Google Has Developed an IPhone Camera App That May Be Even Better Than Apple’s.
In 2012, Google acquired the excellent photo editor Snapseed—shortly after Apple named it one of the best apps of the year —and despite its many features and being completely free, it remains one of Google’s lesser-known apps. However, that may soon change. The latest Snapseed update for iOS, version 3.15.0, includes a full-fledged camera app—and arguably, it’s better than Apple’s default Camera app. It certainly offers more manual control over shooting, as well as a full suite of integrated editing features.
Using the Built-in Snapseed Camera on iPhone
After installing or updating Snapseed to the latest version, you’ll see a new camera icon in the upper right corner. You can start a session by opening an existing image as usual, but you can also take a new photo by clicking here:
If you want to make it easier to launch the camera, you can add it to your lock screen: long-press the lock screen of your iPhone, tap “Customize,” then choose a location for the shortcut and select “Camera” under “Snapseed.” You can also use the shortcut in Control Center if you prefer.
After you’ve navigated through the introductory screen and granted Snapseed access to your iPhone’s camera, you’ll need to choose one of the classic preset film modes to get started, though you can customize the look of your photos later. There are 11 different Film Simulation modes available—simulating Kodak, Fuji, Agfa, Polaroid, and Technicolor—and each offers slightly different variations in color, contrast, texture, and tone. You can tap the film selector at the bottom of the camera interface (it looks like a rewind button) to change the mode at any time.
Your saved effects and adjustments are also included in the Film Selector and can be used as preset filters for your images. In the main image editor, after applying the desired adjustments to a photo, you can click “Effects” > “Add Effect” to save it and access it in the camera.
In the upper left corner of the camera interface is a Pro switch, which provides some controls not available in the standard iPhone camera. Three new settings appear on the screen: ISO, shutter speed, and focus. You can change any of them by selecting the desired setting and using the dial below it. There are also controls for the flash (left) and zoom (right). In addition to the large shutter button, there is a button for switching cameras (bottom right), a button for returning to the photo library (bottom left), and a button for choosing a screen theme (top right). Tap it to choose a different color scheme for the screen.
You’re not limited to the look of your Snapseed photos: all the adjustments made by your film preset, from exposure to curves, can be tweaked later. Select a photo in the main library screen, then use the Favorites and Tools tabs to make adjustments.
Most filters and effects are applied by adjusting the slider below the image. The layers button (two squares) at the top accesses the current editing stack, and the undo button is on the left. When you’re satisfied with the result, you can save the image over the existing one or create a copy.
This is an interesting new addition to the suite of excellent third-party camera apps available for iPhone, and another alternative to Apple’s default app. Meanwhile, Android users have every right to feel left out: Snapseed for Android hasn’t been updated since May 2024 and lacks both the camera features and the latest updated editing interface now available on iPhone.