iOS 18 gives camera apps privileges when added to Lock Screen

iOS 18 comes with new features like a new customizable Home Screen and Apple Intelligence. And as we previously covered, users can even replace the flashlight and camera buttons on the Lock Screen with iOS 18. However, Apple has also made a new API that gives camera apps special privileges when added to the Lock Screen.

iOS 18 has an API for camera apps on the Lock Screen

If you install iOS 18 beta right now, you can already replace the flashlight and camera buttons with some other controls – including an option to open any app you want. This allows users to replace Apple’s Camera app with a third party, like Halide for example.

But this comes with some downsides, as Apple’s Camera app has some special privileges such as opening instantly without requiring authentication or your password. To make things right, Apple has introduced a new “LockedCameraCapture” API that provides the same privileges for third-party camera apps.

In a WWDC 2024 session, the company explained how the new API works. Essentially, developers can create an extension to their camera app that runs directly from the Lock Screen when the user replaces the Camera app shortcut with it.

To ensure that users have the best experience and can instantly capture photos and videos, this extension must show the camera view immediately after the user interacts with it. That means no welcome screens or anything like that. These extensions also don’t require Face ID or Touch ID authentication, just like Apple’s Camera app.

In order to protect user data, these extensions will not show the user’s photo library without authentication. Camera extensions for the Lock Screen also cannot interact with the network and access other parts of the system because of that. And since these extensions are integrated with the new Controls API, they also work through the Control Center.

Rumored Capture button on iPhone 16 Pro

Interestingly, Apple says that camera extensions for the iPhone Lock Screen must support all system interactions with hardware buttons – such as using the volume buttons to take photos. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a new Capture button dedicated to the camera, so perhaps users will also be able to open their favorite camera app using the new button.

This is certainly a big step forward in making iOS more customizable and more open to third-party apps. But of course, this will require developers to update their apps with the new API – which probably won’t happen before September, when iOS 18 is expected to be released to the public.

For now, iOS 18 is only available as a developer preview, while a public beta will be released next month.