Photos, Camera & Media

Modern patterns for photo picking, camera capture, image loading, and media permissions targeting iOS 26+ with Swift 6.2. Patterns are backward-compatible to iOS 16 unless noted.

See references/photospicker-patterns.md for complete picker recipes and references/camera-capture.md for AVCaptureSession patterns.

PhotosPicker (SwiftUI, iOS 16+)

PhotosPicker is the native SwiftUI replacement for UIImagePickerController. It runs out-of-process, requires no photo library permission for browsing, and supports single or multi-selection with media type filtering.

Single Selection

import SwiftUI
import PhotosUI

struct SinglePhotoPicker: View {
    @State private var selectedItem: PhotosPickerItem?
    @State private var selectedImage: Image?

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            if let selectedImage {
                selectedImage
                    .resizable()
                    .scaledToFit()
                    .frame(maxHeight: 300)
            }

            PhotosPicker("Select Photo", selection: $selectedItem, matching: .images)
        }
        .onChange(of: selectedItem) { _, newItem in
            Task {
                if let data = try? await newItem?.loadTransferable(type: Data.self),
                   let uiImage = UIImage(data: data) {
                    selectedImage = Image(uiImage: uiImage)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Multi-Selection

struct MultiPhotoPicker: View {
    @State private var selectedItems: [PhotosPickerItem] = []
    @State private var selectedImages: [Image] = []

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            ScrollView(.horizontal) {
                HStack {
                    ForEach(selectedImages.indices, id: \.self) { index in
                        selectedImages[index]
                            .resizable()
                            .scaledToFill()
                            .frame(width: 100, height: 100)
                            .clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 8))
                    }
                }
            }

            PhotosPicker(
                "Select Photos",
                selection: $selectedItems,
                maxSelectionCount: 5,
                matching: .images
            )
        }
        .onChange(of: selectedItems) { _, newItems in
            Task {
                selectedImages = []
                for item in newItems {
                    if let data = try? await item.loadTransferable(type: Data.self),
                       let uiImage = UIImage(data: data) {
                        selectedImages.append(Image(uiImage: uiImage))
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Media Type Filtering

Filter with PHPickerFilter composites to restrict selectable media:

// Images only
PhotosPicker(selection: $items, matching: .images)

// Videos only
PhotosPicker(selection: $items, matching: .videos)

// Live Photos only
PhotosPicker(selection: $items, matching: .livePhotos)

// Screenshots only
PhotosPicker(selection: $items, matching: .screenshots)

// Images and videos combined
PhotosPicker(selection: $items, matching: .any(of: [.images, .videos]))

// Images excluding screenshots
PhotosPicker(selection: $items, matching: .all(of: [.images, .not(.screenshots)]))

Loading Selected Items with Transferable

PhotosPickerItem loads content asynchronously via loadTransferable(type:). Define a Transferable type for automatic decoding:

struct PickedImage: Transferable {
    let data: Data
    let image: Image

    static var transferRepresentation: some TransferRepresentation {
        DataRepresentation(importedContentType: .image) { data in
            guard let uiImage = UIImage(data: data) else {
                throw TransferError.importFailed
            }
            return PickedImage(data: data, image: Image(uiImage: uiImage))
        }
    }
}

enum TransferError: Error {
    case importFailed
}

// Usage
if let picked = try? await item.loadTransferable(type: PickedImage.self) {
    selectedImage = picked.image
}

Always load in a Task to avoid blocking the main thread. Handle nil returns and thrown errors -- the user may select a format that cannot be decoded.

Privacy and Permissions

Photo Library Access Levels

iOS provides two access levels for the photo library. The system automatically presents the limited-library picker when an app requests .readWrite access -- users choose which photos to share.

Access Level	Description	Info.plist Key
Add-only	Write photos to the library without reading	NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription
Read-write	Full or limited read access plus write	NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription

PhotosPicker requires no permission to browse -- it runs out-of-process and only grants access to selected items. Request explicit permission only when you need to read the full library (e.g., a custom gallery) or save photos.

