iPhone users with iOS 18 and later can now replace the flashlight or native camera lock screen shortcut with the Snapchat camera. Once a picture is taken or video is recorded with the shortcut, users will have to unlock their phone before sharing.
Snapchat says more than 55,000 Snaps are created every second on average, and that through this integration, the app is making it easier to capture a moment as it happens.
To set up the integration, you need to tap and hold your iPhone’s lock screen and then select the “Customize” option and tap “Lock Screen.” From there, you tap on the controls at the bottom of your screen to remove the default options, before tapping the “plus” option to select the Snapchat Camera.
The company also revealed that you can customize the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button to open Snapchat and click it to capture moments quickly.
The changes announced today are Snapchat’s latest use of new iPhone features. For instance, the company launched customizable lock screen and home screen widgets with iOS 16, and the option to customize the Action button to instantly launch the Snapchat app with the iPhone 15.
In addition, Snapchat officially announced the launch of its new “Footsteps” feature, after quietly rolling it out a few weeks ago. The new feature, which was previously only available to Snapchat+ subscribers, uses Snap Map to let you see how much of the world you’ve explored and track where you’ve traveled.
Snapchat is also introducing more stickers and halloween-themed AI lenses.
Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.
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