Android: Add a camera tool in the toolbar to quickly add images using the phone camera

[Klingk]

I just foolishly assumed that this feature would be a thing while leaving Evernote ( before the price increase and mostly to have more control over my data ).

I have the Obsidian Camera plugin, but on my device ( Goolge Pixel 5A ) it doesn’t work, but if I take a picture with the camera and click on one of the buttons in the Camera it will let me select from my photos.

More steps than I would like but it’s kinda functional.

I’m guessing there is something difficult in the Android space for this since the hardware for the cameras can all be different and may need some customization per device, so that would make it a lot more difficult to maintain, but that is just a guess.

[girishkdesh]

This OBSIDIAN CAMERA plugin is actually the answer to the question in the post.

This serves the purpose.

But to make it effortless, we need to set some things up… Here is my setup:

1. Installed the OBSIDIAN CAMERA plugin

2. Set up the folder to store your snaps in the options of the plugin
   

   

3. As the default obsidian mobile toolbar is not enough, we need to install the COMMANDER plugin

4. In the mobile toolbar settings, add the OBSIDIAN CAMERA plugin shortcut for the command “Obsidian Camera: Open camera model/file picker”. You won’t find the shortcut in the given list, You need to do this by using the "Add global command " option available at the bottom of the toolbar settings.

5. In the COMMANDER plugin options assign an appropriate icon for this newly added shortcut for the OBSIDIAN CAMERA plugin command. I use the “aperture” icon.

6. I also set the “Toolbar row count” to 2 under the COMMANDER plugin options for mobile toolbar. It makes easy to access the shortcuts while in edit mode of a note.

7. Drag and bring the CAMERA plugin command shortcut at the first position in the mobile toolbar ribbon in the toolbar settings

which appears as follows in the mobile toolbar ribbon

8. Usage: Now just go to a note where you want to insert the picture or a video from the camera and position you cursor to your desired location. Just click the CAMERA plugin shortcut which brings up the options as follows…

the first is for video and the second one for the photo or image

[Jopp]

For all those who are confused of Obsidian Camera’s poorly designed interface, add this snippet:

.modal input[accept="image/*,video/*"]::before {
  content: "\1F4F9";
}

.modal input[accept="image/*"]::before {
  content: "\1F4F7";
}

It will show a camera / videocamera icon before its respective button.

[CawlinTeffid]

Thanks for posting those steps! I deleted the earlier of the 2 posts since it seemed like the later one was a revision of it.

[girishkdesh]

Yes… Thanks for that. Actually there was a glitch and the reply I posted suddenly disappeared. So I edited it again and reposted it.

[girishkdesh]

Yes… That made an icon of video cam and photo cam images appear before the two options. Made it easier to discriminate!
Thanks for the css

[andreas_ka]

Could the extension be updated for the image/video selection please.

[Peanut]

thanks for the detailed instructions!

[johnmcd]

Use case or problem

Being able to take and insert a picture using the default photo app directly into Obsidian would allow me to quickly add new photos without having to go through the ‘insert/select’ dialogs. I create a journal note each time I go on a hike and I’d like to be able to quickly add photos.

Proposed solution

Add a ‘Take Photo/Video’ option to the toolbar that would bring up the default photo app, take a picture/video and insert it directly into the Obsidian note.

Current workaround (optional)

Switch to photo app, take a picture, switch back to Obsidian, click on ‘Insert Attachment’ on toolbar, navigate to photo folder, select photo.

Related feature requests (optional)

Somewhat related, but the ability to directly add an audio recording into a note would be great.

[Mikedz]

I’m genuinely surprised this is not a built in feature.
The camera app doesn’t work for me - the livestream gives an error; the upload button allows me to pick an existing photo to upload but there’s no benefit to that VS. just doing a standard link attachment. The photo has to already have been taken in another app.
This is a real friction point.

[CawlinTeffid]

Changed “Mobile” to “Android” in title.

[mirai-nelaplace]

Thank you for this! It’s been a great help. However, I can’t seem to find the button that directs me to camera. Instead it directed me to video camera, which is not what I wanted. I am clueless on what to do next. BTW, I’m using Obsidian in Android 12 Huawei Nova 5t.

[mirai-nelaplace]

Where do I add this snippet?

[trovach]

I am not getting button nr. 2 just to add a video. Anybody has the same problem?

[deplorable_sf_techie]

Can anyone tell me if this is on the horizon? I see that there’s an item on the roadmap titled " Mobile quick capture," but it’s not clear to me, without more info, whether or not this means “camera on android.”

I am not able to use the Camera plugin on my Pixel 6a (Android) phone, and in fact the Obsidian app seems only to request permissions for the microphone, and not for camera access, when the plugin is first used.

It would be lovely to get some first party support. It’s not clear to me whether code contribution to the Camera plugin would be sufficient, without changes to the Obsidian app, to enable this. I am wondering if there is some other workaround an end user could take, like maybe to make an Android app that takes the photo for you and then injects it into the local vault file structure and links it. I am totally willing to help anyone in implementing this feature, one way or another. If we can determine that there is no impediment in the Obsidian app permissions, maybe fixing the Camera plugin is the best way?

[CawlinTeffid]

@deplorable_sf_techie

I see that there’s an item on the roadmap titled " Mobile quick capture," but it’s not clear to me, without more info, whether or not this means “camera on android.”

It does not; it means, “Jot a note without waiting for Obsidian’s usual load time”.

[deplorable_sf_techie]

OK the Camera plugin’s developer is claiming that it’s not possible to fix this from the plugin code and that code changes are required to Obsidian itself.

[AxoltDash]

It’s been two years and it hasn’t been added to Android, this little feature would make a difference

[Synchronicity]

Curious why this was changed to Android from mobile. Seems like it would be equally useful on iPhones.

[CawlinTeffid]

The feature already exists on iOS.

@Dirky

This feature exists in iOS. This request here is for Android.