Getting to Snapseed's camera may soon stop feeling like a side quest

Following its major redesign earlier this year, Google has been working to add several features to Snapseed’s Android app. Along with support for editing RAW images with LUTs, improved collage-making features, and something like Google Photos’ Magic Eraser, Snapseed’s built-in camera is also in line for several upgrades. From basic features like grid lines to advanced ones like focus peeking, Snapseed’s camera has either received these features or should get them soon.

But one challenge remains, and that is launching the Snapseed camera directly. Right now, you either have to first open the app and then launch the camera, or tap and hold the app icon to choose the camera from app actions. Now, Google may add a few more convenient ways to launch the camera without these extra steps, so you don’t have to watch the moment drift away in front of your eyes while you fiddle with the camera.

Google is now working on several new ways to launch Snapseed’s camera more quickly. In addition to the two ways listed above, you can also press and hold the Snapseed icon, and then drag the camera option to create a new icon. Along with these, Google now appears to be preparing to add more ways and should soon inform users of these options as well.

While digging through version 4.1.12.1004170939 of the Snapseed app on Android, we discovered some references to these new methods. Information about them was hidden under the Help section, but we were able to activate these menus by tweaking the app package.

The new ways to launch Snapseed camera are classified into two categories: Physical controls and “Widgets & shortcuts.” The first option includes ways to launch the camera using the power button. Certain Android devices, such as those from Samsung, let you launch apps by double-pressing the power button. The action is currently set to the default Camera on Samsung phones, but you can reassign it to any app. And with Snapseed’s support, you should also be able to launch its camera using the same action.

For the software bits, you can already add the Snapseed camera shortcut to your phone’s home screen using the steps mentioned above (and demonstrated in the screenshot below). Along with that, Google may soon introduce a Quick Settings tile to launch the camera directly or even let you add it as a shortcut on the lock screen, just like you can with the built-in Camera app.

These options should allow you to launch the Snapseed camera directly, even from the lock screen. It’s difficult to say how long Google might take to implement these features, though we sure hope it’s soon.