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How to shoot time-lapse videos on your Android phone

androidpit timelapse header
© Microsoft

Have you ever wanted to shoot time-lapse video on your Android phone? Well, depending on the model you're using, your device may have time-lapse recording built into the camera app: the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and the LG G4 are among the phones that do. If your phone doesn't, there are several third-party Android apps for creating time-lapse video. 

Lapse It

Lapse It is now up to version 4.7 and is one of the best time-lapse apps on the Android platform. It comes with manual controls and a background mode that lets you access other apps while you're recording your footage. You can import existing videos as well as capturing new footage from scratch.

androidpit lapse it
Lapse It offers plenty of functionality. / © NextPit

With a plethora of options — from photo interval times to white balance settings — you can get your videos looking exactly as you want them to. Sign up for a Pro account and you can capture video at a higher definition, resume captures and add sound and special effects to your clips.

TimeLapse

For good quality time-lapses with minimum fuss, the aptly named TimeLapse is worth a look. You simply set the photo interval and the image resolution, and you're good to go — the capture screen has just three buttons for start, pause and stop, and shows a small status bar too.

androidpit timelapse
TimeLapse sticks to the basics. / © NextPit

After the capture part of the process has been completed, you're taken to an equally sparse encoding page where you can choose the frame rate and get your finished video out the other end. If you prefer simplicity to an abundance of features, you'll feel right at home with TimeLapse.

Framelapse

For a free(mium) app, Framelapse has a lot going for it — you can set all of the key parameters for your time-lapse video before you get started, and there are some nice additional features such as a self-timer, white balance and exposure adjustments (although some of these are in-app purchases).

androidpit framelapse
Capture in style with Framelapse. / © Framelapse

The capture screen is the main app screen, and all of the various settings and modes appear as extensions from there. If you like the feel of the app, then the upgrade to the Pro version is probably worth it considering for the extra features you get (such as a sleep timer function).

Overlapse

Overlapse promises "time-lapse made easy", although the idea never seemed all that complicated to begin with. Overlapse works slightly differently to the other apps on this list, in that you take one photo at a time manually — it's designed more for recording objects or buildings over many months or years.

androidpit overlapse
Overlapse helps you line up your shots. / © NextPit

To that end, there's a helpful overlay feature that helps you frame up your shots accurately when you come back to the spot you were standing in before. Pictures are neatly arranged into sets, and the app might work well for you if you have a specific long-term scenario in mind.

Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile

Microsoft has its own powerful time-lapse software in the form of Hyperlapse Mobile. The app is fun and straightforward to use and allows you to import existing video as well as shooting new. 

Other useful features include 'selfie lapses' (for when you want to show your reactions to a skydive or zipline run) and the ability to share time-lapse videos to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter quickly and easily.

androidpit microsoft hyperlapse
Microsoft Hyperlapse for Android is still in beta. / © Microsoft

Which apps do you use for shooting time-lapse video on Android? Let us know in the comments.

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David Nield

David Nield
Writer

David is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about Android apps and gadgets since the earliest days of the platform. He spends most of his time experimenting with phones, tablets and most other types of tech, particularly if it's Google-related.

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10 comments
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  • 1
    america Dec 19, 2019 Link to comment

    hello.
    If you a re looking for the best timelapse app, you probably want to try BeeCut. This is a multi-functional tool that offers different features with basic functions. Try it now BeeCut-how-to-timelapse-a-video.html


  • Jason Lucey 2
    Jason Lucey Sep 24, 2016 Link to comment

    I keep getting a "This content has no audio" error with any time lapse app which causes the video to immediate shut down. How to fix this?

    Liam McCarthy


    • Liam McCarthy 1
      Liam McCarthy Mar 27, 2017 Link to comment

      Yes oh god it bothers me so much. Did you ever figure this out?


  • Moe 1
    Moe Jul 17, 2016 Link to comment

    I cant find the time lapse on my lg g4 do any of you know where it is


  • 1
    Lowell F. Dec 31, 2015 Link to comment

    I am having trouble finding the app on my Samsung S6 Edge+. Can someone point me in the right direction.


    • 1
      Salvador Matta Jr. Jan 29, 2016 Link to comment

      Open camera and the tap mode. Choose Fast Motion. That is what they call time lapse. There is no control on frames rate, but you can shrink it and export the final selection.


  • Ronaldo Pace 1
    Ronaldo Pace Dec 30, 2015 Link to comment

    I guess you missed one I like a lot. Radcam, it used to be called Nexus Camera, it's basically a copy from the open source project from when Android camera had time lapse (4.4 I guess).


  • 1
    Anastasiia Chervinska Aug 3, 2015 Link to comment

    I recommend timelapse app from triladroid for timelapse videos. It is very simple and captures timelapse at 3 different speeds.


  • WhoDunit 3
    WhoDunit Jun 21, 2015 Link to comment

    so how does the built-in time lapse feature work on the LG g4? I can't find it...


    • Lee 16
      Lee Jun 21, 2015 Link to comment

      I can't find it either? on my G4? I've found "Slo-mo" "HD" "FHD" and "UHD" the slo-mo is pointless anyway as it only shows up in slow motion on the device and not when posted to any social sites, it plays at normal speed 😕

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