Take Photo - iOS | IMG.LY Docs

import IMGLYCamera
import SwiftUI

struct TakePhotoCameraSolution: View {
  @State private var isPresented = false
  @State private var capturedPhotoURLs: [URL] = []

  var body: some View {
    Button("Take a Photo") {
      isPresented = true
    }
    .fullScreenCover(isPresented: $isPresented) {
      Camera(
        .init(license: secrets.licenseKey, // pass nil for evaluation mode with watermark
              userID: "<your unique user id>"),
        config: CameraConfiguration(captureType: .photo, captureCount: .single),
      ) { result in
        switch result {
        case let .success(.capture(captures)):
          // Each photo capture carries one or more still images; hand the URLs off to your app.
          capturedPhotoURLs = captures.compactMap { capture in
            if case let .photo(photo) = capture {
              return photo.images.first?.url
            }
            return nil
          }
        case .success(.reaction):
          break
        case let .failure(error):
          print(error.localizedDescription)
        }
        isPresented = false
      }
    }
  }
}

Capture a still photo with the IMGLY Mobile Camera. Configure the camera for photo mode, present it, and receive the captured photo so your app can edit, upload, or store it.

5 mins

estimated time

GitHub

This guide uses the IMGLY Mobile Camera in photo mode. For adding the camera to your app and presenting it, see Integrate Mobile Camera; for the full set of camera options, see Mobile Camera Configuration.

Permission#

The camera requires a usage description. Add NSCameraUsageDescription to your app’s Info.plist, or the system terminates the app the first time the camera opens.

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Capture a photo to edit in the editor.</string>

The camera presents its own permission prompt the first time it runs; granting and denying access is handled for you.

Present the Camera in Photo Mode#

Present the camera from a full-screen cover, configured for still photos. Pass a CameraConfiguration with captureType: .photo to switch the camera into still-photo mode, and captureCount: .single to capture one photo per session.

Button("Take a Photo") {
  isPresented = true
}
.fullScreenCover(isPresented: $isPresented) {
  Camera(
    .init(license: secrets.licenseKey, // pass nil for evaluation mode with watermark
          userID: "<your unique user id>"),
    config: CameraConfiguration(captureType: .photo, captureCount: .single),
  ) { result in

For a multi-shot session, use captureCount: .multi — the camera keeps capturing until the user finishes. Two more photo options are available: showsPhotoPreview (set to false to skip the per-shot confirmation preview) and photoClipDuration (the duration stamped on each captured photo).

Handle the Result#

When the user finishes, the camera calls the dismiss closure with a Result. On success, a photo session returns .capture([Capture]), where each Capture.photo(Photo) wraps the captured still. A Photo exposes its file in images, so reading photo.images.first?.url gives you the captured photo’s URL to hand off to your app.

switch result {
case let .success(.capture(captures)):
  // Each photo capture carries one or more still images; hand the URLs off to your app.
  capturedPhotoURLs = captures.compactMap { capture in
    if case let .photo(photo) = capture {
      return photo.images.first?.url
    }
    return nil
  }
case .success(.reaction):
  break
case let .failure(error):
  print(error.localizedDescription)
}
isPresented = false

The returned URL points at a temporary file. To keep the photo, copy it to an app-managed location — see Access Recordings for accessing and persisting captured media.

API Reference#

Methods#

Method	Description
`Camera(_:config:mode:onDismiss:)`	Present the Mobile Camera with the given engine settings and configuration (`mode` defaults to `.standard`)
`CameraConfiguration(captureType:captureCount:)`	Configure the capture type (`.photo` / `.video`) and count (`.single` / `.multi`)

Result Types#

Type	Description
`CameraResult.capture([Capture])`	The stills and videos produced by a capture session
`Capture.photo(Photo)`	A still-photo capture; `Photo.images` holds the captured image(s), each with a file `url`

Next Steps#

Access Recordings — Access and persist the photos and videos a session produces.
Integrate Mobile Camera — Add the Mobile Camera to your app and present it.
Mobile Camera Configuration — Configure capture modes, duration limits, and appearance.