Blackmagic's pro-level video app lands on Android, but your phone probably can't run it

Blackmagic Design has finally brought its well-praised Blackmagic Camera app to Android. The professional video camera app is free to download, and it offers complete manual controls. These controls aim to make it easier for you to take pro-level cinematic videos from your phone.

In the official press release, Blackmagic Design highlights that the app has the same "operating system" as the high-end digital film cameras the company sells. As for the features it brings, one of the main standouts is the detailed heads-up display (HUD).

This HUD offers fast and easy access to some essential controls, including ISO, white balance, frame rate, and lens selection. There are frame guides, a histogram, and record parameters as well. The Blackmagic Camera app also lets you play with other advanced settings. For example, there's a dedicated settings tab that allows you to dial options like color space, supported codec, and more.

Like the iOS app that launched last year, the Android version lets you capture a video in landscape mode while you hold the phone in portrait orientation. What's more interesting is that the Blackmagic Camera app can seamlessly integrate with Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve. 

While all of these sound nice for a free app, the Blackmagic Camera app currently has limited compatibility. You can only download it from the Google Play Store if you have a Samsung or Google Pixel device. The company hasn't shared which exact phones are compatible, but the recent flagships such as the S24 Ultra, S23 Ultra, Pixel 7 lineup (256 GB Pixel 7 Pro curr. $443.71 on Amazon), and Pixel 8 series can reportedly run it without any issues.