# Best Camera App for Samsung Galaxy A55

> The Galaxy A55 has a 50MP OIS camera, but no Expert RAW and no RAW for any app. What a camera app can still add, and where Samsung's own camera wins.

Source: https://www.sensepose.com/blog/best-camera-app-for-samsung-galaxy-a55
Updated: 2026-10-12

The Galaxy A55 sits one tier below Samsung's flagships: a large 50MP main sensor
with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 4 nm Exynos 1480. What it doesn't get is
**Expert RAW**, Samsung's multi-frame RAW app, which stays on the S-series and
the foldables. And the gap goes further: the A55 doesn't save RAW in its own Pro
mode, and it doesn't give third-party apps RAW access either.

That decides what any camera app can do here. On a standard A55, no third-party
app can merge RAW frames the way Expert RAW does. **SensePose** doesn't try to:
it's a point-and-shoot AI camera app for Android that takes a single photo and
enhances it on the phone, with better color and tone, cleaner low light, and AI
face enhance on supported phones. It has no manual exposure and doesn't need
RAW. It's free to start on Google Play and runs on Android 8.0+.

The honest summary: Samsung's own camera is the better default on the A55 for
daylight, night, video and anything that moves, because One UI runs its own
multi-frame HDR and Night mode. SensePose is an option if you want a different
look on everyday stills: a Natural or Punchy color and tone pass, plus AI face
enhance.

## What the Galaxy A55 camera hardware actually is

- **50MP f/1.8 main camera with OIS** on a 1/1.56-inch sensor, far larger than
  the sensors in Samsung's A0x and A1x phones. It bins to about 12.5MP by
  default, and its 2× option is a crop of the same sensor.
- **12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide**, fixed-focus on a much smaller sensor, and a **5MP
  f/2.4 fixed-focus macro**. No telephoto.
- **32MP f/2.2 front camera.** Main and front cameras both record 4K at 30fps.
- **Exynos 1480 (4 nm):** four Cortex-A78 and four Cortex-A55 cores.
- **Software:** launched on One UI 6.1 (Android 14) in March 2024 and has
  reached One UI 8.5 on Android 16, under Samsung's promise of four OS upgrades
  and five years of security updates.
- **Camera access for apps:** manual shutter and ISO, but no RAW. Camera FV-5's
  device database lists the A55's main camera as JPEG-only.

That last line matters most: One UI's camera reaches the sensor through
Samsung's own pipeline, while every third-party app gets processed frames.

## Where a camera app helps on the A55, and where it doesn't

One UI already runs automatic HDR and a multi-frame Night mode on the A55, and
reviewers rate its dynamic range highly. Scene by scene:

| Scene | Stock A55 camera | What SensePose adds | Expected gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright, even daylight | Already good | A different look (Natural or Punchy), not more detail | **Matter of taste** |
| Backlit portrait | Auto HDR can leave faces flat or dim | A tone pass on the same single frame, plus AI face enhance; no exposure control | **Try both** |
| Mixed indoor light (window plus lamps) | Auto can meter for the wrong part of the frame | Tone enhance and a mild denoise; no exposure control | **Try both** |
| Dim rooms, night | Night mode runs multi-second handheld exposures | A single frame with a mild denoise, no Night mode | **Use stock** |
| Kids, pets, sports, video, zoom, macro | Stock handles these | Not what SensePose is for | **Use stock** |

That's a smaller role than on a Galaxy A06 or A16, in line with how our
[best camera app for Samsung Galaxy](/blog/best-camera-app-for-samsung-galaxy)
guide grades the A3x-A5x tier.

