In iOS 13 Apple opened the operating system to allow users to select many default apps for things like email and browsers. They don’t allow you to select your default Camera app yet.
With the updates to the Shortcuts app in iOS 14 and especially iOS 14.1 we can seamlessly make any app our default Camera App. Clicking on the Camera icon on iPhone Lock Screen or Dashboard can now open the app of your choice.
I personally prefer to use Halide but rarely opened it because the Camera App icon on the lock screen is so convenient.
Step-by-step instructions to change the default Camera App on your iPhone
Open the “Shortcuts” App
It is used to automate actions on your phone
Select “Automation”
It is at the bottom of the screen
Tap the + sign
This start the process to add a new Automation
Tap “Create Personal Automation”.
Scroll down a little and select “App”
This will allow us to trigger the automation by opening the Camera App
Choose “Camera”
This will make opening the “Camera” app the trigger to our shortcut.
Select “Add Action”
When the shortcut it activated it will trigger this actions.
Select “Scripting”
It sounds scary but we will be triggering a very simple script.
Select “Open App”
The script will be to open an alternative Camera app.
Select “Choose” and find the alternative default camera app.
I chose Halide because it gives a lot of control, but any Camera app will work.
Voila! You are done. Now when you hit any of the Camera icons your new default camera App will open up!
I personally turn off the “Ask Before Running” because I want to be a transition as smooth as possible.
But you may want to be asked before opening your default Camera App, especially if you sometimes want to shoot video in the normal iOS Camera App.