iPhone camera apps often receive recognition. With a well-defined number of cameras and devices, the iOS platform attracts developers who seek to create customized camera apps for all sorts of needs. However, for people who use Android, many camera apps are iOS-only, including Camera+ 2, Halide, Obscura 2, and ProCam 6.
Still, there are developers who build camera apps that work on Android devices. When you choose one of these apps as your main camera app, you don’t need to learn a different set of camera controls when you switch platforms.
The following apps represent several of the best and most widely used camera and video apps available on both Android and iOS. Think of this as your cross-platform guide to camera apps. When you need to suggest a camera app but aren’t sure whether people use an iPhone or Android phone, any of these apps are safe to recommend.
Best General Purpose Camera Upgrade: ProShot
ProShot ($3.99) from RiseUpGames.com, gives you control over the file format (JPEG, RAW, or RAW + JPEG), exposure, aspect ratio (16:9, 4:3, 1:1, or a custom ratio you choose), and shutter speed. It also offers bracketing, which takes several shots at different exposure levels. A light painting mode lets you create an image as the lens gradually captures light. The app also supports video and timelapse modes.
Cleanly arranged control interface.
Can adjust the aspect ratio of the image.
Phone hardware might be a limitation. (For example, the app supports 4K video capture, but your device might not.)
Download For:
Best for Creative Cloud Members: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC
Adobe’s app combines custom camera controls with a variety of image editing options in a single app. You can take images and make basic edits with the free version of the app. A $4.99 per month upgrade adds access to more selection and editing tools, auto-tagging, and storage. (Adobe Creative Cloud members receive these benefits after they sign in, as well.)
Free image capture and edit options.
Sign in with Facebook, Google, or an Adobe Account.
Best for Stop Motion Animators: Lapse It
While most camera apps capture either a single image or a video, the developers of Lapse It designed it to capture images at intervals. That makes it an excellent tool for time-lapse or stop motion photography. It includes a variety of controls so you can adjust the time interval frequency and resolution, as well as the exposure, speed, and white balance.
Before Lapse It: Capture. Wait. Capture. Wait. Capture. Wait. Repeat.
With Lapse It: Configure auto-capture. Go do something else.
You still have to be careful to not bump or move your phone during capture.
The free version limits capture to 360p or 480p resolution, while a $3.99 one-time upgrade improves image capture quality to 720p or 1080p.
Create Your Own Photo Spheres: Google Street View
The Google Street View app (free) lets you look at images of buildings taken from roads, and helps you capture the 360-degree view (also known as a photosphere) around you. Tap the camera to start, then rotate the camera to capture the globe around you while rotating the camera around a central point. You can import and view 360-degree photos in the app.
Amazing way to create a 360-degree view with your smartphone.
If you move your phone away from a central point, the app may stitch the images together inaccurately.
For Landscape-Orientation Enthusiasts: Horizon Camera
With the free Horizon Camera app, you’ll never end up with a vertical video or photo again. The motion sensor in the app detects your phone’s orientation and automatically creates a landscape-oriented frame for your photo. Rotate your device? No problem. The app adjusts the frame as you move to ensure that you always capture a horizontal image.
Excellent app to install for people who accidentally capture sunsets while holding the camera in portrait orientation.
The app smoothly adjusts and resizes the image frame if you rotate your phone.
Limited number of camera control options.
Social Sharing Without Social Pressures: VSCO
The camera portion of VCSO is fairly straightforward. Open, point, tap to focus, adjust flash, capture the image. VSCO excels at editing, with exposure, contrast, crop, sharpen, and saturation adjustments, along with a long list of filter options. The app also offers a social network, too.
Strong set of editing controls.
Social network without follower counts, likes, or comments.
Many filters available to members only.
An optional membership upgrade ($19.99 per year) gives you access to additional editing tools.
Best for Social Photos: Instagram
You might not think of Instagram as a camera app, but it may be the most widely used free image-sharing platform. The Android app includes both camera and video capture options. Take a picture, then choose from one of several filters and adjust brightness, add a caption and tags, then share it.
Captures the classic, square (1:1 aspect ratio) Instagram image format.
Shoot, edit, share all within one app.
Limited camera controls.
Best for Professionals: FiLMiC Pro
If your device supports the features, and you understand all of the controls, FiLMiC Pro is often recognized as the best video camera app available for Android (and iOS) devices. The app includes support for variable speed zoom, high frame rate recording, image stabilization, slider controls to adjust focus and exposure, timelapse options, along with the ability to adjust saturation, tint, and color temperatures.
The app gives the you the ability to adjust all sorts of settings, so you can capture video the way you want.
If you only want to capture and edit a quick video for friends, this app is likely more than you need.
If you’re looking for a professional video capture Android app, this is it, although it may not work on all devices. Try the FiLMiC Pro Evaluator app to learn what features work on your phone before you spend $14.99 on FiLMiC Pro.
Make your Camera Smarter: Google Lens
On iOS, Google Lens is a feature found within the Google Photos app. But on Android, Google Lens is a complete, installable app. While Lens isn’t a conventional camera app, it may be the smartest camera app you’ve used: It can identify many plants, animals, and landmarks, and it can recognize phone numbers, event dates, and addresses in text.
Point, tap, then learn more or act.
Lens gives you a glimpse of how smart cameras could be.
Requires an internet connection, since the smart features rely on access to Google’s systems.
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