Snapseed Camera Adds Pro Manual Controls And Retro Film Looks On iPhone

Snapseed is no longer behaving like an editing app that occasionally borrows a camera. With the latest iPhone update, Google is making the in-app “Snapseed camera” feel like a first-class feature, not a hidden shortcut.

Until now, the Snapseed camera could only be opened through indirect entry points such as a Lock Screen widget, Control Center, or Camera Control. The change that signals this wider rollout is simple: a dedicated camera icon now sits in the top-right corner inside the app, putting capture alongside editing in the most obvious place.

The camera experience leans into hands-on control. Snapseed has already been adding manual adjustments for exposure and focus, and the new interface makes that intent clearer. A “PRO” toggle appears at the top-left. Switch it on and the viewfinder gains direct access to ISO, shutter speed, and focus, presented as three buttons along the bottom.

Instead of burying those settings in menus, Snapseed uses a dial-like control that can be adjusted away from Auto, continuing a deliberately tactile, skeuomorphic style. It is a visual language that signals “camera” more than “editor,” and it’s consistent across the capture flow.

Some controls have been rearranged in the process. Flash has moved to the bottom-left, while zoom sits on the opposite side, tightening up the viewfinder layout around the settings that matter most when you want to intervene quickly.

What makes the camera feel distinct, though, is how it treats “look” as something you choose at the moment of capture without locking you in. Alongside your saved custom looks, Snapseed offers real-time film emulation styles including KP1 inspired by Kodak Portra 400, KP2 inspired by Kodak Portra 160, KG1 inspired by Kodak Gold 200, KE1 inspired by Kodak E200, FS1 inspired by Fuji Superia 200, FS2 inspired by Fuji Superia 800, FP1 inspired by Fuji Pro 400h, AG1 inspired by Agfa Optima 200, AS1 inspired by Agfa Scala 200, PD1 inspired by Polaroid 600, and TC1 inspired by Technicolor.

Even switching films is treated as part of the experience, with a rewind-style animation. Google’s broader point is that every photo you take carries a full editing stack, meaning the choices made at capture can be changed, fine-tuned, or rolled back later, even after the image is saved to your gallery.

There are also viewfinder color themes available: Editor, Dusk, Negative, Steel, Haze, and Depth.

Snapseed 3.15.0 is available on the App Store now and is free. Google says it is working on updating the Android app, which still lacks the redesigned editor that arrived for iPhone and iPad last year.