Checking and Requesting Photo Library Permission

import Photos

func requestPhotoLibraryAccess() async -> PHAuthorizationStatus {
    let status = PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite)

    switch status {
    case .notDetermined:
        return await PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization(for: .readWrite)
    case .authorized, .limited:
        return status
    case .denied, .restricted:
        return status
    @unknown default:
        return status
    }
}

Camera Permission

Add NSCameraUsageDescription to Info.plist. Check and request access before configuring a capture session:

import AVFoundation

func requestCameraAccess() async -> Bool {
    let status = AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .video)

    switch status {
    case .notDetermined:
        return await AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .video)
    case .authorized:
        return true
    case .denied, .restricted:
        return false
    @unknown default:
        return false
    }
}

Handling Denied Permissions

When the user denies access, guide them to Settings. Never repeatedly prompt or hide functionality silently.

struct PermissionDeniedView: View {
    let message: String

    var body: some View {
        ContentUnavailableView {
            Label("Access Denied", systemImage: "lock.shield")
        } description: {
            Text(message)
        } actions: {
            Button("Open Settings") {
                if let url = URL(string: UIApplication.openSettingsURLString) {
                    UIApplication.shared.open(url)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Required Info.plist Keys

Key	When Required
NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription	Reading photos from the library
NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription	Saving photos/videos to the library
NSCameraUsageDescription	Accessing the camera
NSMicrophoneUsageDescription	Recording audio (video with sound)

Omitting a required key causes a runtime crash when the permission dialog would appear.

Camera Capture Basics

Manage camera sessions in a dedicated @Observable model. The representable view only displays the preview. See references/camera-capture.md for complete patterns.

Minimal Camera Manager

import AVFoundation

@available(iOS 17.0, *)
@Observable
@MainActor
final class CameraManager {
    let session = AVCaptureSession()
    private let photoOutput = AVCapturePhotoOutput()
    private var currentDevice: AVCaptureDevice?

    var isRunning = false
    var capturedImage: Data?

    func configure() async {
        guard await requestCameraAccess() else { return }

        session.beginConfiguration()
        session.sessionPreset = .photo

        // Add camera input
        guard let device = AVCaptureDevice.default(.builtInWideAngleCamera,
                                                    for: .video,
                                                    position: .back) else { return }
        currentDevice = device

        guard let input = try? AVCaptureDeviceInput(device: device),
              session.canAddInput(input) else { return }
        session.addInput(input)

        // Add photo output
        guard session.canAddOutput(photoOutput) else { return }
        session.addOutput(photoOutput)

        session.commitConfiguration()
    }

    func start() {
        guard !session.isRunning else { return }
        Task.detached { [session] in
            session.startRunning()
        }
        isRunning = true
    }

    func stop() {
        guard session.isRunning else { return }
        Task.detached { [session] in
            session.stopRunning()
        }
        isRunning = false
    }

    private func requestCameraAccess() async -> Bool {
        let status = AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .video)
        if status == .notDetermined {
            return await AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .video)
        }
        return status == .authorized
    }
}

Start and stop AVCaptureSession on a background queue. The startRunning() and stopRunning() methods are synchronous and block the calling thread.

Camera Preview in SwiftUI

Wrap AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer in a UIViewRepresentable. Override layerClass for automatic resizing:

import SwiftUI
import AVFoundation

struct CameraPreview: UIViewRepresentable {
    let session: AVCaptureSession

    func makeUIView(context: Context) -> PreviewView {
        let view = PreviewView()
        view.previewLayer.session = session
        view.previewLayer.videoGravity = .resizeAspectFill
        return view
    }

    func updateUIView(_ uiView: PreviewView, context: Context) {
        if uiView.previewLayer.session !== session {
            uiView.previewLayer.session = session
        }
    }
}

final class PreviewView: UIView {
    override class var layerClass: AnyClass { AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer.self }
    var previewLayer: AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer { layer as! AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer }
}

Using the Camera in a View

struct CameraScreen: View {
    @State private var cameraManager = CameraManager()

    var body: some View {
        ZStack(alignment: .bottom) {
            CameraPreview(session: cameraManager.session)
                .ignoresSafeArea()

            Button {
                // Capture photo -- see references/camera-capture.md
            } label: {
                Circle()
                    .fill(.white)
                    .frame(width: 72, height: 72)
                    .overlay(Circle().stroke(.gray, lineWidth: 3))
            }
            .padding(.bottom, 32)
        }
        .task {
            await cameraManager.configure()
            cameraManager.start()
        }
        .onDisappear {
            cameraManager.stop()
        }
    }
}

Always call stop() in onDisappear. A running capture session holds the camera exclusively and drains battery.

Image Loading and Display

AsyncImage for Remote Images

AsyncImage(url: imageURL) { phase in
    switch phase {
    case .empty:
        ProgressView()
    case .success(let image):
        image
            .resizable()
            .scaledToFill()
    case .failure:
        Image(systemName: "photo")
            .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
    @unknown default:
        EmptyView()
    }
}
.frame(width: 200, height: 200)
.clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 12))

AsyncImage does not cache images across view redraws. For production apps with many images, use a dedicated image loading library or implement URLCache-based caching.

