Can video recording be auto activated when camera app is started? In Nougat, the camera app can be started by double pressing the physical middle button on the phone. Many times I forget to press the video recording button and keep holding the phone up, thinking video recording is going on and much later realize it wasnt started.  

Is there a way to start the video recording without having to explicitly press the record button? Ideally, I'd want to take my phone out of my pocket, press just one button and that should be enough to start the video recording. I shouldn't have to spend time typing my pin to unlock the screen or searching for the brightness slider when running from an indoor location to an outdoor location and then start the camera app and press the record button.   

If it would be possible to program a patch for it, I should be able to do so, but I need to know what would be an efficient way to get the one-button-press-video-record functionality.
A custom widget ( start recording ) on your homescreen would work, but you still need to enter the PIN... 

Maybe a custom lock screen with a record video button and unlock button, or maybe use the stock lock screen shortcuts to open the camera, manually switch to video and start ( no PIN entry )   

The best way to do what you want might be to use key overrides and designate a volume key to camera key... 

Your main limitation is the lock screen PIN, you could hypothetically use a shortcut to the record video intent, placed on a custom lockscreen, but not sure.