Camera2 API: how to check what your phone's camera supports
Whether a camera app can give you manual shutter, ISO, focus or RAW depends on what your phone exposes through Android's Camera2 interface. Here's what the hardware levels and capabilities mean, and how to check yours.
What Camera2 is
Camera2 is the part of Android that camera apps use to talk to the camera hardware. Each phone maker decides how much of it to support, and that decides what third-party camera apps can do: manual shutter and ISO, RAW, manual focus, high frame rates, which lenses are available.
It's reported per camera. The main camera might support everything while the ultra-wide or telephoto supports much less.
Hardware levels: Legacy to Level 3
| Level | What it roughly means |
|---|---|
| LEGACY | An older compatibility mode. Basic capture only; manual controls usually unavailable. |
| LIMITED | Somewhere in between. Some features may be present; check the individual capabilities. |
| FULL | Per-frame manual control of exposure, and more predictable behaviour. |
| LEVEL_3 | Everything in FULL, plus RAW capture and reprocessing features. |
| EXTERNAL | An external camera, such as a USB webcam. |
The level is a summary. What an app can actually use depends on the individual capabilities each camera reports.
The capabilities that matter
- MANUAL_SENSOR: manual shutter speed and ISO.
- MANUAL_POST_PROCESSING: control over processing steps such as tone mapping.
- RAW: RAW (DNG) capture.
- Noise reduction and edge (sharpening) modes: whether processing can be turned off or reduced.
- Minimum focus distance: 0 means fixed focus, so there's no manual focus on that lens.
- High-speed video frame rates: what slow motion is possible.
- 10-bit output (HLG and other dynamic range profiles): needed for 10-bit HDR video.
How to check your phone
- Install a Camera2 information app. Search Google Play for "Camera2 API probe". Several free apps list the hardware level and capabilities for each camera.
- Look at each camera ID separately. Phones often list the main, ultra-wide, telephoto and front cameras as different IDs, plus a "logical" camera that combines them.
- Note the hardware level, and whether MANUAL_SENSOR and RAW are listed.
Or just try a manual camera app. Well-behaved apps only show the controls your phone really supports.
What the results mean for camera apps
- FULL or LEVEL_3 with MANUAL_SENSOR: manual shutter and ISO will work.
- RAW listed: DNG capture works on that camera.
- LEGACY or LIMITED without those capabilities: expect automatic exposure only in third-party apps. Your phone's own camera app may still offer more through private interfaces.
- A lens missing from the list: the manufacturer doesn't expose it to other apps.
One Camera does this check for you. It asks the phone what each camera supports and shows only that: no dead switches. So manual exposure, RAW, 4K, 10-bit video and higher frame rates appear only where your hardware allows them. The free version shows which lenses and video modes you get, and the 7-day Pro trial lets you check manual controls and RAW on your phone.
Questions
How do I check if my phone supports Camera2 API?
Install a free Camera2 information app from Google Play (search for 'Camera2 API probe') and check the hardware level and capabilities for each camera. FULL or LEVEL_3 with MANUAL_SENSOR means manual controls will work in third-party apps.
What does Camera2 API Level 3 mean?
LEVEL_3 is the highest hardware level. It includes everything in FULL, meaning per-frame manual control, plus RAW capture and reprocessing support.
How do I know if my phone can shoot RAW?
Check whether the RAW capability is listed for the camera in a Camera2 information app, or look for a RAW or DNG option in a manual camera app. Support often differs between the main camera and the other lenses.