Retro Cam · free
A retro camera with a photo booth
Retro Cam puts Aybuke's 80s, 90s and Y2K effects right in the viewfinder, so you see the look before you shoot. Switch to Retro Booth for four shots with a 3-2-1 countdown, printed as a strip or a 2×2 grid. Free, and made on your device.
Updated 14 October 2026
Retro Cam is the free retro camera inside Aybuke. The effect runs live in the viewfinder, so what you see is what you save, and nothing is uploaded. Think Y2K digicam, 80s home video and 90s disposable in one, with a photo booth built in.
How to take photo booth pictures
Open Retro Cam
Tap Retro Cam on Explore or in the Edit tab. The first time, Aybuke explains why it needs the camera before iOS asks.
Pick an effect
Tap an effect in the strip under the viewfinder, like Digicam '04 or VHS '86, or swipe left or right on the preview.
Switch to Booth
Tap Booth under the shutter. Need time to get everyone in the frame? Set the self-timer to 10 seconds for a longer first countdown.
Strike four poses
Tap the shutter. A 3-2-1 countdown runs before each of the four shots, and the bar at the top shows which shot is next.
Print your strip
Choose Strip or Grid, add a caption and the date if you like, then tap Save, Share or Edit.
Ten effects, live in the camera
| Effect | Era | The look |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable '98 | 90s | Disposable-camera flash, with a date stamp |
| VHS '86 | 80s | Home-video tape colors and scan lines, with a date stamp |
| Digicam '04 | Y2K | A 2000s point-and-shoot, with a date stamp |
| Toy Cam '09 | Y2K | Cross-processed color and dark corners |
| Instant '82 | 80s | Instant film with a white border |
| Throwback '16 | 2010s | The filtered phone look of 2016 |
| Rainbow '17 | 2010s | A band of prism light across the corner |
| Film Still | Film | A movie frame with letterbox bars |
| Camcorder '06 | Y2K | A camcorder with its REC, battery and time display |
| Neon '84 | 80s | Neon-lit night colors |
In Photo mode, the date stamp, letterbox or camcorder display has its own switch at the top of the screen. Glamour '92, Kira Kira and Tiny World aren't in the camera, but you can add them to any photo later in Effects. For an AI take on the Y2K flash, try the Y2K Digicam look (1 credit).
Retro Booth: a photo booth in your pocket
Retro Booth turns Aybuke into a photo booth app. Tap the shutter once and Aybuke counts down 3-2-1 before each of four shots, so you have time to switch poses (and props) in between. Then it prints them on ink-black paper:
- Strip: the classic booth strip, four wide frames stacked.
- Grid: two rows of two portrait frames, like a 4×6 print.
Add a one-line caption of up to 40 characters, the date, both or neither. Aybuke finds the face in each shot on your device and crops the frame around it. Captions pass the same content filter as every prompt in Aybuke.
No booth shots, but a cute photo of you and your besties? The Heart Photo Booth look turns it into a pink-curtain booth picture with heart props, made with AI for 1 credit.
Open it from Siri or Control Center
- Siri: say “Open Retro Cam in Aybuke” or “Start a photo booth in Aybuke”.
- Spotlight and Shortcuts: search for Retro Cam or Retro Booth.
- Control Center: on iOS 18 and later, add the Retro Cam and Retro Booth controls.
- Action button: on an iPhone that has one, set it to open Retro Cam or Retro Booth.
Just the camera, no beauty filter
Retro Cam's effects change color, grain and light, the way old cameras did. There are no beauty filters, and nothing reshapes your face or body. The effects are classic photo processing, not generative AI, so your shots carry no AI label and no watermark.
Free and private
Retro Cam is free on every plan and never uses credits. Your photos stay on your device until you share them; saved shots go to Photos, with a copy in My Works. It works on iPhone and iPad, and on a Mac with a camera, where the Space bar takes the photo. Read how on-device tools protect you on our safety page.
Booth night with friends? Ask before you post, and hide the faces of anyone who'd rather stay offline. Then drop your strip into a photo dump with the collage maker.
FAQ
Retro Cam, answered
Is Retro Cam free?
Yes. Retro Cam and Retro Booth are free on every plan, use no credits and add no watermark. See pricing for what does use credits.
How does the photo booth work?
Switch Retro Cam to Booth and tap the shutter. You get a 3-2-1 countdown before each of four shots, then a print as a strip or a 2×2 grid, with an optional caption and the date.
Can I use the self-timer with the front camera?
Yes. Switch to the front camera and set the self-timer to 3 or 10 seconds. In Booth mode, the timer sets the first countdown and the next shots follow 3-2-1.
Can I open Retro Cam without opening the app first?
Yes. Use Siri, Spotlight or the Action button, or on iOS 18 and later the Retro Cam and Retro Booth controls in Control Center.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. Retro Cam runs on your device, and your photos stay there until you choose to share them.
Get ready to glow
Aybuke is made for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Want early access? Email us and we'll get back to you.
Email for early access