How to silence iPhone camera shutter sound?

Question

I can snap a picture with the iPhone programmatically by calling [UIImagePickerController takePicture:], but when I do the iPhone plays a loud recording of a shutter click. When I google for how to turn off the click, I find advice to rename the sound file that the iPhone plays. It seems to me for my app to do that would lead to it being rejected from the App store for accessing system frameworks. Is there a programmatic way to shut off that sound? The nature of my app demands that the camera be silent.

Answer 1

I assume you have solved it since but your app supposed to fail on the Appstore validation as it doesn't comply with iOS Dev License agreement. See below:

Section 3.3.8: Any form of user or device data collection, or image, picture or voice capture or recording (collectively "Recordings"), and any form of data, content or information collection, processing, maintenance, uploading, syncing, storage, transmission, sharing, disclosure or use performed by, through or in connection with Your Application must comply with all applicable privacy laws and regulations as well as any related Program Requirements, including but not limited to any notice or consent requirements. In particular, a reasonably conspicuous audio, visual or other indicator must be displayed to the user as part of the Application to indicate that a Recording is taking place.

Answer 2

For what it's worth, I was able to get this to work by using this code in the snapStillImage method of AVCapture framework using AVCaptureStillImageOutput. It works perfectly for me on iOS 8.3 iPhone 5. I have also confirmed that Apple won't reject your app if you use this:

MPVolumeView* volumeView = [[MPVolumeView alloc] init];
//find the volumeSlider
UISlider* volumeViewSlider = nil;
for (UIView *view in [volumeView subviews]){
    if ([view.class.description isEqualToString:@"MPVolumeSlider"]){
        volumeViewSlider = (UISlider*)view;
        break;
    }
}

[volumeViewSlider setValue:0.0f animated:YES];
[volumeViewSlider sendActionsForControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];

Swift 4:

var volumeView = MPVolumeView()
//find the volumeSlider
var volumeViewSlider: UISlider? = nil
for view: UIView in volumeView.subviews {
    if (view.self.description == "MPVolumeSlider") {
        volumeViewSlider = view as? UISlider
        break
    }
}

volumeViewSlider?.setValue(0.0, animated: true)
volumeViewSlider?.sendActions(for: .touchUpInside)

Answer 3

Not sure if you would want to do it... The sound is there to let someone know a photo is being taken. The idea is to ensure privacy and safety of the public, especially children," something that Japan has already required of their snap-happy citizens

Japan and Korea already have laws that require this sound when taking pictures.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=6750825&page=1

excerpt:

"In Japan and Korea, Segan pointed out, in response to mounting reports of "underskirting," governments have passed laws similar to the one King proposes."

Answer 4

Renaming the sound file wouldn't be using a "private API"; it's simply not possible from within the sandbox (assuming you haven't broken out of the sandbox somehow).

However, on 4.0+, you can use AVCapture to take pictures instead. I'm not sure if AVCaptureStillImageOutput plays a shutter sound; a workaround is to use video frames.

I have to wonder what you mean by "the nature of my app" though. If you're trying to do some sort of live image processing, then video frames are a much better way to go in the first place. If you're trying to take pictures silently with the user's permission, then the user should be able to silence the shutter sound anyway. If you're trying to take pictures without the user's permission, you're probably violating some agreement with Apple.