camera%2BVolumeSnap has returned to the excellent iOS photography app Camera+.

Last year, developer TapTapTap released an update to its Camera+ application with a small hack -- users could press the volume-up button to take a picture, instead of needing to press a soft-button on the screen.

This was considered an unauthorized hack and Apple banned the app until TapTapTap removed the feature. Apple then borrowed this innovation for iOS 5, and now users can press the Volume Up button to take pictures in the native iPhone camera app.

Camera+ for iPhone is available for $0.99 on the App Store [Direct Link].

Top Rated Comments

Veinticinco Avatar
171 months ago
If you can't beat them/think of it first, then block them citing DA violations regarding 'unauthorised' use of API. Then do a 180-degree U-turn once you've utilised the idea into you own OS.

Not Apple's finest hour this...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gatearray Avatar
171 months ago
And by having the publicity from Apple removing the original Easter egg from this app, the developer has made MILLIONS of dollars that she wouldn't have without said publicity.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jozero Avatar
171 months ago
Any app, if it uses the built in camera API, now inherits this feature as well.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattRK Avatar
171 months ago

Apple did not 'borrow' this. It was clearly a planned feature hence Apple blocked it.

Do you have any proof to this? How do you know that Camera+ didn't have this on their planned feature list before Apple?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tinmania Avatar
171 months ago
iRonically I had two updates earlier: one for Camera+ and the other for Camera Genius. Both had one-line blurbs about the update.

Camera+: "Volume snap is back, beyotches!"

Camera Genius:"Removal of Volume Shot as requested by Apple."


Too funny!!!!




Michael
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
171 months ago
There are good reasons not to have this: the volume switch becomes only “sometimes” volume, and the tap-trigger jiggles the camera less (since it triggers on release and has no physical click). You can say that user confusion only matters on major issues, but the great iOS experience is actually a sum of many small choices, with pro-user motivations just like this policy (when it was in effect).

There are good reasons TO have this: people asked for it! Camera+ demonstrated/encouraged that request. A click feel is, after all, familiar (and doing it via the headphone remote is actually useful at times).

Did Apple block Camera+ so they could “steal” the idea (Evil Apple as always!) or did the developer agreement ALREADY forbid the use of the hardware buttons for non-standard purposes? Hint: the latter is true.

Then Apple changed that policy, because they LISTEN to people and flexible. This is but one of a constant stream of examples of how Apple adapts and improves. They are not fairytale tyrants, they are innovators seeking the best experience for us, and making great calls, and making bad calls, and fixing them.

However, because Apple is Always Evil™, they are both evil when they do NOT change a policy, and evil when they do :p

So, since we know they’re always evil in all cases, no matter what, and facts don’t matter... lets enjoy the change in both the native app and Camera+ :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
Apple TV 4K hero 221018 feature

Here is Everything New for the Apple TV in the tvOS 18.3 Update So Far

Tuesday December 17, 2024 6:25 am PST by
Apple on Monday seeded the first tvOS 18.3 beta to developers for testing. The update will likely be released in January. So far, there are only minor changes for the Apple TV, with one new feature and a few code changes discovered. Below, we outline what is new in tvOS 18.3 so far. Robot Vacuum Support in Home App First, tvOS 18.3 will add robot vacuum support to the Home app on the...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...