In early 2026, Snapseed underwent a significant overhaul. Google refreshed nearly every aspect of the app for Snapseed 4.0 and added an in-app camera with spectacular film effects.
Since then, I’ve started using Snapseed as my primary camera on my Google Pixel 10 Pro. Its film effects removed the sterile results I had become accustomed to and made regular photos a touch more interesting. However, there’s a new competitor, Lvma.
Snapseed ended my search for a better camera app
But I needed something similar
Lvma (pronounced “Luma”) is not an original app idea. Camera apps that add film effects have been around for years, but they’ve never caught on for me.
The problem with most third-party camera apps was that they were overstuffed with features. It was fun to take silly photos with fun stickers or effects, but they were frustrating for standard photography.
Other apps tried to create a “professional” photography experience, but never felt as user-friendly as the default camera app on any Android phone I’ve used.
So when Snapseed 4.0 came along, I rediscovered the fun of using simple film filters for photography. Snapseed is packed with advanced editing tools, but these are subtly hidden away during regular photography.
I found Snapseed better and easier for photography than the Pixel Camera app. However, I wasn’t taking advantage of its editing tools.
What I wanted was Snapseed without the editing tools. Enter Lvma
Lvma is the best camera app with film features I’ve tried
Simple and powerful
Lvma’s developers took the minimalist film-effect camera idea and built it into a dedicated app.
It would be an insult to the developers to call it a copy. Lvma is built from the ground up to be a unique app. However, I can’t help but compare the two, especially as Lvma is better for me.
Lvma lacks complex editing tools, but that’s fine. I only edit photos for product photography; for personal use, I point and shoot.
Lvma also lacks the professional touch Snapseed has. Lvma filters have names like “Arctic,” “Sepia,” or “Noir.” For those looking for specific effects, Snapseed’s filter-building approach, inspired by real cameras, is more appealing.
But for everyday social media photos or holiday snaps, Lvma has us covered.
Lvma puts more relevant options front-and-center
The tools I need, where I need them
Snapseed’s camera interface is simple. By default, the only visible options are flash, zoom (locked to 0.5x, 1x, and 5x), camera switch, and the film selector.
Lvma presents all these options, but adds an exposure slider and includes a zoom slider instead of a selector. Exposure is a useful tool to have at my fingertips, and a zoom slider is more useful than a selector.
However, for more precise controls, Lvma includes a Pro mode with a zoom selector alongside advanced tools like black/white balance and shutter speed.
The overall experience is one of simplicity. Yes, there are advanced camera controls, but the experience is designed to make taking a photo as easy as breathing.
Everything I need is at my fingertips, and if I want an extra touch, it’s just a button press away.
Snapseed’s filters are more advanced, but Lvma delivers the basic idea better
Not everyone needs infinitely customizable film effects
One of Snapseed’s best features is that it allows you to create and shoot with custom filters. After editing a photo, you can save the edit settings as a new filter to get the same effect each time.
It’s a powerful tool, and I use it for product photography when I need subtle tweaks each time.
Lvma also offers a custom filter creator, but it’s less advanced. After testing it, I couldn’t create anything substantially different from the 11 preset filters. But it’s useful to have if I decide later that a filter needs a touch more brightness.
These filters are fantastic. Just like Snapseed’s, they do a lot with a little. Some are potent, but Lvma knows this and offers variations on the strongest filters.
Lvma is a simpler step towards more interesting photography
Snapseed has more features, more filters, and more editing tools. It’s a complete professional photo editor.
But most of us don’t need a complete professional photo editor. What most of us need is a simple way to inject life back into the sterile photos modern Android devices take.
Lvma is not a Snapseed replacement. Far from it. It’s a replacement for is the default camera app on any Android phone. It’s still in early development, but it is free to download and use.