Downsampling Large Images

Load full-resolution photos from the library into a display-sized CGImage to avoid memory spikes. A 48MP photo can consume over 200 MB uncompressed.

import ImageIO
import UIKit

func downsample(data: Data, to pointSize: CGSize, scale: CGFloat = UIScreen.main.scale) -> UIImage? {
    let maxDimensionInPixels = max(pointSize.width, pointSize.height) * scale

    let options: [CFString: Any] = [
        kCGImageSourceCreateThumbnailFromImageAlways: true,
        kCGImageSourceShouldCacheImmediately: true,
        kCGImageSourceCreateThumbnailWithTransform: true,
        kCGImageSourceThumbnailMaxPixelSize: maxDimensionInPixels
    ]

    guard let source = CGImageSourceCreateWithData(data as CFData, nil),
          let cgImage = CGImageSourceCreateThumbnailAtIndex(source, 0, options as CFDictionary) else {
        return nil
    }

    return UIImage(cgImage: cgImage)
}

Use this whenever displaying user-selected photos in lists, grids, or thumbnails. Pass the raw Data from PhotosPickerItem directly to the downsampler before creating a UIImage.

Image Rendering Modes

// Original: display the image as-is with its original colors
Image("photo")
    .renderingMode(.original)

// Template: treat the image as a mask, colored by foregroundStyle
Image(systemName: "heart.fill")
    .renderingMode(.template)
    .foregroundStyle(.red)

Use .original for photos and artwork. Use .template for icons that should adopt the current tint color.

Common Mistakes

DON'T: Use UIImagePickerController for photo picking. DO: Use PhotosPicker (SwiftUI) or PHPickerViewController (UIKit). Why: UIImagePickerController is legacy API with limited functionality. PhotosPicker runs out-of-process, supports multi-selection, and requires no library permission for browsing.

DON'T: Request full photo library access when you only need the user to pick photos. DO: Use PhotosPicker which requires no permission, or request .readWrite and let the system handle limited access. Why: Full access is unnecessary for most pick-and-use workflows. The system's limited-library picker respects user privacy and still grants access to selected items.

DON'T: Load full-resolution images into memory for thumbnails. DO: Use CGImageSource with kCGImageSourceThumbnailMaxPixelSize to downsample. Why: A 48MP image occupies over 200 MB uncompressed. Loading multiple at full resolution causes memory pressure warnings and termination.

DON'T: Block the main thread loading PhotosPickerItem data. DO: Use async loadTransferable(type:) in a Task. Why: Photo data loading involves disk I/O and potential format conversion. Blocking the main thread causes UI hangs and watchdog kills.

DON'T: Forget to stop AVCaptureSession when the view disappears. DO: Call session.stopRunning() in onDisappear or dismantleUIView. Why: A running session holds the camera exclusively, preventing other apps from using it, and drains battery continuously.

DON'T: Assume camera access is granted without checking. DO: Check AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .video) and handle .denied and .restricted with appropriate UI. Why: Attempting to add a camera input without authorization silently fails. The user sees a blank preview with no explanation.

DON'T: Call session.startRunning() on the main thread. DO: Dispatch to a background thread with Task.detached or a dedicated serial queue. Why: startRunning() is a synchronous blocking call that can take hundreds of milliseconds while the hardware initializes.

DON'T: Create AVCaptureSession inside a UIViewRepresentable. DO: Own the session in a separate @Observable model and pass it to the representable. Why: updateUIView runs on every state change. Creating a session there destroys and recreates the capture pipeline repeatedly.

Review Checklist

• PhotosPicker used instead of deprecated UIImagePickerController
• Privacy description strings set in Info.plist for camera and/or photo library
• Loading states handled for async image/video loading from PhotosPickerItem
• Large images downsampled with CGImageSource before display
• Camera session properly started on background thread and stopped in onDisappear
• Permission denial handled with Settings deep link and ContentUnavailableView
• Memory pressure considered for multi-photo selection (sequential loading, downsampling)
• AVCaptureSession owned by a model, not created inside UIViewRepresentable
• Camera preview uses layerClass override for automatic resizing
• NSMicrophoneUsageDescription included if recording video with audio
• Media asset types and picker results are Sendable when passed across concurrency boundaries

References

• references/photospicker-patterns.md — Picker patterns, media loading, thumbnail generation, HEIC handling.
• references/camera-capture.md — AVCaptureSession setup, photo/video capture, QR scanning, orientation.
• apple-docs MCP: /documentation/PhotosUI/PhotosPicker, /documentation/AVFoundation/AVCaptureSession