## Expert RAW, and why the A55 can't shoot RAW at all

Expert RAW is a separate Samsung camera app that captures several RAW frames,
merges them into one DNG, and adds full manual controls with a histogram.
Samsung offers it only on its Galaxy S-series and Z Fold and Z Flip phones. No
Galaxy A model is supported, the A55 included. And there's no other RAW route on
the A55 either:

- **Stock Pro mode saves JPEG only.** It gives you manual controls but no RAW
  option, as reviewers including Amateur Photographer have noted.
- **Third-party apps get no RAW either.** The A55 doesn't expose RAW through
  Camera2, so Open Camera can't save DNG on it. Firmware updates could change
  that; a free Camera2 checker shows what your unit reports.
- **Sideloading doesn't fix it.** Skip "Expert RAW APK" downloads from mirror
  sites: no verified publisher, no updates, and they depend on flagship camera
  paths the A55 doesn't appear to expose.

So an A55 owner can get half of Expert RAW: exposure control, by hand in Pro
mode, but not the merge. If RAW matters to you,
[how to shoot RAW on Android](/blog/how-to-shoot-raw-on-android) explains how to
check any phone before you buy it.

## GCam on the Galaxy A55: no RAW means no real HDR+

There's no official Google Camera build for Samsung, so every "GCam for Galaxy
A55" is an unofficial port of an app written for Pixel hardware. On the A55:

- **HDR+ is built on RAW frames.** GCam's headline feature merges a burst of RAW
  frames, and the A55 gives third-party apps no RAW. A port may install and take
  photos, but don't expect the HDR+ results ports are known for. Our
  [Camera2 API hardware level guide](/blog/camera2-api-hardware-level-check)
  shows how to check what your unit reports.
- **Configs and updates are a gamble.** Every port needs a config tuned to the
  sensor and chip, a well-tested one for the A55 may not exist, and any One UI
  update (6.1 to 8.5 so far) can stop a working port.
- **A working port still meters on auto.** You get Google's processing, not live
  exposure control.

If a port won't run, [GCam port not working](/blog/gcam-port-not-working-alternative)
explains why, and [GCam vs AI camera app](/blog/gcam-vs-ai-camera-app) compares
the two approaches.

## Realistic camera app options for the A55

| | Exposure control | RAW on the A55 | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Stock One UI camera** | Auto, plus a manual Pro mode | None: Pro mode saves JPEG | Daylight, night, video, motion, zoom |
| **Open Camera** (free) | Manual sliders, no AI | None: the phone exposes no RAW to apps | Free manual control; checking what your unit supports |
| **GCam port** (unofficial) | Locked to auto | None, so no RAW-based HDR+ | Tinkerers willing to match configs |
| **SensePose** (free to start) | Auto (point-and-shoot) | Not needed: it enhances a single frame on-device | Everyday stills with a Natural or Punchy look |

Every third-party app on the A55 starts from the same processed frames. The
difference is who sets the exposure: Google's auto (GCam), you (Open Camera or
Pro mode), or the phone's auto plus an on-device enhance pass (SensePose). More in
[Open Camera vs AI Pro Mode](/blog/open-camera-vs-ai-pro-mode).

## What SensePose does, and doesn't do, on the Galaxy A55

1. **On-device enhance: runs.** It takes a single photo and enhances it on the
   phone: better color and tone, and a mild denoise. It doesn't need RAW or
   manual controls, so it works on the A55. Press and hold a photo to see the
   original.
2. **AI face enhance: runs.** The A55 is an arm64 phone with more than 3 GB RAM,
   so it gets the AI face enhance pass after a one-time download.
3. **Manual exposure, RAW and multi-frame merge: not in SensePose.** It's
   point-and-shoot on every phone, not only the A55.

What it won't do: it isn't built for action, so use the stock camera for
anything that moves. It can't change the hardware: the ultra-wide and macro keep
their small sensors, and there's no telephoto. And it only enhances photos you
take in it; it can't fix shots already in your gallery.

A note on the name, since it misleads people: SensePose is a camera app, not a
pose-estimation, skeleton-tracking or motion-capture library, and it's unrelated
to DensePose and SenseTime's 2017 SensePose technology.

