How Messaging Apps Quickly Share Photos and Camera Previews
Apple's patent describes a way to quickly open a camera or photo gallery directly inside a messaging app so you can attach media without leaving your conversation.
Original patent title: “Message user interfaces for capture and transmittal of media and location content”
Apple's patent describes a way to quickly open a camera or photo gallery directly inside a messaging app so you can attach media without leaving your conversation. Granted to Apple Inc in 2020 with 42 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent details a user interface for messaging apps that allows a user to trigger a media selection menu while staying within a text conversation. When the user requests to add media, the device displays a panel containing both thumbnail images from the device's library and a live camera preview button. If the user taps the live preview, the device captures a new photo and places it directly into the message compose field. This allows for a seamless transition from typing text to capturing or selecting media for immediate transmission.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover media sharing that requires switching to a separate camera or gallery application.
- Does not cover automated or background media attachment without explicit user selection of an affordance.
- Does not protect the general concept of sending photos in a chat, only the specific UI mechanism of the concurrent media selection interface.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in the 'concurrent' display of the message conversation and the media selection interface, which replaces the keyboard on demand to minimize screen clutter while maintaining context.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
iMessage app drawer
WhatsApp media attachment menu
Facebook Messenger media picker
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent reflects the industry-wide shift toward making messaging apps 'all-in-one' communication hubs. By reducing the number of taps required to share a photo, developers can increase user engagement and keep people inside their specific ecosystem rather than jumping between different apps.
Filed
April 14, 2017
Granted
August 4, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple continues to refine this interface within the iMessage ecosystem. Other major platforms like Meta (WhatsApp, Messenger) and Google (Messages) utilize similar concurrent UI patterns to streamline media sharing.
Market impact
This patent codifies a standard user experience for modern mobile messaging. It reinforces the expectation that mobile OS and app developers must provide integrated, low-friction media sharing to remain competitive in the crowded messaging market.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent details a user interface for messaging apps that allows a user to trigger a media selection menu while staying within a text conversation. When the user requests to add media, the device displays a panel containing both thumbnail images from the device's library and a live camera preview button. If the user taps the live preview, the device captures a new photo and places it directly into the message compose field. This allows for a seamless transition from typing text to capturing or selecting media for immediate transmission.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in the 'concurrent' display of the message conversation and the media selection interface, which replaces the keyboard on demand to minimize screen clutter while maintaining context.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover media sharing that requires switching to a separate camera or gallery application.
- Does not cover automated or background media attachment without explicit user selection of an affordance.
- Does not protect the general concept of sending photos in a chat, only the specific UI mechanism of the concurrent media selection interface.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$48K – $154K
Midpoint $96K · 10.8 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
42 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Garcia, R., Coffman, P. L., YANG, L. Y., KRENN, M., Wood, J., Chaudhri, I., Dellinger, R. R., & Lemay, S. O. (2020). How Messaging Apps Quickly Share Photos and Camera Previews (U.S. Patent No. 10,732,795). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10732795/ios-dark-mode
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US10732795"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Messaging Apps Quickly Share Photos and Camera Previews cover?
Apple's patent describes a way to quickly open a camera or photo gallery directly inside a messaging app so you can attach media without leaving your conversation.
Who owns patent US 10732795?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on August 4, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent reflects the industry-wide shift toward making messaging apps 'all-in-one' communication hubs. By reducing the number of taps required to share a photo, developers can increase user engagement and keep people inside their specific ecosystem rather than jumping between different apps.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover media sharing that requires switching to a separate camera or gallery application.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
Patent monitoring