Now you can access the Snapchat camera directly from your iPhone's lock screen.

Starting this week, iPhone users will be able to enjoy a new, more efficient way to take photos on Snapchat, especially useful in moments of haste. Devices operating on iOS 18 or later will have the option to replace the shortcuts for the flashlight or the native camera on the lock screen with shortcuts to the Snapchat camera. This feature will allow users to launch the Snapchat camera directly from the locked screen with just a single tap, making it easier to capture fleeting moments.

By using these new controls, iPhones will be able to start the camera and take photos in a mode referred to as "Camera Only" while locked. However, to send or edit the captured images, it will be necessary to unlock the device. To adjust this setting, users must press and hold the Lock Screen, select Customize, and then choose Lock Screen to replace one of the default options. This adds to other possibilities, such as adding a Snapchat widget to the lock screen or home screen, customizing the action button on iPhone 15/16 to open Snapchat directly, or customizing the new Camera Control on the iPhone 16 for accessing Snapchat.

This update resembles the "Quick tap to Snap" feature that Google introduced with the launch of the Pixel 6 a few years ago. The innovation was presented during Apple's WWDC conference in June. Additionally, since the launch of iOS 18 in September, other alternative camera applications like Halide have begun to incorporate support for this customization capability on iPhone. While lock screen customization was generally launched with iOS 18, each developer must implement their own support for specific widgets like the shortcuts to the Snapchat camera.