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The 5 Best Polaroid Filter Apps

Sumia Rafique
Sumia Rafique updated Jun 20, 25

Polaroids represent a nod to the good old days. Today, photos are digital for the most part, but in the old days, you needed a camera and film, and then you had to develop your photographs in specific conditions. Polaroids are a specific type of camera that prints out photos instantly, which was very attractive back then. Even newer versions of Polaroid cameras work in more or less the same way.

But what happens if you like that aesthetic but don't have the right hardware to capture such a photo? In that case, you need a Polaroid filter effect app that will convert your photo into a Polaroid. Let's consider the top options.

In this article:
    1. Filmora: The Best Overall Pick for Polaroid-Style Videos and Photos
    2. Dazzcam: Best for Authentic Vintage Camera Effects
    3. OldRoll: Best for One-Tap Retro Aesthetics
    4. Popoframe: Best for Customizable Polaroid Frames and Layouts
    5. YouCam: Best for Beauty-Focused Polaroid Filters
    1. AI Image to Video
    2. Turn Photos into Polaroids with Templates

Best 5 Polaroid Filter Apps

old polaroid photo free ai image

Let's get right into the meat of the article. Here are our top 5 picks for the best Polaroid filter apps that you can find for your mobile device.

  • Filmora: The Best Overall Pick for Polaroid-Style Videos and Photos with Advanced Editing Tools
  • Dazz Cam: Best for Authentic Vintage Camera Effects
  • OldRoll: Best for One-Tap Retro Aesthetics
  • Popoframe: Best for Customizable Polaroid Frames and Layouts
  • YouCam: Best for Beauty-Focused Polaroid Filters

Let's examine each of these five tools more closely to give you a better idea of why we picked them.

Filmora: The Best Overall Pick for Polaroid-Style Videos and Photos

Filmora
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Filmora Mobile is the perfect app to make your photos look like Polaroids. It is actually a very powerful video editing app with a full stack of helpful tools for image and video editing. You can adjust colors, add filters, and give your photo that old-timey look before you top it off with a Polaroid overlay.

The app also has several very exciting AI tools that can transform photos into Polaroid videos (but more on that later). When it comes to converting photos into Polaroids, Filmora offers three distinct methods for you to explore. Let's explore one by one.

Method 1: Add Polaroid Filters and Stickers

Check out this easy step-by-step guide to convert photos to Polaroids using the app's filters and stickers.

  1. Download and install Filmora on your mobile (Android or iOS).
  2. Open the app and tap on New Project.
    create a new project filmora mobile
  3. Pick an image where you want to add a Polaroid filter and tap on Import.
    import image to convert to polaroid
  4. With the new project created, notice how our photo is not retro enough. We can fix that. Find the Filter section in the bottom menu.
    add filter to image filmora mobile
  5. Tap on the Magnifying Glass icon to initiate the filter search function.
    search for filters in mobile app
  6. Search for Polaroid and pick a filter that you like. Then, accept the changes if you are satisfied.
    pick polaroid filter and add it
  7. Now, find the Sticker tab.
    find and access sticker tab filmora
  8. Search for Polaroid, pick something that you like, and then accept the changes.
    add polaroid sticker overlay filmora mobile
  9. Take a look at this awesome comparison photo.
    polaroid filter and sticker comparison photo

Method 2: Add Polaroid Effects to Photos

If you want to use Polaroid effects, check out this guide.

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  1. Find the Effect tab in the bottom menu.
    activate effect tab using filmora mobile
  2. As with the previous features, search for Polarod, pick something that you like, and accept the changes.
    add polaroid effect to photo filmora
  3. That's it. You're done. Check out this comparison photo to better understand what Filmora can do.
    polaroid effect vs original direct comparison

Dazz Cam: Best for Authentic Vintage Camera Effects

dazz cam top features interface screenshot

Dazz Cam is one of the best Polaroid filter apps with a Polaroid-style camera, aiming to bring the warmth and charm of classic film photography to your phone. It features pretty realistic filters, several retro camera interfaces, and Polaroid-style frames that mimic the days of analog and its aesthetics. It's easy to use, and the results are rather good.

Top Features:

  • Realistic vintage camera simulations like D Classic, D Pola, and similar entries
  • The option to add light leaks, grains, and date stamps
  • A variety of Polaroid frame overlays
  • Old-timey instant film sounds and animations to increase immersion
  • Color correction tools for exposure, contrast, and more
Pros
  • Pros:
  • A very authentic analog look and feel
  • A wide variety of retro camera styles
  • Easy photo snapping with template film filters
Cons
  • Cons:
  • The best premium features require payment
  • The interface can feel a bit cluttered with all the camera options

Compatibility: Android and iOS

OldRoll: Best for One-Tap Retro Aesthetics

oldroll app top features interface screenshot

OldRoll is a neat little film camera app. The developers' goal was to recreate the experience of using those old point-and-shoot cameras. The app nails that nostalgic Polaroid effect, and you can select a specific camera and just snap photos.

