Best Camera Apps 2022: Best Photo Apps for iPhone and Android (2023)

Are you looking for the best camera apps for your iPhone or Android phone? With so many great third-party options available for both platforms, it can be difficult to figure out the best way to update your phone's default camera app, but luckily we've got all the hard work in this guide done for you.

Why upgrade to a third-party camera app? Chances are your smartphone already has great camera hardware. Even mid-range devices have enough photo power for DSLRs to exchange worried looks. Meanwhile, some photographers have seen Android and Apple flagships drop traditional kit entirely.

But the hardware is only one piece of the puzzle. To access the best parts of your camera, you need great apps. Apple prides itself on its elegance and simplicity; Consequently, the main camera app is basic and will leave you wanting more. Luckily, the App Store is full of camera apps for every skill level and use case. Our current top pick for the title of best iPhone camera app is the excellent Halide Mk II.

Android is a more difficult proposition: the wide variety of hardware makes it difficult for developers to support and test their apps; and Android users often do not support premium apps. However, the built-in camera app might be pro-level and feature-packed. If not, there are still articles to be found and we scoured Google Play to discover them. At the moment we think Open Camera is the best camera app for Android.

However, you might be looking for something more special than these SUVs. So here's our pick of the best camera apps for Android and iPhone, whether you need something serious or something fancy to snap some photos just for fun.

Best Camera Apps 2022:

1. Halide Mk II – Pro Kamera (iPhone)

• $11.99 / £11.99 / AU$19.49 per year

Need a professional camera app for iPhone? At Halide, the claim is already in the title. It's no exaggeration, either: the app is packed with tools that squeeze every ounce of performance out of your iPhone's camera, and yet the interface manages to avoid clutter so shouldn't intimidate newcomers.

It's not just the control that impresses with Halide. Of course, you get manual focus and exposure adjustments, an on-screen histogram, a grid, and leveling tools. But the app takes extra steps to help you perfect your photos: a focus magnifier to take sharper photos; top focus and exposure; a pulse-like live depth data view in portrait and portrait modes for objects and pets on older Apple devices.

For professional photographers, Instant RAW will be the standout feature. With the company's in-depth knowledge of photography, it reveals raw photos with a single touch and quickly guides you to something that looks great. If you want, you can record DNG Raw and Smart HDR at the same time. All in all, this is the best camera app for iPhone.

• Download Halide Mk II for iPhone(opens in a new tab)

2. Camera Obscura (iPhone/iPad)

• 4,99 US$/4,99 GBP/7,99 AU$

Obscura Camera is more than just an interface, but it's a good place to start. Everything is designed around dials that match those found on real camera hardware. This haptic touch is fun and makes it a professional friendly and easy to use app.

Even with an iPhone the size of a surfboard, everything should be within reach of a single thumb. The focus and exposure buttons flank the shutter; When playing one, you can use a slider to make quick adjustments. It's a similar story with the main menu, which includes on-screen instructions, white balance, and a timer (three, five, or 10 seconds). The system is less effective when you need to switch between lenses and format options, but that's a minor complaint.

Another nice touch is the built-in library tools hidden behind the main interface. Pull down the entire interface, select a plugin and you can view its metadata and perform actions like duplicate, filter and share. Top marks, then, for an app that lets you shoot like a pro, but also feels good and gives the touchscreen a rare sense of physicality.

• Download Camera Obscura for iPhone/iPad(opens in a new tab)

3. Open Camera (Android)

• £ free

Open Camera is a fan of the software: a pro-oriented camera app that isn't junk. In fact, putting camera customization and control in the hands of any Android device owner, regardless of the quality (or lack thereof) of their device's native camera app, is deeply impressive.

A pop-up menu in the main view provides quick access to various items to enhance your snaps. If your device supports the Camera2 API, you can force Open Camera to use it, which could give you access to a variety of advanced features like manual focus, burst mode, and raw recording.

The app's interface is fit for purpose and its settings can be overwhelming as you navigate through dozens of menus to make adjustments. But once you're done and fully immersed in the footage, especially when you're staring at a screen full of focus-assist tools and crosswalks that are often reserved for only premium apps, none of it matters.

