Take a photo and save to photo library in Swift

Question

Use below code for an image taken from Photo Gallery and save inside photo library.

Code Support for Swift 3.1 & 4.0 version:

First, we have to do the setup for Permissions inside Project's .plist file:-

1) Camera

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app will use camera.</string>

2) Photo Library

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>You can select photos to attach to reports.</string>

3) Save to Photo Library

<key>NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription</key>
<string>Please allow access to save photo in your photo library</string>

---

We need to open .pilst file as a Source code type then add permissions inside -

---

After That

---

import UIKit

class ViewController: UIViewController, UINavigationControllerDelegate, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate  {

    @IBOutlet weak var imageTake: UIImageView!

  var imagePicker: UIImagePickerController!
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
    }

    //MARK: - Take image
    @IBAction func takePhoto(_ sender: UIButton) {
        imagePicker =  UIImagePickerController()
        imagePicker.delegate = self
        imagePicker.sourceType = .camera
        present(imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
    }

    //MARK: - Saving Image here
    @IBAction func save(_ sender: AnyObject) {
        UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(imageTake.image!, self, #selector(image(_:didFinishSavingWithError:contextInfo:)), nil)
    }

    //MARK: - Add image to Library
    func image(_ image: UIImage, didFinishSavingWithError error: Error?, contextInfo: UnsafeRawPointer) {
        if let error = error {
            // we got back an error!
            let ac = UIAlertController(title: "Save error", message: error.localizedDescription, preferredStyle: .alert)
            ac.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
            present(ac, animated: true)
        } else {
            let ac = UIAlertController(title: "Saved!", message: "Your altered image has been saved to your photos.", preferredStyle: .alert)
            ac.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
            present(ac, animated: true)
        }
    }

    //MARK: - Done image capture here
    func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [String : Any]) {
         imagePicker.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
        imageTake.image = info[UIImagePickerControllerOriginalImage] as? UIImage
    }

}

---

Swift 4.2 Code update -

 class ViewController: UIViewController, UINavigationControllerDelegate  {

    @IBOutlet weak var imageTake: UIImageView!
    var imagePicker: UIImagePickerController!

    enum ImageSource {
        case photoLibrary
        case camera
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
    }

    //MARK: - Take image
    @IBAction func takePhoto(_ sender: UIButton) {
        guard UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(.camera) else {
            selectImageFrom(.photoLibrary)
            return
        }
        selectImageFrom(.camera)
    }

    func selectImageFrom(_ source: ImageSource){
        imagePicker =  UIImagePickerController()
        imagePicker.delegate = self
        switch source {
        case .camera:
            imagePicker.sourceType = .camera
        case .photoLibrary:
            imagePicker.sourceType = .photoLibrary
        }
        present(imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
    }

    //MARK: - Saving Image here
    @IBAction func save(_ sender: AnyObject) {
        guard let selectedImage = imageTake.image else {
            print("Image not found!")
            return
        }
        UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(selectedImage, self, #selector(image(_:didFinishSavingWithError:contextInfo:)), nil)
    }

    //MARK: - Add image to Library
    @objc func image(_ image: UIImage, didFinishSavingWithError error: Error?, contextInfo: UnsafeRawPointer) {
        if let error = error {
            // we got back an error!
            showAlertWith(title: "Save error", message: error.localizedDescription)
        } else {
            showAlertWith(title: "Saved!", message: "Your image has been saved to your photos.")
        }
    }

    func showAlertWith(title: String, message: String){
        let ac = UIAlertController(title: title, message: message, preferredStyle: .alert)
        ac.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
        present(ac, animated: true)
    }
 }

 extension ViewController: UIImagePickerControllerDelegate{

    func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [UIImagePickerController.InfoKey : Any]){
        imagePicker.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
        guard let selectedImage = info[.originalImage] as? UIImage else {
            print("Image not found!")
            return
        }
        imageTake.image = selectedImage
    }
}

Anand Nimje's answer updated for Swift 4

class ImageCaptureViewController: UIViewController,UINavigationControllerDelegate,  UIImagePickerControllerDelegate {

@IBOutlet weak var takeImage: UIImageView!
var imagePicker: UIImagePickerController!

