Real-Time Camera Effects

Your camera, redrawn live — into art.

Every frame turned into dithered, pixel or ASCII art in real time — the techniques printers used before screens had color. No editing, no waiting.

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  • 39 Presets
  • 26 Algorithms
  • 37 Shapes
  • 19 Palettes
  • Photo & video
The frame redrawn as characters of code The scene rendered in cross-stitch Halftone dots lighting up against black Vertical liquid-glass stripes over the image Neon dithering in magenta and cyan A tight print screen, in black and white The diamond texture of the Glitch Grid filter Night vision, phosphor green

How it works

Four steps, real time

No editing, no waiting. Every effect renders live — on the viewfinder, on the photo you just took, or on anything already in your library.

The filter carousel open on the Code effect, the whole frame turned into characters

Point

  • Open the app
  • Aim at anything
  • Front or back camera
  • Or import a photo or video from your library
The filter carousel open on the Code effect, the whole frame turned into characters

Pick

  • Choose from 26 algorithm modes
  • Layer a shape stamp
  • Adjust the grid and the light
The color palette row open under a dithered subject

Tune

  • Add a color palette
  • Add a vintage look: glow, CRT, VHS, colour fringing
  • Trace the subject with Aura rings
  • Save as favorite
The finished shot with the save button in the toolbar

Capture

  • Shoot photo (up to 2160px) or video (up to 60s)
  • Save & share instantly
  • Send a preset via QR code

Toolkit

Everything in one camera

  • 01 Shape stamps 37 stamps, from plain circles to interlocking tiles
  • 02 Post FX Vintage camera looks: glow, colour fringing, CRT, VHS
  • 03 Custom colour palettes 19 built-in, or make your own — synced via iCloud
  • 04 Capture Photo up to 2160px, video up to 60s
  • 05 Presets and sharing A short code or a QR to scan. No sign-up
  • 06 Personal statistics Yours only, on your phone
  • 07 Languages English · Italiano · Español

Specs

Built for one thing

Hi, this is DitherCam.

DitherCam turns your iPhone camera into a real-time dither, halftone and ASCII art generator — every frame redrawn live, cell by cell. A native iOS app built with SwiftUI by Stefano Fois (KRDESIGN).

A face redrawn live as halftone dots in the DitherCam viewfinder

Capture

  • Live camera, front & back
  • Photo up to 2160px
  • Video up to 60s, loop preview
Nine dither and halftone pattern variants of the same circle

Customize

  • 19 built-in palettes
  • Custom palettes via iCloud
  • Light, Dark & System theme
  • Personal stats, kept on device
A QR code drawn in halftone dots, scattering at one edge

Share

  • Presets as shareable codes
  • Inline QR codes
  • Favorites saved locally

FAQ

No account. No upload. No tracking.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign-up, no email, no password and no account of any kind. You open the app and start shooting.

Are my photos or videos uploaded anywhere?

No. Camera frames and the photos and videos you import are processed on your device and never leave it. Nothing you shoot is sent to a server: there is nowhere for it to go. What you shoot stays in your hands.

Does the app track me?

No analytics, no advertising SDKs, no advertising or device identifiers. The app integrates no third-party services at all, so there is nothing collecting your behavior in the background.

Then why does it ask for camera and photo access?

Because the effects need something to draw. The camera feeds the live viewfinder, photo library access lets you import an existing photo or video, and write access is used only in the moment you tap Save. Every one of them is used on your device and nowhere else.

Does it work without an internet connection?

Yes. All 26 algorithms run on your device, so shooting, tuning and saving work in airplane mode. iCloud syncs what you set up — your palettes and custom effects, your favorites, the theme and the language — across your own devices. Your photos and videos are never part of it.

Are there subscriptions or in-app purchases?

None. No subscription, no in-app purchase, no paywalled effect, no account system. Every algorithm, shape, palette and Post FX is there from the first launch.

What happens when I share a preset?

A preset is a short text code, also shown as a QR you can point a camera at. It travels as plain text through whatever app you like — no server, no account, no upload — and it carries only effect settings: never a photo, never anything about you.

Read the full privacy policy

Achievements

For whoever keeps shooting

Goals that unlock as you use the app, starting with the first shot. They are counted on your phone and seen by nobody else — there is no leaderboard, and nothing to compete for.

  • First shot
  • A hundred photos
  • The whole catalogue
  • Seven days
  • and more

Roadmap

What comes next

  1. On the drawing board

    New redesign

    A rework of the interface: the same controls, closer to your thumb. The effects — and everything you have already shot — stay as they are.

  2. Exploring

    Android

    A native Android version, so the effects stop being tied to one platform.

  3. In progress

    More filters

    New algorithms and shape stamps arrive with updates. Twenty-six modes is where this starts, not where it stops.

Download

Available on iPhone

Download on the App Store

On the App Store · iOS 16+ · iPhone only · Android version coming soon

DitherCam is free, with no ads and no account. Buy me a coffee