Smartphone cameras are a lot larger than before. Companies are making their cameras more stable, functioning better in low light, and adding features they like.. Many would base their buying decisions on-camera power. The argument is that cameras are critical these days for mobile devices.
This generally makes camera apps better than applications from third parties. OEMs simply know better and better optimize their camera settings. This is particularly true for Google, Samsung, and Huawei phones, which together with camera hardware use AI and software optimization. Still, in some cases, a third-party app can be useful. Here are the best Android camera apps!
Lastly, note that newer versions of Android will force the stock camera app to be used anyway. It’s just something to consider. Motion Cam (Google Play link) is also an honorable mention because it has some nice ideas but is beta as of the time it’s published.
Top 15 Best Camera Apps for Android in 2023
1. Your stock camera app
Each phone has its own camera app. You can certainly shake the app equally. The manufacturers explicitly design these apps for the camera on your computer. Often these apps have functionality that others don’t. For eg, the manual focus in the LG V50 makes something green with focus glow. So you see where the camera is concentrated. We suggest that you update the camera app to extend rather than uninstall your feature set. Every app on this list will do better when used next to the camera stock app. Typically you leave features at the door unless you use them.
2. VSCO
VSCO is a common and very efficient photo editor and camera application combination. The camera side is a bit straightforward and not as strong as your native phone or other camera program. The photo editor side is however one of the best in cell phones. There are a number of filters, effects and settings. Moreover, several of these same videos are also available for video content. Perhaps his special attribute is his ability to mimic a large number of other cameras. However, this program is very costly and many of its most attractive features are behind an annual payroll of $19.99.
3. HDR Snap Camera
The Snap Camera HDR is a strong link between serious photographers and amateur photographers. Manual camera controls, video 4K capture, support for RAW, HDR and file size options are supported. Funny shooting modes, effects, borders, colors and vignettes are also included. There are camera apps that do a little better manual controls and apps that make fun filters and so better. It’s uncommon to find an app that does both. Before purchasing the pro edition, try the free version.
4. Simple Camera
Simple Camera, well is a simple app for the camera. It has a no-frills user interface and does not include a lot of additional features. You can take pictures from both front and rear cameras, adjust where images are saved and if necessary, restrict your resolution. That’s just about it. We do not recommend this to people who want to enhance their images. However, we’d advise someone who is constantly frustrated and annoyed about how complicated new camera apps are and don’t care about the quality of the picture for something quick that works. Google Camera would be recommended before this, but it’s another decent, super minimal option without much fuss.
5. Say Cheese
SayCheese is another form of camera program. It’s a remote camera app with some good features. It enables you to connect to the phone of a friend and take images on your smartphone with your camera. This is a very good solution for circumstances where you want to take a group shot, but don’t have anyone to take for you. The app is beta in early access when it’s written, so there are some bugs. It has performed very well in our research, however and we expect that further changes would bring stability.
6. ProCam X
ProCam X is one of the newest camera apps on the list and does very good work. It relies more on professional features rather than on filters and types in social media. The software consists of burst mode, facial recognition, 4K video recording support and RAW support. There are also manual controls (if your system supports it the ability to turn the shutter sound off, and many camera modes, such as scene mode or focus mode. It hits several check boxes for a good third-party app and it’s not a bit bad after processing. Moreover the standard version is not all that pricey.
7. Pixtica
One of the newer camera apps in the list is Pixtica. It has a lot of fun little tricks and a good post-processing. Some features include live filters, hand controls, exposure controls, a GIF recording system, slow motion mode, RAW support, and QR code scanner. It also features a very simple photo editor and gallery. We like its broad range of characteristics and its all-in-one style. However some features include a subscription and your camera app can still do better post processing.
8. Open Camera
Open Camera is one of the most common apps for serious cameras. It has most of the essential features we spoke about before. Manual camera controls are part of that. There is also a timer, external microphones support, HDR, exposure bracketing and more. It’s also a perfect choice for photographers and videographers alike. The software is completely free without purchasing in-app or ads. It’s totally open source as well. That’s a plus still. If you want to help the creator, there is an optional (and separate) donation application.
9. Google Camera
Google Camera is the official camera software of Google. It’s the one on most Google computers. It has a limited but powerful range of characteristics. They have lenses blur mode, slow movement, picture spheres, video stabilization, etc. Compatibility is the only drawback. You can only do this on Android 7.1.1 and up devices (at the time of this writing). And later on, this is only likely to be seen by smartphones running the new Android. If not, it’s free and it’s very good. If you want the best features of Google Camera, you might want to sideload a modified version for your computer.
10. Pro Filmic
Filmic Pro is one of the newer Android camera apps. It’s also this list’s most expensive camera app. It also has several special characteristics. This requires some very detailed manual inspections. For eg, it has a double exposure and focus slider, a white balance adjustment matrix and a gamma curve monitor. It also includes some additional analytics, live RGB power, and much more. This was a very shaky beginning. However the developers seem to take user suggestions and tweak the program to correct bugs actively. It’ll be fine one day, hopefully. Test this carefully within the refund timeframe if you want to check it out.
11. Cymer
One of the older and more common camera apps is Cymera. It focuses more on mainstream characteristics. That means a bunch of filters, stickers, special effects and similar features are available. It also has a feature for a beauty camera. It can add or delete features from your body and face. We are not great fans of such sudden shifts, but each of them. It also contains a small edit photo editor. You can download it free of charge. You can purchase additional items while shopping in-app.
12. Camera MX
Camera MX is one of the pro and most common apps for camera applications. Developers periodically update the app, keeping it up-to-date. It works best with easy things. The app provides a number of shooting modes. You can also take pictures or videos with it. Even a GIF mode is available for making your own GIFs. The integrated photo editor will do the basics. It’s an all-in-one decent solution. Serious photographers may want to look somewhere else. The pro-version of this can also be used as part of the Google Play Pass if you have it.
13. Bacon Camera
We’re going to be honest. When we first saw the term, we figured Bacon Camera was a joke program. This is a legitimately respectable camera program, however. It includes manual controls such as concentration, white balance, compensation for exposure, ISO and more. You get RAW and DNG support as well as conventional JPEG support. It allows manual controls for devices not supported by the Google Camera2 API. We didn’t have test devices that didn’t support it. Other features include GIF support, panorama mode and scheduling. This is surprisingly strong and surprisingly cheap in its pro version.
14. Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop Camera
Technically, Adobe Lightroom is a photo editor and not a camera app. whether it also comes with a built-in camera app. The camera is decent and includes broad keyword features such as HDR, RAW support, and different modes and presets. Moreover, if you need it too, you have the normal collection of manual camera functions. The surprising news is that Adobe Lightroom is actually one of the best smartphone photo editor apps, so you can use the camera app and edit it instantly. In 2020, Adobe launched Adobe Photoshop Camera (Google Play link) with various functions, including various filters, photoshop-real-time effects, automatic sound, portrait mode controls, and more. It’s mainly a social media camera, but overall it’s still a decent choice.
15. A Better Camera
A Better Camera is a remarkably stable camera program. It supports HDR images, panoramas up to 360 degrees, various multi-shot modes, night mode, and video recording functions, of course.. The standard of photography is very good and it has some additional features including elimination of objects if you get your car or something in your accident shot. The pro edition also unlocks some bonus features. This one is a little old and since 2018 hasn’t seen an upgrade. However if the creator supports it actively, he should be on this list.