Top Features:

  • Several spot-on Polaroid and vintage film camera simulations
  • Instant photo processing with that old photo development effect
  • Easy ways to imprint the date and add film borders
  • No manual editing is needed; you just need to shoot
  • Regular updates with new camera brands and styles
Pros
  • Pros:
  • A very easy learning curve
  • Offers stellar retro effects with zero effort
  • Adds realistic grains, fades, and film tones
Cons
  • Cons:
  • Limited manual control and editing options
  • The free version leaves a watermark

Compatibility: Android and iOS

PoPo Frame: Best for Customizable Polaroid Frames and Layouts

popframe app top features interface screenshot

Popoframe is primarily defined as a creative collage and framing app, but it specializes in Polaroid-style layouts, which is why we are including it on the list. This app is ideal for vintage photo storytelling. Create a cool retro collage with this one in minutes.

Top Features:

  • A few dozen Polaroid-inspired templates for frames
  • Support for photo collages with multiple photos
  • The option to customize background colors and textures
  • A solid library of retro filters and effects
  • A fine selection of text and sticker overlays
Pros
  • Pros:
  • Create retro scrapbook posts perfect for Instagram
  • Layout customization options
  • A very easy interface for beginners
Cons
  • Cons:
  • A lack of advanced editing tools
  • The best features are pay-to-use

Compatibility: iOS

YouCam Perfect: Best for Beauty-Focused Polaroid Filters

youcam perfect top features interface screenshot

YouCam is not exactly a vintage Polaroid filter app. It is actually a selfie and beauty camera app, but it does have retro and Polaroid filters. It offers a juxtaposition of old-timey filters combined with modern face-smoothing and glam makeup features.

Top Features:

  • Some really good Polaroid and retro-themed filters
  • Easy real-time beauty enhancements and adjustments
  • Intuitive AR makeup tools and face reshaping features
  • An easy way to add background blur and bokeh effects
  • An easy-to-use built-in collage maker
Pros
  • Pros:
  • Contrast of new beauty filters with a retro twist
  • Easy and very powerful AI-powered beauty tools
  • Built for instant social media sharing
Cons
  • Cons:
  • Certain effects change too much and reduce realism
  • All the ads in the free version are very distracting

Compatibility: Android and iOS

As you can clearly see, these apps are definitely not the same, and each has specific use cases. The following section will discuss that.

How to Choose the Right Polaroid Filter App for Your Needs?

Let's examine each of the top five Polaroid filter apps and see which type of profession is each of them best suited for.

Polaroid Filter Apps Best Use Cases
Filmora Turn photos into Polaroid-style videos
Dazz Cam Retro photography with basic editing features.
OldRoll Quick and realistic Polaroid photo without the need to adjust complex settings or perform complex edits.
PoPo Frame Make collages with Polaroid frames and layouts.
YouCam Perfect Make old and retro-style selfies by selfie lovers or influencers.

Bonus: Use the Best Polaroid Filter App to Create Polaroid Videos from Photos

If you're curious about creating Polaroid-style videos from photos, you can use Filmora. It allows you to turn images into Polaroid filter videos with AI image-to-video or use easy-to-use templates without AI.

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AI Image to Video

You can access this feature right from the main menu. To create a Polaroid video, follow the steps below.

  1. Open Filmora and access the Image to Video feature from the home screen.
    activate filmora image to video feature
  2. Tap to explore More Templates.
    explore more image to video templates
  3. Navigate to the Game section and select the Cute Polaroid template.
    select cute polaroid template filmora mobile
  4. Now, tap on Generate.
    generate cute polaroid image to video
  5. Pick an image from your device and tap Import.
    import media files image to video
  6. Wait for the AI process to reach 100% and then tap on Save.
    save generated polaroid video to device
  7. Take a look at the comparison. On the left is the video we were able to create, and on the right is the source photo.
    image to video polaroid result gif

Notice how the animated girl in the generated video retains all the features from the original. And now, as you might have imagined, there is one more option to generate stunning Polaroid videos from photos.

Turn Photos into Polaroids with Templates

Filmora offers a lot of project templates to save time and help you create the perfect video. Let's see how this feature works.

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  1. Tap on the Templates section in the main menu.
    tap explore in filmora main menu
  2. Now, tap on the Magnifying Glass Icon to access the search function.
    select search function in template section
  3. Search for Polaroid and pick a template that you like.
    pick a polaroid inspired template filmora
  4. Now, tap on Use.
    tap to make video from template
  5. Each template requires a certain number of media files to be added. Add as many as needed and tap on Import.
    import media files to polaroid template
  6. Review the created video and tap on the Save button to save the video to your device.
    review video from polaroid template filmora

Filmora has many templates for you to explore, so have fun creating something that resonates with you.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the top five Polaroid filter apps. All of them are good, but Filmora clearly stands out, offering several methods to create Polaroid photos and a few to convert photos to Polaroid videos.

Download the Filmora app today on your Android or iOS device and find out why it has millions of users worldwide. If you prefer to work on desktops, you can try the desktop version, which is available for Windows and Mac.

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Best tool for making videos anywhere for all creators!
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