Expo ImagePickerA library that provides access to the system's UI for selecting images and videos from the phone's library or taking a photo with the camera.
expo-image-picker provides access to the system's UI for selecting images and videos from the phone's library or taking a photo with the camera.
Installation
- npx expo install expo-image-pickerIf you are installing this in an existing React Native app, make sure to install expo in your project.
Known issues iOS
On iOS, when an image (usually of a higher resolution) is picked from the camera roll, the result of the cropped image gives the wrong value for the cropped rectangle in some cases. Unfortunately, this issue is with the underlying UIImagePickerController due to a bug in the closed-source tools built into iOS.
Configuration in app config
You can configure expo-image-picker using its built-in config plugin if you use config plugins in your project (EAS Build or npx expo run:[android|ios]). The plugin allows you to configure various properties that cannot be set at runtime and require building a new app binary to take effect.
Example app.json with config plugin
{
"expo": {
"plugins": [
[
"expo-image-picker",
{
"photosPermission": "The app accesses your photos to let you share them with your friends."
}
]
]
}
}
Configurable properties
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
photosPermission | "Allow $(PRODUCT_NAME) to access your photos" | Only for: iOS A string to set the |
cameraPermission | "Allow $(PRODUCT_NAME) to access your camera" | Only for: iOS A string to set the |
microphonePermission | "Allow $(PRODUCT_NAME) to access your microphone" | Only for: iOS A string to set the |
Are you using this library in an existing React Native app?
If you're not using Continuous Native Generation (CNG) or you're using a native ios project manually, then you need to add NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription, NSCameraUsageDescription, and NSMicrophoneUsageDescription keys to your ios/[app]/Info.plist:
<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>Give $(PRODUCT_NAME) permission to save photos</string>
<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Give $(PRODUCT_NAME) permission to access your camera</string>
<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>Give $(PRODUCT_NAME) permission to use your microphone</string>
Usage
import { useState } from 'react';
import { Button, Image, View, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
import * as ImagePicker from 'expo-image-picker';
export default function ImagePickerExample() {
const [image, setImage] = useState<string | null>(null);
const pickImage = async () => {
// No permissions request is necessary for launching the image library
let result = await ImagePicker.launchImageLibraryAsync({
mediaTypes: ['images', 'videos'],
allowsEditing: true,
aspect: [4, 3],
quality: 1,
});
console.log(result);
if (!result.canceled) {
setImage(result.assets[0].uri);
}
};
return (
<View style={styles.container}>
<Button title="Pick an image from camera roll" onPress={pickImage} />
{image && <Image source={{ uri: image }} style={styles.image} />}
</View>
);
}
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
container: {
flex: 1,
alignItems: 'center',
justifyContent: 'center',
},
image: {
width: 200,
height: 200,
},
});
When you run this example and pick an image, you will see the image that you picked show up in your app, and a similar log will be shown in the console:
{
"assets": [
{
"assetId": "C166F9F5-B5FE-4501-9531",
"base64": null,
"duration": null,
"exif": null,
"fileName": "IMG.HEIC",
"fileSize": 6018901,
"height": 3025,
"type": "image",
"uri": "file:///data/user/0/host.exp.exponent/cache/cropped1814158652.jpg"
"width": 3024
}
],
"canceled": false
}
With AWS S3
An example of how to use AWS storage can be found in with-aws-storage-upload.
See Amplify documentation guide to set up your project correctly.
With Firebase
An example of how to use Firebase storage can be found in with-firebase-storage-upload.
See Using Firebase guide to set up your project correctly.
API
import * as ImagePicker from 'expo-image-picker';
Hooks
| Parameter | Type |
|---|---|
| options(optional) | PermissionHookOptions<object> |
Check or request permissions to access the camera.
This uses both requestCameraPermissionsAsync and getCameraPermissionsAsync to interact with the permissions.
[null | PermissionResponse, RequestPermissionMethod<PermissionResponse>, GetPermissionMethod<PermissionResponse>]Example
const [status, requestPermission] = ImagePicker.useCameraPermissions();
| Parameter | Type |
|---|---|
| options(optional) | PermissionHookOptions<{
writeOnly: boolean
}> |
Check or request permissions to access the media library.
