Best Time Lapse Photography Apps in 2023 (iOS & Android)

Time-lapse photography apps let you condense multiple photos into a short video.

We’ve already written a guide on the best time-lapse software for desktop computers, so let’s take a closer look at the time lapse apps for your phone.

iPhone and Android smartphone cameras have built-in time-lapse features but 3rd party apps offer advanced features.

Fortunately, there are several free time lapse apps to choose from, while upgrading can unlock an ad-free experience and pro tools to create time lapse videos.

You should also check out our full guide to time lapse photography and the best time lapse cameras.

What are the Best Time Lapse Photography Apps in 2023?

Time Lapse Camera

There are several free-to-use time-lapse apps available for Android devices, with Time Lapse Camera offering a great selection of tools.

Featuring similar functions to some of the higher-end applications, it’s easy to use and comes with a good selection of custom settings.

Users can fine-tune their time-lapse videos by altering the exposure controls and inputting their own custom interval timers for different results.

Using Time Lapse Camera’s photo mode is intuitive, with the option for unlimited multi-day captures giving it plenty of scope for applications.

You can set a timer and use the maximum video duration feature to alter the time-lapse video, as well as set your frame interval and apply filters.

There’s also the option to convert video into a time-lapse, taking normal-speed footage and compressing the filmed frames to create the time-lapse effect.

Many of these tools are available on the free version, making this a compelling time-lapse app for more casual users who create time-lapse videos occasionally.

Lapse It Pro

For a more comprehensive app for capturing time-lapse videos, there’s Lapse It Pro, which includes all the custom settings you’ll need for high-end results.

While many of these tools are reserved for paying users, the wealth of options makes it among the best time-lapse apps on the market.

There are full manual controls covering everything from exposure and white balance to ISO and focus to enhance the final time-lapse.

Saturation, brightness, and even opacity can be tweaked in the settings, making this a powerful video editing app for those who demand full control.

It’s easy to import time-lapse photos from your camera roll into Lapse It Pro, as well as record videos and set the video speed to the millisecond.

Once you’ve added a photo lapse, there are dozens of impressive filters to choose from along with the option to include an audio track from your phone’s library.

The addition of stop-motion functionality makes this the best time-lapse app for more serious video content creators looking for a comprehensive solution.

Framelapse

As with Lapse It Pro, Framelapse is another great app for creating time-lapse videos with plenty of tools to control the final result.

There’s a wealth of formatting options that cover video lapse factors including the frame interval, video duration, and orientation.

This allows users to establish when to stop recording with a handy built-in time-lapse calculator to save time when setting the duration.

Using the Wizard Mode, it’s easy to automatically set frame intervals and enter sleep mode to save on unnecessary battery use.

Framelapse also supports a long list of file formats for exporting to various platforms, making it ideal for YouTube content creators.

There’s also the prerequisite selection of templates and filters to bring more character and a different aesthetic to the time-lapse videos.

With the option to use 2160p 4K resolution, Framelapse is one of the best time-lapse apps for videographers who shoot videos in high resolution.

Superlapse

For a more bare-bones time-lapse app that nevertheless produces solid time-lapse videos, there’s the easy-to-use and completely free Superlapse.

This simple yet effective app produces time-lapse videos that can be used to capture time-lapse footage with consistent exposure, focus, and white balance.

To create a time-lapse video with Superlapse, simply set the record duration and resolution, then process the footage into your time-lapse video.

Users can also trim their time-lapse projects to remove unwanted objects from the frame and craft the perfect composition.

There are plenty of options for sharing the final video, with support for the major social media channels as well as email and Google Drive.

In addition to basic video adjustments, the Superlapse time-lapse video application also includes colour effects, filters, and background music options.

One of the best time-lapse apps for casual users, Superlapse is a great way for beginners to hone their time-lapse technique with a shallow learning curve.

Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile

Like Superlapse, Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile delivers an appealing, simple process for amateur videographers who want a quick time-lapse video solution.

This free-to-use time-lapse app is exceptionally user-friendly and can be used with existing footage or to record video directly into the app.

While this time-lapse app is limited to shorter videos and controls the frame rate, users have complete control over the frame rate intervals.

There’s the option to change the speed from between 1x and 32x, with the 1x option offering shot stabilization and the use of original audio.

Completed time-lapse videos can be exported at either 720p or 1080p resolution and are easily shared online once rendering has been completed.

While it lacks the extensive filters and effects featured in the best time-lapse apps, it’s a great alternative for quick and easy time-lapse video creation.

Hyperlapse from Instagram

While some of the best time-lapse apps are only available on Android devices, Hyperlapse from Instagram offers iOS users their own dedicated platform.

Most time-lapse video applications rely on static time-lapse camera footage, but Hyperlapse from Instagram takes a different approach to the medium.

This time-lapse app is geared towards fluid time-lapse camera motion at a high frame rate, depicting a wide range of dynamic, fast-paced action.

Footage of running, jumping, and falling can all be run through Hyperlapse from Instagram and smoothed out using the app’s in-house stabilization.

The result is time-lapse footage with a truly cinematic aesthetic that separates Hyperlapse from Instagram from the competition.

With the option to save the finished video to your camera roll or upload it to Instagram and Facebook, it’s the best time-lapse app for social media creators.

PicPac Stop

PicPac Stop is another time-lapse video app that allows users to import videos from their devices as well as record them in the app.

The user interface takes a little getting used to, but once you’re familiar with the layout, navigating through the functions is simple.

After importing your time-lapse camera footage, there are options to convert these to time-lapse videos and edit a range of basic video factors.

PicPac Stop also includes excellent sound control tools, along with the option to focus manually or automatically to adjust the results.

For more adventurous content creators, there’s also the option to produce stop-motion videos, a great addition for budding animators.

If you want to take advantage of the full suite of features in PicPac Stop, you’ll need to upgrade to the pro version, where you can duplicate or merge projects.

With that said, PicPac Stop’s free-to-use version is a solid time-lapse video app with a wealth of great options to explore.

How to Determine the Duration of a Time Lapse Video

Most of the time lapse apps mentioned above will be able to do this calculation for you.

However, understanding the relationship between the shooting interval, the total shooting time, and the desired playback speed is important in order to improve shooting time lapse videos.

Here’s a breakdown of how to calculate the duration of a time-lapse:

1. Determine Your Shooting Interval: This is the time between each shot. For example, if you’re capturing a sunset, you might take a photo every 5 seconds.
2. Determine Total Shooting Time: This is the entire duration for which you’ll be capturing images. For the sunset example, let’s say you plan to shoot for 2 hours (or 120 minutes).
3. Calculate Total Frames Captured:
   • Using the sunset example:
     • 2 hours = 7,200 seconds
     • If you’re taking a photo every 5 seconds:
     • 7,200 seconds ÷ 5 seconds = 1,440 frames
4. Determine Playback Speed: Standard video playback is often at 24 or 30 frames per second (fps). Choose your desired playback speed. For this example, let’s use 24 fps.
5. Calculate Time-Lapse Duration:
   • Using the total frames and playback speed:
     • 1,440 frames ÷ 24 fps = 60 seconds (or 1 minute)

So, if you shoot a 2-hour sunset with a 5-second interval and play it back at 24 fps, your time-lapse video will be 1 minute long.