At $10, Open Camera would be a steal. It's free, requires installation, and is the best camera app for Android provided you have the time and inclination to put in the time to set it up.

• Baixar Open Camera (Android)

4. ProCam 8 (iPhone/iPad)

• 7,99 USD/7,99 GBP/12,99 AU$

A lot is happening in ProCam 8. In the default camera mode, there are easy-to-understand manual controls, a timer, and anti-shake. You can quickly select an output format. When adjusting focus, a magnifying glass helps ensure everything is in focus in the right places, while zebra stripes can be added to warn you of overexposure. Everything is fast and accessible, even if the screen is confusing with so many options.

But you can go deeper. Tap the arrow next to the shutter button and you'll discover a variety of additional modes: Time Lapse; Video; burst; slow shutter (for motion blur, light trail and low light); Portrait; 3D There's also an editor with 17 creative lenses to add pizzazz to an app that, on the surface, can seem dry and conventional compared to its iPhone contemporaries.

However, ProCam 8 is best described as straightforward and versatile - the closest approximation to what you could get if Apple decided to create a professional version of its own camera app.

• Download ProCam 8 (iPhone/iPad)(opens in a new tab)

5. ProCam X (Android)

Not to be confused with the similarly named iPhone app above, ProCam X for Android is an entirely separate (and simpler) endeavor. It's best viewed as a premium alternative to Open Camera, with fewer features but more immediacy.

Everything the app offers is at your fingertips. Manual control options are located above the shutter. Next to the shutter button are buttons to adjust the photo mode and switch between the cameras on your device. At the other end of the screen you'll find a share button, HDR toggle, timer, flash controls, and settings.

It's worth working on the settings as they can be annoyingly opaque. You have to figure out what certain options in the cryptic symbols mean. But once you're sorted, you'll find that ProCam X is a fast and efficient app to power up your Android camera.

at least youprobablygo. It worked well with our test phones, but feedback from Google Play suggests that's not the case for all Android smartphones. Fortunately, you can always tryfree light versionand see how it works on your device.

• Baixar ProCam X (Android)

6. Kamera Photoshop (Android/iPhone)

• £ free

The word Photoshop is synonymous with cutting-edge photo retouching software, so it's interesting to see how it's applied to this creative, if often silly, live filter app.

This is fun and fun when you select a filter and morph a scene. If you're the more conservative type, you can settle for making your lunch a little prettier or replacing the sky with whatever bluer you desire. But something far more creative lurks in the lurch, including dazzling pop art, glitches and giant lollipops to spice up the landscape.

The camera part doesn't win any prizes. There's a self-timer, flash control, and aspect ratio switch. But everything is responsive, impressive considering what's going on, and you can always bypass the camera by loading existing snaps and using the app as a filter editor.

Android owners should be aware of a catch: app support on this platform is oddly spread out and limited to specific devices. Exactly why Adobe is involved in this kind of "leaking" we don't know.

• Baixar Photoshop-Camera (Android)
• Download Photoshop Camera (iPhone)(opens in a new tab)

7. Classic Hypstamatic (iPhone/iPad)

• 2,99 US$/2,99 GBP/4,49 AU$

If you've used an iPhone for years, you'll recall that all apps mimicked real-world materials. That trend has long since given way to pure minimalism, but the Hipstamatic Classic is a throwback. In this case, that's a good thing, as the app aims to recreate the analog photography experience.

They define settings that are a combination of lens, film and flash. When it comes to recording, it uses a camera interface that looks exactly like the real thing, save for an enlarged viewfinder. Snapshots can be read in the app, like a kind of developed filmstrip. It is fun.

Cleverly, however, the Hipstamatic camera is more than just a toy. When you photograph something, the app saves the original along with the filtered image. There is a pro camera mode with manual settings for shutter, ISO, exposure, zoom, focus and white balance. Is it enough to replace the pro-oriented iPhone camera apps elsewhere on this list? Not quite. But these features are a thoughtful and genuinely useful addition to one of the best camera apps out there, and a lot more than meets the eye.

• Baixar Hipstamatic Classic (iPhone/iPad)(opens in a new tab)