Summary

Use UIImagePickerController to let users take or pick photos.

Set sourceType to .camera or .photoLibrary accordingly.

Implement delegate methods to get the selected or taken image.