@IBAction func takePhoto(_ sender: UIButton) {
    imagePicker = UIImagePickerController()
    imagePicker.delegate = self
    imagePicker.sourceType = .camera
    present(imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
}

@IBAction func savePhoto(_ sender: UIButton) {
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(takeImage.image!, self, #selector(image(_:didFinishSavingWithError:contextInfo:)), nil)
}

@objc func image(_ image: UIImage, didFinishSavingWithError error: Error?, contextInfo: UnsafeRawPointer) {
    if let error = error {
        let ac = UIAlertController(title: "Save error", message: error.localizedDescription, preferredStyle: .alert)
        ac.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
        present(ac, animated: true)
    } else {
        let ac = UIAlertController(title: "Saved!", message: "Your altered image has been saved to your photos.", preferredStyle: .alert)
        ac.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
        present(ac, animated: true)
    }
}

func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [String : Any]) {
    imagePicker.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
    takeImage.image = info[UIImagePickerControllerOriginalImage] as? UIImage
}
}

In Swift 3.0

class PhotoViewController: UIViewController, UIGestureRecognizerDelegate, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate 

create your UIImageView outlets and UIImagePickerController

@IBOutlet weak var userPhotoImageView: UIImageView!
var pickerController = UIImagePickerController()
var imageView = UIImage()

Here i am using tapgesture for clicking on UIImageView

     in viewDidLoad 

    let imageTapGesture = UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(tapUserPhoto(_:)))
    imageTapGesture.delegate = self
    userPhotoImageView.addGestureRecognizer(imageTapGesture)
    imageTapGesture.numberOfTapsRequired = 1
    userPhotoImageView.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
    pickerController.delegate = self
    func tapUserPhoto(_ sender: UITapGestureRecognizer){
    let alertViewController = UIAlertController(title: "", message: "Choose your option", preferredStyle: .actionSheet)
    let camera = UIAlertAction(title: "Camera", style: .default, handler: { (alert) in
        self.openCamera()
    })
    let gallery = UIAlertAction(title: "Gallery", style: .default) { (alert) in
        self.openGallary()
    }
    let cancel = UIAlertAction(title: "Cancel", style: .cancel) { (alert) in

    }
    alertViewController.addAction(camera)
    alertViewController.addAction(gallery)
    alertViewController.addAction(cancel)
    self.present(alertViewController, animated: true, completion: nil)
}
  func openCamera() {
    if UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(UIImagePickerControllerSourceType.camera) {
        pickerController.delegate = self
        self.pickerController.sourceType = UIImagePickerControllerSourceType.camera
        pickerController.allowsEditing = true
        self .present(self.pickerController, animated: true, completion: nil)
    }
    else {
        let alertWarning = UIAlertView(title:"Warning", message: "You don't have camera", delegate:nil, cancelButtonTitle:"OK", otherButtonTitles:"")
        alertWarning.show()
    }
}
func openGallary() {
    if UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(UIImagePickerControllerSourceType.photoLibrary) {
        pickerController.delegate = self
        pickerController.sourceType = UIImagePickerControllerSourceType.photoLibrary
        pickerController.allowsEditing = true
        self.present(pickerController, animated: true, completion: nil)
    }
}
public func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [String : Any]) {

    imageView = info[UIImagePickerControllerEditedImage] as! UIImage
    userPhotoImageView.contentMode = .scaleAspectFill
    userPhotoImageView.image = imageView
    dismiss(animated:true, completion: nil)
}
public func imagePickerControllerDidCancel(_ picker: UIImagePickerController) {
    print("Cancel")
}

import UIKit

class photoPickerController: UIViewController,UINavigationControllerDelegate{

@IBOutlet weak var imageTake: UIImageView!

var imagePicker: UIImagePickerController!
override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
}


@IBAction func takePhoto(_ sender: UIButton) {

    imagePicker =  UIImagePickerController()
    imagePicker.delegate = self
    imagePicker.sourceType = .camera
    present(imagePicker, animated: true, completion: nil)
}


