Can a widget take a photo without opening the app?

No, and no widget from any app can. iOS renders widgets as periodically-updated snapshots with no camera access; tapping one launches the app. What Eclipse's widgets do is skip every step between the Home Screen and a running camera in the mode you wanted.

Can I make the widget not say Eclipse?

Yes. The disguised look presents it as a generic "Quick Tools" utility, and the title, labels and icons can each be switched off. Pro adds your own background image and custom tile emoji.

What is the fastest way to start capturing?

The Control Center control, if your iOS version has them: swipe down and tap, with no Home Screen in between. Otherwise the small Home Screen widget is one tap into photo capture.

Widgets and Control Center

One tap from the Home Screen, and it does not have to say Eclipse.

Opening the app, choosing a mode and starting the camera is three actions too many when the moment is already happening. The widgets collapse that into one tap — and because a widget sits on your Home Screen where other people can see it, they can be dressed down to look like nothing in particular.

Small and medium

The small widget is a single tap target that opens photo capture directly. The medium widget carries a row of tiles, one per destination, in an order you set — Photo, Video, Library and Settings, each one tap away rather than one tap plus navigation.

Small: one tap, straight into photo capture
Medium: four tiles — Photo, Video, Library, Settings — reorderable
Each tile deep-links into its mode rather than the app's home screen

Branded or disguised

Two looks. Branded says Eclipse. Disguised reads as a generic "Quick Tools" utility — the same widget, with the name and the icon changed. Titles, labels and icons can each be turned off independently, and Pro users can replace the background with their own image and swap the tile icons for emoji.

Branded or a neutral "Quick Tools" face
Titles, labels and icons individually toggleable
Custom background image (Pro)
Custom tile emoji (Pro)

Lock Screen and Control Center

Beyond the Home Screen, Eclipse ships Lock Screen accessories in circular, rectangular and inline forms, plus Control Center controls for photo, video and audio. The Control Center route is the fastest one on the phone: swipe, tap, capturing.

Lock Screen: circular, rectangular and inline accessories
Control Center controls for photo, video and audio
Every entry point deep-links through the eclipsemints:// scheme

Specifics

Home Screen sizes: Small and medium
Lock Screen: Circular · rectangular · inline
Control Center: Photo · video · audio
Looks: Branded or disguised
Custom background: Pro
Requires: iOS 16 or later

Read from EclipseWidget/EclipseWidget.swift, EclipseLockWidgets.swift and EclipseControls.swift.

What it will not do

A widget cannot capture on its own. iOS runs widgets as static snapshots — tapping one opens the app, which is where capture happens.
Control Center controls require iOS 18 or later; the Home Screen widgets need iOS 16.
A disguised widget still opens Eclipse. It changes what the widget looks like, not what it launches.

Common questions

Can a widget take a photo without opening the app?: No, and no widget from any app can. iOS renders widgets as periodically-updated snapshots with no camera access; tapping one launches the app. What Eclipse's widgets do is skip every step between the Home Screen and a running camera in the mode you wanted.
Can I make the widget not say Eclipse?: Yes. The disguised look presents it as a generic "Quick Tools" utility, and the title, labels and icons can each be switched off. Pro adds your own background image and custom tile emoji.
What is the fastest way to start capturing?: The Control Center control, if your iOS version has them: swipe down and tap, with no Home Screen in between. Otherwise the small Home Screen widget is one tap into photo capture.

Try it yourself

Eclipse is free to download. The black screen mask, Face ID lock and slideshow stay free.

Download free on the App Store