15 Best Camera Apps for Android
Cameras on smartphones are a much bigger deal than before. Companies are doing everything they can to make their cameras more reliable, perform better in...
04/10/2021
Cameras on smartphones are a much bigger deal than before. Companies are working hard to make their cameras more reliable, work better in low light conditions, and add features people want. Many will base their purchasing decisions on the power of the camera. The thing is, cameras are big on mobile devices these days.
In general, this makes stock camera apps better than third-party apps. OEMs just know their camera setups better and optimize more appropriately. This is especially true for Google, Samsung, and Huawei phones that use AI and other software optimizations in conjunction with camera hardware. Nevertheless, a third-party application can be useful in certain scenarios. Here are the best camera apps for Android!
Finally, keep in mind that new versions of Android
can force the use of the original camera app anyway
. It's just something to keep in mind. We also recommend MotionCam (
google play link
) and A Better Camera (
google play link
) as honorable mentions. Motion Cam just has some interesting ideas. A better camera is actually pretty good, but it's not getting updates anymore.
Adobe Lightroom
and
Adobe Photoshop Camera
Bacon camera
FV-5 Camera
MX-camera
Cymera
Filmic Pro
Google Camera p>
and
GCam Ports
HedgeCam 2
open camera
Pixtica
ProCam X
SayCheese
single camera
Snap Camera HDR
VSCO
Your stock camera app
Learn more:
The best cameras for Android smartphones
15 Best Photo Editing Apps for Android
10 Best DSLR Apps for Android
< p>Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop CameraPrice:
Free / $52.99 per month
Adobe Lightroom is technically a photo editor and not a camera app. However, it also comes with a built-in camera app. The camera is reasonably decent and includes great keyword features such as HDR, RAW support, and various modes and presets. Plus, it has the usual array of manual camera controls should you need those as well. The good news is that Adobe Lightroom is one of the best photo editing apps for mobile right now. So you can use the Camera app and immediately launch it into editing. Adobe also launched Adobe Photoshop Camera (
google play link
) in 2020 with a variety of features, including various filters, real-time Photoshop effects, auto tone, portrait mode controls, and more. It's primarily a camera for the social media types, but it's still a decent option overall.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Bacon Camera
Price:
Free / $1.99
We will be honest. We thought Bacon Camera was a joke app when we first saw the name. However, it is a legitimately decent camera app. It has manual controls such as focus, white balance, exposure compensation, ISO, etc. You also get support for RAW and DNG along with traditional JPEG. It supports manual controls on devices that don't support Google's Camera2 API. We didn't have any test device that didn't support it, so we'll take their word for it for now. Some other features include GIF support, a panorama mode, and timed shots. It's surprisingly good and the pro version is surprisingly cheap. The only problem is the update support. This one hasn't seen an update since 2019 (at the time of this writing), so it may no longer be supported.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Camera FV-5
Price:
$3.95
The FV-5 camera was removed from the list some time ago due to lack of updates. However, it seems that the FGAE is not yet finished with this one. The current version of Camera FV-5 is actually quite good. It has a sample of manual controls, exposure bracketing and even more specialized elements like a built-in intervalometer. The list of features is just too long for a simple list like this. The app costs $3.95 and receives regular updates as of this writing. The only downside is that some phones seem to misbehave with this one, so be sure to test it properly during the refund timeframe in case your phone is one of them.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Camera MX
Price:
Free / Up to $1.99
Camera MX is one of the oldest and most popular camera apps. Developers regularly update the app which keeps it up to date. It works best for simple things. The app offers a variety of shooting modes. You can also use it to take photos or videos. There's even a GIF mode to create your own GIFs. The built-in photo editor can also do the basics. It's a good all-in-one solution. Serious photographers may want to look elsewhere. You can also use the pro version as part of the Google PlayPass if you have it.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Cymera
Price:
Free / Up to $3.49
Cymera is another of the oldest and most popular camera apps. It focuses more on mainstream features. That means you'll get a bunch of filters, stickers, special effects, and similar features. It also has a beauty camera mode. It can add or take away features from your face and body. We're not big fans of these dramatic changes, but to each our own. It also includes a photo editor for minor edits. It's free to download. You can purchase additional items as in-app purchases.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Learn more:
< p>What is aperture? Let's explain10 Best Photography Apps for Android
10 Best Photography Wallpaper Apps for Android
Filmic Pro
Price: p>
$14.99 + $9.99
Filmic Pro is one of the newest camera apps on Android. It is also the most expensive camera app on this list. It also has unique characteristics. This includes extremely specific manual controls. For example, it has a dual slider for exposure and focus, a white balance adjustment matrix and a gamma curve control. Moreover, it comes with additional analytics, live RGB control and much more. This one had a very shaky start. However, the developers seem to be actively taking user feedback into account and updating the app to fix bugs. It will hopefully be good one day. Be sure to test this one thoroughly during the refund period if you want to try it out.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Google Camera
Price:
Free
Google Camera is Google's official camera app. It's the one you'll find on most Google devices. It has a small but effective feature set. They include a lens blur mode, slow motion (on supported devices), photo spheres, video stabilization, and more. The only downside is compatibility. You can only use it on devices running Android 7.1.1 and later (as of this writing). Even later, only devices running the latest Android will likely be able to use it. Otherwise, it's free and that's really good. However, if you want the best features of Google Camera, you may need to
