Updated October 2026 by Kamal Nasir
Night camera apps on iPhone take different routes to the dark: some amplify the little light there is, some hold the shutter open for long exposures, and some hand you manual control. A few read the LiDAR scanner on Pro models, which measures depth even in total darkness. Here is what each app does, going by its own App Store listing.
Built around long exposures: astrophotography modes for star trails, meteors, ISS passes, starry skies and an Aurora time-lapse, plus light trails, ISO Boost, Light Boost, noise reduction and manual exposure, ISO, focus and white balance. Version 10 adds handheld long exposures that align frames as you shoot. App Store
Amplifies residual light in real time, with an exposure mode of up to one second, a live luminance histogram, 10x digital zoom and colour filters such as green, red and sepia. Its listing notes that it is not true night vision and needs a minimal level of light. App Store
Uses the LiDAR scanner and the TrueDepth camera to make images in complete darkness, with 2D, 3D point cloud and object outline views, photo and video capture, distance measurement, and live streaming of the view to other devices. Works on iPhones and iPads with a LiDAR scanner or Face ID. App Store
A manual camera app: shutter speed, ISO and white balance by hand, focus peaking and a focus loupe, Process Zero for photos without Apple's computational processing, film-style Looks, and a Tone Fusion slider for pulling detail out of shadows and highlights. App Store
Fourteen night lenses rendered live, plus a LiDAR lens that draws a dark room as measured distance on Pro model iPhones, with no light at all. Capture modes cover Night Photo, Light Trails, Astro, Night Timelapse and Glow, and Photo Rescue brightens dark shots already in your library. The colour lenses brighten the visible-light image; they are not infrared or thermal. About it ยท App Store
Long exposure apps keep the shutter open to collect light, which suits stars, light trails and still scenes. Night vision style apps brighten a live view so you can see and frame in the dark. LiDAR apps on Pro iPhones show depth rather than a normal photo.
Only for LiDAR features, because the scanner is on iPhone 12 Pro and later Pro and Pro Max models and on iPad Pro from 2020. Apps that brighten the ordinary camera image work on other iPhones too.
Our entry in this category: Kamera Pro: LiDAR Night Vision.
Published by Kamal Nasir, the developer of the apps marked Ours. Apps change, so check each one's App Store page for its latest features.