To open Camera from the iPhone Lock Screen, swipe left on the Lock Screen. On iPhones with Face ID, you can also touch and hold the camera icon in the bottom-right corner. A quick tap won’t open it.
You don’t need your passcode to take a photo this way. While the phone is locked, you can see only the photos and videos you just took, not the rest of your library.
The swipe works on every recent version of iOS, including iOS 27 and iOS 26. Changing the camera icon at the bottom of the Lock Screen needs iOS 18 or later. The Action button is on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and later models, including iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e. Camera Control is on iPhone 16 and later models except iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e.
Open Camera with a swipe
- Wake your iPhone. Press the side button, tap the screen, or raise the phone. The Lock Screen appears.
- Find an empty part of the Lock Screen rather than a notification or widget.
- Swipe left across the screen. The camera preview slides in from the right.
- Frame the subject and tap the shutter button, or press a volume button to take the photo. The photo is saved to your library right away.
Camera opens in Photo mode unless you turned on Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings > Camera Mode, which keeps the last mode you used. Saving the camera mode on an iPhone covers that switch and the other choices Camera can remember.
If the rear light comes on while you record video, you can turn off the light when recording video on iPhone.
If a notification opens instead, start the swipe on an empty part of the wallpaper. Swiping up unlocks the phone, and swiping down shows notifications. If the preview only peeks in and slides back, swipe a little farther.
Apple’s Lock Screen access guide documents the available shortcuts. Its Camera basics guide also describes opening Camera and using the shutter or volume buttons.
Use the bottom camera shortcut
Touch and hold the camera icon in the bottom-right corner until Camera opens. The long press keeps it from opening by accident in a pocket or bag. iPhones with a Home button don’t have this icon, so use the swipe.
If the Camera icon is missing from the bottom corner, it was probably removed or replaced when the Lock Screen was customized. The Camera app itself is still installed. If a different icon sits in that corner, read about app icons on the iPhone Lock Screen to identify it.
To put Camera back on iOS 18 or later:
- Unlock with Face ID or Touch ID, but stay on the Lock Screen.
- Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize.
- Tap Lock Screen.
- Tap the minus button on the bottom-right control to remove it.
- Tap the plus button, choose Camera, and tap Done.
For more detail on the customization screen, read this Lock Screen wallpaper guide. The flashlight control in the bottom-left corner works the same way: touch and hold it. If that control is not working, you can get the Lock Screen flashlight back.
Other ways to open Camera quickly
| Method | What you need |
|---|---|
| Swipe left on the Lock Screen | Any iPhone. Works without unlocking. |
| Hold the bottom camera control | Camera in the bottom-right Lock Screen slot (Face ID models) |
| Tap Camera in Control Center | The Camera control added to Control Center |
| Hold the Action button | iPhone 15 Pro or later, with the button set to Camera |
| Click Camera Control | iPhone 16 or later, except iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e |
| Ask Siri to open Camera | Allow Siri When Locked turned on to use it from the Lock Screen |
Control Center
Open Control Center and tap Camera. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge.
If Control Center doesn’t open while locked, its Allow Access When Locked setting is separate from the Camera swipe. Check Control Center access too; one switch doesn’t control every Lock Screen feature. Apple’s Control Center guide covers adding and arranging controls.
Action button
If your iPhone has an Action button, open Settings > Action Button, swipe to Camera, and choose the mode it should open, such as Photo, Selfie, Video, or Portrait. Then press and hold the Action button to open Camera in that mode, even from the Lock Screen. The button can do much more than open Camera; customizing the iPhone Action button lists the other choices.
Assigning Camera replaces the button’s previous action, such as Silent mode. To switch back, return to Settings > Action Button and pick the old action. Apple documents the choices in its Action button guide, and its iPhone 17e specifications list Camera among that model’s Action button options.
Camera Control or Siri
If your iPhone has Camera Control, the flat button on the lower right side of the phone, click it once to open Camera and click again to take a photo. A light press adjusts settings once Camera is already open. If a click does nothing while the screen is dark, search Settings for Require Screen On; when that switch is on, the screen has to be awake before Camera Control opens Camera. Older models can’t add this button through a software update.
You can also say “Siri, open Camera.” This works on the Lock Screen only if Allow Siri When Locked is turned on in your Siri settings. Siri opens the camera but doesn’t take a photo, so tap the shutter when you’re ready.
What can someone see while the phone is locked?
Someone using Camera from the Lock Screen can take photos and view the ones taken in that session by tapping the thumbnail in the corner. They can’t open the rest of your photo library or switch to other apps without your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID. Once Camera closes, even the new photos are hidden until the phone is unlocked.
If Face ID already unlocked the phone before you swiped, Camera can open your full photo library. Lock the phone with the side button before you hand it to someone else.
Troubleshooting
Holding the shortcut does nothing
Try the swipe-left method. Check whether the icon is actually Camera and whether a different control was assigned to that position. If a quick tap doesn’t work, touch and hold instead.
Camera is missing everywhere
Swipe down on the Home Screen and search for Camera, or check App Library. If it is not there, Screen Time may be blocking it. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps & Features and turn Camera on. On a work or school iPhone, ask the administrator.
Camera opens, but the preview is black
Check whether the lens is covered and whether switching between available cameras changes the preview. Close and reopen Camera; if the issue persists, restart the phone and check for an iOS update. A camera shortcut cannot correct a damaged lens or a hardware fault. When the camera opens but still won’t capture anything, these fixes for an iPhone that won’t take pictures go through storage, restrictions and Apple’s diagnostics.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn off the Lock Screen camera?
Not by itself. iOS has no switch for only the swipe. You can remove the Camera icon from the bottom corner, but the swipe still works. The only way to stop it is to turn off Camera in Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps & Features, which hides the Camera app everywhere until you turn it back on.
Where do photos taken from the Lock Screen go?
They save to your Photos library like any other photo. You’ll see them in Photos after you unlock the phone.
Can I use Apple Watch or Back Tap instead?
Yes, after some setup. On Apple Watch, the Camera Remote app shows the iPhone camera view and takes the photo from your wrist, so you can control your iPhone camera from Apple Watch. Back Tap, in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, can run a shortcut that opens Camera, but only while the screen is awake.
How do I leave Camera?
On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom edge. On an iPhone with a Home button, press it. Either way you return to the Lock Screen, and any photo you took is already saved.
For the fastest route next time, practice the swipe left from the Lock Screen; it works on every iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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