upload a modified version
for your device.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!< /p>
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
HedgeCam 2
Price:
Free / Up to $10.99
HedgeCam 2 is a fork of the open source application Open Camera. It takes the winning combination of simplicity and functionality and adds a few extra features to it. By the way, this version is also open source and the link for the code is in the Google Play description. This one includes a bunch of manual controls, HDR and DRO (dynamic range optimization) photo modes, various customization items (like disabling shutter sound) and even things like support for face detection. Open Camera is quite good. This one is a bit better, but also a bit more complex. You can choose the one you prefer.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
open camera
Price:
Free / $1.99< /p>
Open Camera is one of the most popular camera apps for serious photographers. It has most of the serious features we discussed before. This includes manual camera controls. It also includes a timer, support for some external microphones, HDR, exposure bracketing, and more. It's also a great option for photographers and videographers. The app is completely free with no in-app purchases or ads. It's also completely open source. It's always a plus. There's an optional (and separate) donation app if you want to support the developer.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Pixtica
Price:
Free / $3.99 per year
Pixtica is one of the newer camera apps on the list. It features a bunch of neat little tricks and decent post-processing. Some of the features include live filters, manual controls, exposure control, GIF recorder, slow motion mode, RAW file support, QR code scanner and more. It even comes with a very basic photo gallery and editor. We love its wide range of features and all-in-one style. However, it does require a subscription for some features, and your stock camera app can probably do the post-processing even better.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Joe Hindy / Android Authority< /p>
More app listings here:
Best mobile camera add-ons you can get right now
5 Best Nikon Apps for Android
5 Best Canon Apps for Android
ProCam X
Price:
Free / $4.99
ProCam X is one of the newer camera apps on the list and it does a pretty reasonable job. It focuses more on business features than filters and social media styling elements. The app includes burst mode, face recognition, 4k video recording support, and RAW format support. Additionally, there are manual controls (if your device supports it), the ability to mute shutter sound, and a few camera modes like a scene mode or focus mode. It ticks a lot of boxes for a good third-party app, and the post-processing isn't bad at all. Moreover, the premium version is not that expensive.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
SayCheese
Price:
Free / Up to $13.99
Another kind of camera app is SayCheese. It is a remote camera app with cool features. It lets you connect to a friend's phone and take pictures with their camera on your device. It's a great solution for situations where you want to take a group photo but don't have anyone to do it for you. The app is in early access beta at the time of writing, so there are a few bugs. However, it worked pretty well in our testing and we suspect more updates will add more stability.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
single camera
Price:< /p>
Free
Simple Camera is a simple camera app. It has a simple user interface and it doesn't get bogged down with a ton of extra features. You can take photos with the front and rear cameras, change where photos are saved, and limit the resolution if needed. That's about it, really. We don't recommend it for people looking to improve their photographs. However, we'd recommend it to someone who's constantly confused and irritated by the complexity of new camera apps and doesn't mind a drop in photo quality for something simple that works. We'd recommend Google Camera before that, but it's another decent, super minimal option without a lot of frills.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Snap Camera HDR
Price:
Free / $1.99
Snap Camera HDR is a good compromise for amateur and serious photographers. There is support for manual camera controls, 4K video recording, RAW support, HDR, and file size options. It also includes fun shooting modes, effects, borders, color effects, and vignettes. There are camera apps that do manual controls a little better and apps that do fun filters and a little better. It's rare to find an app that does both as well as this one. Be sure to try the free version before purchasing the pro version.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
VSCO
Price:
Free with in-app purchases / $19.99 per year
VSCO is a popular and somewhat powerful camera app and photo editor. The camera side is a bit simple and not as powerful as your native phone camera app or others here. However, the photo editor side is among the best in all mobiles. It has a variety of filters, effects and settings. Moreover, it also contains most of those same videos for video content. Perhaps its most unique feature is its ability to emulate a multitude of other cameras. However, this app is quite expensive and many of its coolest features hide behind a $19.99 per year paywall.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Your standard camera app
Price:
Free
Each phone comes with its own camera app. You should definitely give this app a good shot. Manufacturers develop these apps specifically for your device's camera. There are often features these apps have that others don't. For example, manual focus of the
LG V50
makes everything in focus green glow. So you visually see where the camera is focused. We really recommend changing your camera app to expand your feature set rather than replacing it. Each app on this list works best when used with the stock camera app. You usually leave features at the door if you're not using them.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY!
Thanks for reading! Also try these:
10 Best Cloud Storage Apps and Services for Android
10 best gallery apps for android
If we missed any of the best camera apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments! Consult all our
best apps and games lists here
.
Apps
Best Apps
,< /p>
Camera
,
Google Apps
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