This uses both requestMediaLibraryPermissionsAsync and getMediaLibraryPermissionsAsync to interact with the permissions.
[null | MediaLibraryPermissionResponse, RequestPermissionMethod<MediaLibraryPermissionResponse>, GetPermissionMethod<MediaLibraryPermissionResponse>]Example
const [status, requestPermission] = ImagePicker.useMediaLibraryPermissions();
Methods
Checks user's permissions for accessing camera.
Promise<CameraPermissionResponse>A promise that fulfills with an object of type CameraPermissionResponse.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| writeOnly(optional) | boolean | Whether to request write or read and write permissions. Defaults to Default: false |
Checks user's permissions for accessing photos.
Promise<MediaLibraryPermissionResponse>A promise that fulfills with an object of type MediaLibraryPermissionResponse.
Android system sometimes kills the MainActivity after the ImagePicker finishes. When this
happens, we lose the data selected using the ImagePicker. However, you can retrieve the lost
data by calling getPendingResultAsync. You can test this functionality by turning on
Don't keep activities in the developer options.
Promise<ImagePickerResult | ImagePickerErrorResult | null>- On Android: a promise that resolves to an object of exactly same type as in
ImagePicker.launchImageLibraryAsyncorImagePicker.launchCameraAsyncif theImagePickerfinished successfully. Otherwise, an object of typeImagePickerErrorResult. - On other platforms:
null
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| options(optional) | ImagePickerOptions | An Default: {} |
Display the system UI for taking a photo with the camera. Requires Permissions.CAMERA.
On Android and iOS 10 Permissions.CAMERA_ROLL is also required. On mobile web, this must be
called immediately in a user interaction like a button press, otherwise the browser will block
the request without a warning.
Note: Make sure that you handle
MainActivitydestruction on Android. See ImagePicker.getPendingResultAsync. Notes for Web: The system UI can only be shown after user activation (e.g. aButtonpress). Therefore, callinglaunchCameraAsyncincomponentDidMount, for example, will not work as intended. Thecancelledevent will not be returned in the browser due to platform restrictions and inconsistencies across browsers.
Promise<ImagePickerResult>A promise that resolves to an object with canceled and assets fields.
When the user canceled the action the assets is always null, otherwise it's an array of
the selected media assets which have a form of ImagePickerAsset.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| options(optional) | ImagePickerOptions | An object extended by Default: {} |
Display the system UI for choosing an image or a video from the phone's library.
Requires Permissions.MEDIA_LIBRARY on iOS 10 only. On mobile web, this must be called
immediately in a user interaction like a button press, otherwise the browser will block the
request without a warning.
Animated GIFs support: On Android, if the selected image is an animated GIF, the result image will be an
animated GIF too if and only if quality is explicitly set to 1.0 and allowsEditing is set to false.
Otherwise compression and/or cropper will pick the first frame of the GIF and return it as the
result (on Android the result will be a PNG). On iOS, both quality and cropping are supported.
Notes for Web: The system UI can only be shown after user activation (e.g. a
Buttonpress). Therefore, callinglaunchImageLibraryAsyncincomponentDidMount, for example, will not work as intended. Thecancelledevent will not be returned in the browser due to platform restrictions and inconsistencies across browsers.
Promise<ImagePickerResult>A promise that resolves to an object with canceled and assets fields.
When the user canceled the action the assets is always null, otherwise it's an array of
the selected media assets which have a form of ImagePickerAsset.
Asks the user to grant permissions for accessing camera. This does nothing on web because the browser camera is not used.
Promise<CameraPermissionResponse>A promise that fulfills with an object of type CameraPermissionResponse.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| writeOnly(optional) | boolean | Whether to request write or read and write permissions. Defaults to Default: false |
Asks the user to grant permissions for accessing user's photo. This method does nothing on web.
Promise<MediaLibraryPermissionResponse>A promise that fulfills with an object of type MediaLibraryPermissionResponse.
Types
Type: PermissionResponse
Alias for PermissionResponse type exported by expo-modules-core.
Literal Type: string
The default tab with which the image picker will be opened.
'photos'- the photos/videos tab will be opened.'albums'- the albums tab will be opened.
