How to Turn Off Twist to Camera on the Moto X 2014

The days of carrying around a smartphone with a mediocre camera that doesn’t offer flash are almost behind us. Smartphones like the Moto X 2014 are meant to be point-and-shoot camera replacements. As such, they feature everything that a person who is into taking photos and recording memories might need.

The Moto X 2014 has a rear-facing 13 megapixel camera that allows users to take pictures at full-range or in widescreen in 9.7 megapixels. The device also includes a dual LED flash that’s shaped in a ring around the camera sensor to help pictures that use flash come out a bit softer and lighter. One thing that the Moto X 2014 doesn’t have that every camera replacement should have is an actual camera button.

Read: Moto X 2014 Review

In most phones – mainly Microsoft’s Lumia Windows Phones – a dedicated camera button allows users to unlock their device and instantly go to the camera app. No passwords or pin code is needed. In place of this functionality The Moto X 2014 doesn’t have that. Instead, users can simply hold their Moto X 2014 in their hand and twist their wrist to open the camera app.

It’s a wonderful feature, one that every smartphone without a camera button should definitely have, but what if you want to turn it off because you don’t want your friends or family taking pictures with your Moto X 2014?

Here’s how to turn off twist to camera on the Moto X 2014. Before we begin, be sure you actually want to get rid Twist to Camera. There are times when you’ll want to quickly access your camera features. Not being able to do so could mean you miss out on recording a special memory or recording video of a once-in-a-lifetime event.

First, you’ll need to unlock your phone. Press the power button on your device. Input your Pin code or pattern.

Welcome to the home screen on your Moto X 2014. There are a few different ways to turn off what Motorola calls quick capture, but the easiest and most direct way into to open the app Motorola has moved all of its custom settings to. This app is called Moto and is installed on every single Moto X 2014 Motorola sells. Look for the Moto app on your home screen. Chances are that it’s there if you haven’t made a lot of changes yet. Open it if you find it.

If the Moto app isn’t on your home screen, as in our case you’ll need to dive into the app drawer by tapping the circular button in the center at the bottom of your screen.

Swipe from left to right until you find the Moto app, then tap on it. In our example it’s the brightly colored circle right next to Netflix in the top-right corner.

Tap the cog in the top-right corner of your screen.

Twist to Camera is actually called Quick Capture and its part of a system Motorola now calls Moto Actions. Tap on Actions to option the Moto Actions settings. The Moto app also holds settings for Moto Display – the system that surfaces notifications when the Moto X is asleep – Moto Assist and Moto Voice.

Tap Twist for Quick Capture.

When you enter the settings for Twist for Quick Capture, the first thing you’ll notice is a tutorial of how Twist for Quick Capture to work. Don’t be afraid to try it you haven’t used Twist for Quick capture before. It’s very useful. If you still don’t like Twist for Quick Capture, tap the Twist for Quick Capture checkbox.

That’s it. You’ve turned Quick Capture off completely. Now when you twist your Moto X 2014 in your hand, it shouldn’t bypass the lock screen and take you directly to the camera app.

To be clear, this only kills the Quick Capture feature that Motorola added on top of Moto X 2014. Google actually includes another option for Quick Capture option from the lock screen. This one also bypasses the lock screen in favor of letting users quickly take photos that they might miss otherwise. Evening disabling lock screen widgets doesn’t allow users to turn this option off – at least it doesn’t in the Google Now Experience launcher that comes built in on the Moto X 2014. Presumably, the only way to actually get rid of this functionality entirely is to replace the lock screen on your Moto X 2014.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to customize this Moto X 2014 Moto Actions system so that you can assign other apps to the camera Quick Capture gesture.