Have you ever missed capturing the perfect photo or video opportunity because you got hung up getting to your smartphone’s camera app in time? Your phone likely has several shortcuts built into its software and settings, although some may be less obvious. Here’s a quick guide to getting the speed you need so you don’t miss your moment.
Instant Camera
Need the camera now? With most recent iPhones running iOS 14, swipe left from the lock screen to go directly to the camera app. Pressing the camera icon in the bottom-right corner of the lock screen also opens the app. Swipe to the left to quickly bypass the iPhone’s lock screen and go right to the camera app. Instead, press the camera icon in the bottom-right corner to open the camera app. Credit…Apple
On many Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones running Android 11, you can open your default camera app by pressing the phone’s power button or Side key twice. (If not, open the Android system settings and check the Gestures options, or confirm that Samsung’s Side key settings enable the Quick Launch feature for the camera.) Check your settings if your Samsung Galaxy phone doesn’t open the camera app when you press the Side key twice. Credit…SamsungYou can also tell your phone’s assistant to open the camera for you. Android’s Google Assistant will snap the shutter or start recording on command, as will the Bixby assistant on Samsung Galaxy phones.
Get Set
Smartphones typically have one front-facing camera for self-portraits and at least one camera on the back. To switch between them, tap the circular arrow icon in the camera app or tell the voice assistant to “take a selfie.”
On recent Google Pixel models, hold the phone and twist your wrist twice to switch between the front and back cameras. Swipe up or down in the camera app to switch cameras on newer Samsung Galaxy phones.
Tap the screen to choose one on phones with multiple rear cameras (wide-angle, standard, and telephoto). Move the on-screen zoom slider to adjust the angle. Tap the screen to get to the controls for exposure and focus.
Want to jump right into video recording? With an iPhone XR or later, press and hold the camera’s shutter button to record a QuickTake video, or slide your finger to the right to lock the recording so you can still snap photos. Press and hold the shutter button to record without swiping to the Video mode on a Google Pixel and certain Samsung Galaxy phones.
From left: On an iPhone running iOS 14, hold down the shutter button to record a quick clip without swiping into video mode. Then slide your finger to the right to “lock” the recording mode and use the white shutter button to take still photos while the video is recording. Credit…Apple
In Samsung’s Single Take mode on newer Galaxy phones, tap the shutter button once and move the camera around. The phone will capture up to 10 seconds of photos and video of the scene from different angles.