Acceptable values are: 'photos' | 'albums'
Represents an asset (image or video) returned by the image picker or camera.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| assetId(optional) | string | null | Only for: Android iOS The unique ID that represents the picked image or video, if picked from the library. It can be used by expo-media-library to manage the picked asset.
|
| base64(optional) | string | null | When the |
| duration(optional) | number | null | Length of the video in milliseconds or |
| exif(optional) | Record<string, any> | null | Only for: Android iOS The |
| file(optional) | File | Only for: Web The web |
| fileName(optional) | string | null | Preferred filename to use when saving this item. This might be |
| fileSize(optional) | number | File size of the picked image or video, in bytes. |
| height | number | Height of the image or video. |
| mimeType(optional) | string | The MIME type of the selected asset or |
| pairedVideoAsset(optional) | ImagePickerAsset | null | Only for: iOS Contains information about the video paired with the image file. This property is only set when |
| type(optional) | 'image' | 'video' | 'livePhoto' | 'pairedVideo' | The type of the asset.
|
| uri | string | URI to the local image or video file (usable as the source of an |
| width | number | Width of the image or video. |
Type representing canceled pick result.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| assets | null |
|
| canceled | true | Boolean flag set to |
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| code | string | The error code. |
| exception(optional) | string | The exception which caused the error. |
| message | string | The error message. |
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| allowsEditing(optional) | boolean | Only for: Android iOS Whether to show a UI to edit the image after it is picked. On Android the user can crop and rotate the image and on iOS simply crop it.
Default: false |
| allowsMultipleSelection(optional) | boolean | Only for: Android iOS 14+ Web Whether or not to allow selecting multiple media files at once.
Default: false |
| aspect(optional) | [number, number] | An array with two entries |
| base64(optional) | boolean | Whether to also include the image data in Base64 format. |
| cameraType(optional) | CameraType | Selects the camera-facing type. The
Default: CameraType.back |
| defaultTab(optional) | DefaultTab | Only for: Android Choose the default tab with which the image picker will be opened. Default: 'photos' |
| exif(optional) | boolean | Only for: Android iOS Whether to also include the EXIF data for the image. On iOS the EXIF data does not include GPS tags in the camera case. |
| legacy(optional) | boolean | Only for: Android Uses the legacy image picker on Android. This will allow media to be selected from outside the users photo library. Default: false |
| mediaTypes(optional) | MediaType | MediaType[] | MediaTypeOptions | Choose what type of media to pick. Default: 'images' |
| orderedSelection(optional) | boolean | Only for: iOS 15+ Whether to display number badges when assets are selected. The badges are numbered in selection order. Assets are then returned in the exact same order they were selected.
Default: false |
| preferredAssetRepresentationMode(optional) | UIImagePickerPreferredAssetRepresentationMode | Only for: iOS 14+ Choose preferred asset representation mode to use when loading assets. Default: ImagePicker.UIImagePickerPreferredAssetRepresentationMode.Automatic |
| presentationStyle(optional) | UIImagePickerPresentationStyle | Only for: iOS Choose presentation style to customize view during taking photo/video. Default: ImagePicker.UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.Automatic |
| quality(optional) | number | Only for: Android iOS Specify the quality of compression, from
Default: 1.0 |
| selectionLimit(optional) | number | Only for: Android iOS 14+ The maximum number of items that user can select. Applicable when Default: 0 |
| videoExportPreset(optional) | VideoExportPreset |
iOS 11+ Specify preset which will be used to compress selected video. Default: ImagePicker.VideoExportPreset.Passthrough |
| videoMaxDuration(optional) | number | Maximum duration, in seconds, for video recording. Setting this to
|
| videoQuality(optional) | UIImagePickerControllerQualityType | Only for: iOS Specify the quality of recorded videos. Defaults to the highest quality available for the device. Default: ImagePicker.UIImagePickerControllerQualityType.High |
Literal Type: union
Type representing successful and canceled pick result.
Acceptable values are: ImagePickerSuccessResult | ImagePickerCanceledResult
Type representing successful pick result.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| assets | ImagePickerAsset[] | An array of picked assets. |
| canceled | false | Boolean flag set to |
Extends PermissionResponse type exported by expo-modules-core, containing additional iOS-specific field.
