How to use Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch?

Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch

You can press the Side key twice to use Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch to open the camera app instantly, even without waking up the screen.

This Galaxy S23 camera guide explains what Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch is, how to use it, and how to enable or disable the Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch.

Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch works on all Galaxy S23 phones (Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra) and in all regions.

In addition to the Camera Quick Launch, you can also use Camera widgets, as explained in this guide, to launch the camera app with specific configurations (camera mode + album) in the Android 14 update (One UI 6). More new camera features in the One UI 6 (Android 14)update are discussed in this post.

A concise guide for Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch

What is Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch?

By default, you can tap the camera app icon on the Home screen or Lock screen to launch the Galaxy S23 camera app.

Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch gives you a shortcut to launch the camera app instantly. It is the fastest way to open the camera app on Galaxy S23 because of the following:

  • Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch uses the hardware Side key, not the icons on the screen. So you do not need to fiddle around the screen to locate the camera app icon.
  • You can use Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch to open the camera app without waking up the screen.
  • Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch opens the camera app without unlocking the phone.
  • It also automatically pushes the currently used app to the background.

Of course, if the camera app was opened without unlocking the phone, you can only access photos or videos taken in the current session. You cannot access other media files before unlocking Galaxy S23. This is a designed security feature.

How to use Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch?

As shown in the illustration below, you just press the Side key twice quickly to use the Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch.

use Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch gesture
The gesture for Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch is quickly pressing the Side key twice at any time.

The Side key on Galaxy S23 is located on the right side of the phone (see Galaxy S23 layout). It has multiple functions. For example, you also need to use it to power on Galaxy S23 as well.

The camera quick launch gesture is not a new feature of Galaxy S23. Samsung adopted it on most Galaxy phones for a long time. So, it works on most current Galaxy phones, in addition to Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra.

Some other Android phones (e.g., Google Pixel phones) also share the same or similar gestures to launch the camera quickly.

A few Android vendors use more “aggressive” gestures to launch the camera app quickly. For example, Motorola uses the double-twist gesture to open the camera app instantly.

Even on an iPhone, you can use the double back tap gesture to open the camera. Of course, you need to configure it because this gesture is not enabled by default.

Anyway, the double press (Side key) gesture for Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch is relatively simple and easy to use.

How to enable or disable Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch?

Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch is enabled by default in most regions. It means you should be able to use it after the initial setup. If you use Smart Switch to migrate data and settings from the old phone, this gesture will not be migrated.

However, Galaxy S23 allows you to disable the double press gesture for the Side key, assign it to open Samsung Pay or assign it to open any other apps. If you cannot open the camera app after quickly pressing the Side key twice, you may check the settings. The Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch feature is managed as a function of the Side key, not in Galaxy S23 Camera settings.

As shown in the screenshot below, tap Advanced features on the Galaxy S23 Settings page.

Galaxy S23 settings
enable or disable Galaxy S23 camera quick launch

On the Advanced features page, tap the Side key, as shown in the screenshot above, to customize the functions for the Side key.

In addition to the Side key, you can also find settings for some other “advanced” features, which will be covered in other Galaxy S23 how-to guides

On the Side key settings page, as shown in the screenshot below, you need to make sure:

  1. Double press gesture is enabled.
  2. Quick launch camera is selected for the double press gesture.
enable or disable Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch
Customize the Side key on Galaxy S23 to enable or disable Galaxy S23 camera quick launch.

Of course, if you want to disable the camera quick launch, you can customize the settings accordingly here.

Can you use the Galaxy S23 Camera Quick Launch now?

If you have any questions or encounter problems with using the gesture to open the Galaxy S23 camera app quickly, please let us know in the comment box below.

The community will help you.

You may check other Galaxy S23 guides organized in the following four sections.

  • Galaxy S23 new features guides. Galaxy S23 new features guides explain the new features of Galaxy S23 and show you how to use them.
  • Galaxy S23 how-to guides. Galaxy S23 how-to guides show you how to use and customize Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra to meet your needs.
  • Galaxy S23 camera guides. Galaxy S23 camera guides show you how to use Galaxy S23 camera features to shoot the best photos and videos with the top-notch camera system in Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra.
  • Galaxy S23 accessories guides. Galaxy S23 accessories guides explore useful Galaxy S23 accessories and show you how to use them to protect your phone or increase your productivity (or fun).

Besides, you can read and download (in PDF format) the official Galaxy S23 user manual.

In addition to the comment box below, you can also reach us through the following channels:

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Enjoy your Galaxy S23!

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