## Best camera settings for the Galaxy A55

- **Tap 2×, then stop.** The 2× option crops the 50MP sensor and holds up;
  reviewers found shots past it turn smudgy. With no telephoto, walk closer.
- **Keep the default 12.5MP for most shots.** Binning four pixels into one gives
  cleaner low-light files, and 50MP files are much larger. Save 50MP for bright,
  static scenes.
- **Let Night mode handle the dark.** One UI switches to it in low light and can
  run multi-second handheld exposures, far longer than third-party apps get on
  this phone. The [low-light and night camera guide](/blog/best-low-light-night-camera-app)
  goes deeper.
- **Turn off Scene optimizer if greens and skies look pushed.** Reviewers found
  A55 color more saturated than a Pixel 8a's, and Scene optimizer adds
  scene-based boosts on top. See
  [camera app without over-processing](/blog/camera-app-without-over-processing).
- **Use the main camera for close-ups.** The ultra-wide is fixed-focus, and so is
  the 5MP macro, which is only sharp at one distance.

Comparing models? The [Galaxy A56](/blog/best-camera-app-for-samsung-galaxy-a56)
is the A55's successor, and the
[Galaxy A35](/blog/best-camera-app-for-samsung-galaxy-a35) launched beside it
one step down.

## FAQ

### What is the best camera app for the Samsung Galaxy A55?

For most shots, the stock Samsung camera. One UI runs its own multi-frame HDR and
Night mode, and the A55 gives third-party apps no RAW access, so they can't merge
RAW frames to beat it. If you want a different look on everyday stills, add
SensePose: it enhances each photo on the phone with a Natural or Punchy look and
AI face enhance. It's point-and-shoot, with no manual exposure. SensePose
is free to start on Google Play and runs on Android 8.0+.

### Does the Galaxy A55 have Expert RAW?

No. Samsung offers Expert RAW only on its Galaxy S-series and Z Fold and Z Flip
phones, and no Galaxy A model is supported. The Galaxy Store won't list it for
the A55, and unofficial APK copies come from unverified publishers and depend on
camera access the A55 doesn't appear to provide.

### Can the Galaxy A55 shoot RAW?

No. The stock camera's Pro mode gives you manual controls but saves JPEG only,
and on current firmware the A55 doesn't expose RAW to third-party apps through
Camera2 either. So Open Camera can't save DNG on it, and RAW-merging apps
can't run. (SensePose doesn't shoot RAW on any phone; it enhances a single
photo.) If editing RAW files matters to you,
check a phone with a free Camera2 checker before you buy it.

### Can I install GCam on the Galaxy A55?

You can try, but there's no official Google Camera build for Samsung, so every
option is an unofficial, sideloaded port that usually needs a matching config
file. GCam's HDR+ is built on RAW frames and the A55 gives apps no RAW, so don't
expect the HDR+ results ports are known for. One UI updates can also break a
working port, and even a working one locks you to auto exposure.

### Will a third-party camera app make a visible difference on the A55?

Usually a small one. One UI already runs automatic HDR and a multi-frame Night
mode on the A55, and no third-party app can merge RAW frames on it. A
third-party app mostly changes the control or the look: manual sliders in Open
Camera, or an on-device color and tone pass in SensePose. In daylight and at night, the
stock camera is usually as good or better.

### Galaxy A55 vs A56: is the camera upgrade worth it?

For photos alone, the step is small. Both phones use a 50MP 1/1.56-inch main
camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 5MP macro, and neither gets Expert RAW.
The A56 moves to the newer Exynos 1580 and drops the selfie camera from 32MP to
12MP. Upgrading won't close the software gap.

### Is SensePose free on the Galaxy A55?

It's free to start. The first 5 enhanced photos are free; after that, photos
still save free at full resolution, and one small payment unlocks enhanced
photos forever, with no subscription and no watermark. It doesn't need RAW, so
it works the same on the A55 as on other phones. SensePose is on Google
Play (`com.profazia.sensepose`), Android 8.0+, from maker
Profazia.

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