Type: PermissionResponse extended by:
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| accessPrivileges(optional) | 'all' | 'limited' | 'none' | Indicates if your app has access to the whole or only part of the photo library. Possible values are:
|
Literal Type: string
Media types that can be picked by the image picker.
'images'- for images.'videos'- for videos.'livePhotos'- for live photos (iOS only).
When the
livePhotostype is added to the media types array and a live photo is selected, the resultingImagePickerAssetwill contain an unaltered image and thepairedVideoAssetfield will contain a video asset paired with the image. This option will be ignored when theallowsEditingoption is enabled. Due to platform limitations live photos are returned at original quality, regardless of thequalityoption.
When on Android or Web
livePhotostype passed as a media type will be ignored.
Acceptable values are: 'images' | 'videos' | 'livePhotos'
Literal Type: union
Permission expiration time. Currently, all permissions are granted permanently.
Acceptable values are: 'never' | number
Literal Type: union
Acceptable values are: PermissionHookBehavior | Options
An object obtained by permissions get and request functions.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| canAskAgain | boolean | Indicates if user can be asked again for specific permission. If not, one should be directed to the Settings app in order to enable/disable the permission. |
| expires | PermissionExpiration | Determines time when the permission expires. |
| granted | boolean | A convenience boolean that indicates if the permission is granted. |
| status | PermissionStatus | Determines the status of the permission. |
Enums
Deprecated To set media types available in the image picker use an array of
MediaTypeinstead.
Picker preferred asset representation mode. Its values are directly mapped to the PHPickerConfigurationAssetRepresentationMode.
UIImagePickerPreferredAssetRepresentationMode.Automatic ＝ "automatic"A mode that indicates that the system chooses the appropriate asset representation.
UIImagePickerPreferredAssetRepresentationMode.Compatible ＝ "compatible"A mode that uses the most compatible asset representation.
Picker presentation style. Its values are directly mapped to the UIModalPresentationStyle.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.AUTOMATIC ＝ "automatic"The default presentation style chosen by the system.
On older iOS versions, falls back to WebBrowserPresentationStyle.FullScreen.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.CURRENT_CONTEXT ＝ "currentContext"A presentation style where the picker is displayed over the app's content.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.FORM_SHEET ＝ "formSheet"A presentation style that displays the picker centered in the screen.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.FULL_SCREEN ＝ "fullScreen"A presentation style in which the presented picker covers the screen.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.OVER_CURRENT_CONTEXT ＝ "overCurrentContext"A presentation style where the picker is displayed over the app's content.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.OVER_FULL_SCREEN ＝ "overFullScreen"A presentation style in which the picker view covers the screen.
UIImagePickerPresentationStyle.PAGE_SHEET ＝ "pageSheet"A presentation style that partially covers the underlying content.
VideoExportPreset.Passthrough ＝ 0Resolution: Unchanged • Video compression: None • Audio compression: None
VideoExportPreset.LowQuality ＝ 1Resolution: Depends on the device • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.MediumQuality ＝ 2Resolution: Depends on the device • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.HighestQuality ＝ 3Resolution: Depends on the device • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.H264_640x480 ＝ 4Resolution: 640 × 480 • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.H264_960x540 ＝ 5Resolution: 960 × 540 • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.H264_1280x720 ＝ 6Resolution: 1280 × 720 • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.H264_1920x1080 ＝ 7Resolution: 1920 × 1080 • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.H264_3840x2160 ＝ 8Resolution: 3840 × 2160 • Video compression: H.264 • Audio compression: AAC
VideoExportPreset.HEVC_1920x1080 ＝ 9Resolution: 1920 × 1080 • Video compression: HEVC • Audio compression: AAC
Permissions
Android
The following permissions are added automatically through the library's AndroidManifest.xml.
| Android Permission | Description |
|---|---|
Required to be able to access the camera device. | |
Allows an application to read from external storage. | |
Allows an application to write to external storage. |
iOS
The following usage description keys are used by the APIs in this library.
| Info.plist Key | Description |
|---|---|
| A message that tells the user why the app is requesting access to the device’s microphone. | |
| A message that tells the user why the app is requesting access to the user’s photo library. | |
| A message that tells the user why the app is requesting access to the device’s camera. |