@IBAction func saveToLibrary(_ sender: AnyObject) {
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(imageTake.image!, self, #selector(image(_:didFinishSavingWithError:contextInfo:)), nil)
    }
}

extension photoPickerController :  UIImagePickerControllerDelegate  {

func image(_ image: UIImage, didFinishSavingWithError error: Error?, contextInfo: UnsafeRawPointer) {
    if let error = error {
        // we got back an error!
        let alert = UIAlertController(title: "Error", message: error.localizedDescription, preferredStyle: .alert)
        alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
        present(alert, animated: true)
    } else {
        let alert = UIAlertController(title: "Saved!", message: "Image saved successfully", preferredStyle: .alert)
        alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default))
        present(alert, animated: true)
    }
}

func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [String : Any]) {
    imagePicker.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
    imageTake.image = info[UIImagePickerControllerOriginalImage] as? UIImage
    }
}

Swift 5:

The correct flow to capture and save image.

// 0. Add `NSCameraUsageDescription`, `NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription` and `NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription` in Info.plist
class ViewController: UIViewController, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate {
    
    /// the captured image
    private var image: UIImage?
    
    // 1. Check for permissions first
    /// "Take Photo" button action handler
    ///
    /// - parameter sender: the button
    @IBAction func takePhoto(_ sender: UIButton) {
        if AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .video) ==  .authorized {
            self.showPickerWithSourceType(UIImagePickerController.SourceType.camera)
        } else {
            AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .video, completionHandler: { (granted: Bool) in
                DispatchQueue.main.async {
                    if granted {
                        self.showPickerWithSourceType(UIImagePickerController.SourceType.camera)
                    } else {
                        self.showAlert("No access to camera", message: "You need to grant permissions to camera to take a picture.")
                    }
                }
            })
        }
    }
    
    // 2. Open photo capture
    /// Show image picker
    /// - Parameter sourceType: the type of the source
    private func showPickerWithSourceType(_ sourceType: UIImagePickerController.SourceType) {
        var vc: UIViewController!
        if UIImagePickerController.isSourceTypeAvailable(sourceType) {
            let imagePicker = UIImagePickerController()
            imagePicker.delegate = self
            imagePicker.mediaTypes = [kUTTypeImage as String]       // if you also need a video, then use [kUTTypeImage as String, kUTTypeMovie as String]
            imagePicker.sourceType = sourceType
            imagePicker.videoQuality = UIImagePickerController.QualityType.typeMedium
            vc = imagePicker
        }
        else {
            let alert = UIAlertController(title: "Error", message: "This feature is supported on real devices only", preferredStyle: .alert)
            alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default, handler: nil))
            vc = alert
        }
        DispatchQueue.main.async {
            UIViewController.getCurrentViewController()?.present(vc, animated: true, completion: nil)
        }
    }
    
    // 3. Temporary save image in `self.image`
    /// Image selected/captured
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - picker: the picker
    ///   - info: the info
    public func imagePickerController(_ picker: UIImagePickerController, didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo info: [UIImagePickerController.InfoKey : Any]) {
        if let mediaType = info[UIImagePickerController.InfoKey.mediaType] {
            if (mediaType as AnyObject).description == kUTTypeImage as String {
                if let image = info[UIImagePickerController.InfoKey.originalImage] as? UIImage {
                    self.image = image
                }
            }
        }
        picker.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
    }
    
    // 4. Save image
    /// "Save" button action handler
    ///
    /// - parameter sender: the button
    @IBAction func saveImageButtonAction(_ sender: Any) {
        guard let image = self.image else { return }
        UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(image, self, #selector(image(_:didFinishSavingWithError:contextInfo:)), nil)
    }
    
    
    // Called when image save is complete (with error or not)
    @objc func image(_ image: UIImage, didFinishSavingWithError error: Error?, contextInfo: UnsafeRawPointer) {
        if let error = error {
            print("ERROR: \(error)")
        }
        else {
            self.showAlert("Image saved", message: "The iamge is saved into your Photo Library.")
        }
    }
    
    /// Show popup with title and message
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - title: the title
    ///   - message: the message
    private func showAlert(_ title: String, message: String) {
        let alert = UIAlertController(title: title, message: message, preferredStyle: .alert)
        alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "OK", style: .default, handler: nil))
        self.present(alert, animated: true, completion: nil)
    }
}