SwiftUI PhotosPicker: Native Image Selection with Built-in Privacy

This approach uses async/await to load selected images properly, handles the data conversion safely with optional binding, and maintains clean state management between picker selection and image display.

import SwiftUI
import PhotosUI

struct PhotoPickerView: View {
    @State private var selectedItem: PhotosPickerItem?
    @State private var selectedImage: Image?
    
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            PhotosPicker("Select Photo", 
                        selection: $selectedItem,
                        matching: .images)
            
            if let selectedImage {
                selectedImage
                    .resizable()
                    .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                    .frame(maxHeight: 300)
            }
        }
        .onChange(of: selectedItem) { _, newItem in
            Task {
                if let data = try? await newItem?.loadTransferable(type: Data.self) {
                    if let uiImage = UIImage(data: data) {
                        selectedImage = Image(uiImage: uiImage)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Why This is a Best Practice

PhotosPicker requires asynchronous data loading since images can be large or stored in iCloud. Using Task with proper error handling prevents UI blocking and crashes while providing a responsive user experience. The onChange modifier ensures the image loads immediately when selected.

import SwiftUI
import PhotosUI

struct PhotoPickerView: View {
    @State private var selectedItem: PhotosPickerItem?
    @State private var selectedImage: Image?
    
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            PhotosPicker("Select Photo", 
                        selection: $selectedItem,
                        matching: .images)
            
            if let selectedImage {
                selectedImage
                    .resizable()
                    .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                    .frame(maxHeight: 300)
            }
        }
        .onChange(of: selectedItem) { _, newItem in
            Task {
                if let data = try? await newItem?.loadTransferable(type: Data.self) {
                    if let uiImage = UIImage(data: data) {
                        selectedImage = Image(uiImage: uiImage)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Why This is a Best Practice

History

SwiftUI PhotosPicker: Native Image Selection with Built-in Privacy

Why This is a Best Practice