Smartphones have been getting better in a variety of departments. Nowadays, every smartphone out there has anywhere between 2 to 4 or more rear cameras. The new smartphones capture high-quality images and are also able to make use of the various lenses on the phone. Also, everyone is out there capturing and sharing images as they contain moments, emotions, and feelings. Even with smartphones taking high res images, not everyone uploads them without editing the image. So, today, we will be taking a look at the best photo editing apps available for Android as well as for iOS.
Now, most smartphones will have a default image editor. Sure, it is good enough for performing all the basic adjustments to photos – but deep down we all know that the built-in photo editor isn’t that great and it lacks a ton of features and even filters for that matter. But, when you look into your device’s respective app store and search for editing apps, it can be a bit confusing given that there is a sea of choices to choose from. Well, you will not have to worry anymore as we have sorted and picked up the best photo editing apps that you can use on your Android or iOS devices. Let’s get started.
Best Photo Editing Apps for Android and iOS
Snapseed
Snapseed is the go-to photo editing app that is completely free and on top of that is developed by Google. This is a simple and easy-to-use app that has all the best options. From fine-tuning the image to being able to apply various filters and most important of all being the first app to support RAW image formats. This is a good app for anyone who has an average idea of how to edit images. However, the app can be super useful if you are someone who edits photographs professionally and you can get outstanding outputs from your edits. The only drawback about the app is that it has become old and hasn’t been updated for a long time.
PicSay
Now, if you wanted a simple yet powerful photo editor for your Android device, PicSay is the app to use. This is a small lightweight app that is perfect for low-end devices. The editor lets you perform all the basic adjustments and has a good selection of filters. You can also add stickers to your images and also remove objects or certain parts from your image. The paintbrush tool is perfect as you can use the color picker tool to pick the color surrounding the particular object in your image and simply paint over it. The free version comes with ads. However, you can purchase the Pro version for a one-time fee and not receive any ads for life.
- Price: Free / Paid
- Platform: Android
Picsart
Picsart is an app that was super popular in 2012. Of course, it grew on to be one of the most used photo editing apps by everyone. You would find this app installed on almost everyone’s phone. This was the go-to app to do almost any type of edit. Whether it was a simple brightness and contrast adjustment, adding filters, or to even doing double exposure edits. While Picsart reached its peak back then, in the following years it started to drop to its lowest. The app now has a weird recurring subscription system with all of the features that were earlier free now locked behind a paywall. The app is still useful, but the subscription implementation seems to be putting a lot of people off.
Adobe Photoshop Camera Filters / Portrait Lens
Adobe is a popular company that has developed many high-end programs. One of the popular ones out there is Adobe Photoshop. Of course, there is the standalone Photoshop app available for mobile devices, but the Photoshop Camera Filters app is the one we will be talking about. The app lets you see edits in real-time- meaning that you can see the output live before even capturing the image. You can make use of several different filters, adjust the bokeh, color temperature, lighting, and also image retouching. Photoshop Camera also lets you make use of lenses and filters that have been created by popular influencers. If you feel like you are missing out on a few features, you can simply install the standalone Photoshop app available for Android and iOS.
Photoleap Editor
iOS users might recollect an app called Enlight. Yes, the very powerful photo editor that was the best out there for iOS devices. While the app shut its service, the developers have now come out with Photoleap Editor. It works the same as Enlight but misses out on several features. Photoleap lets you blend your photos and even edit them using multiple layers. The only reason why people are a bit disappointed is that the app is now on a monthly subscription model, which isn’t liked by everyone. However, if you just prefer to use a free version of Enlight, you might as well go with Photofox- a free editor by the same developers.
- Price: Free / Monthly Subscription
- Platform: iOS
Prisma
If you have ever wanted to make your portraits and selfies stand out and look unique, Prisma is the go-to app for you. The app has a ton of creative and artistic filters that have been inspired by a number of celebrated and famous painters across the globe. All you have to do is open the picture in Prisma and choose from the many filters available. The thing with Prisma is that the filters will load fast or slow depending on the internet conenction speed. With Prisma, you can make your simple images into pieces of art right away. The app does have a monthly subscription plan that removes ads and unlocks a number of filters for you.
Mextures
Here is another iPhone-only app that has a wonderful collection of filters. There are over 150 types of overlays that you can apply to your image. Whether you are into light leaks, film grains, dust and scratches- there is a filter for every type of effect that you could want. Apart from just applying different filters, Mextures also lets you fine-tune and adjust your images The best feature of Mextures? It lets you undo changes to your images even if they were 15 or 20 steps back. The app currently has some filter packs that are currently available at a discount.
- Price: Paid
- Platform: iOS
Google Photos
While Snapdseed is a great photo editor from Google, their Photos App simply cannot be missed from this list This is a great app especially if you have your photos saved on to your cloud backup. You can simply view the image, make the necessary edits and changes, and have the images saved without a problem. The good part about Google Photos is that it’s a free app and is available on Android as well as iOS devices. The app is beneficial as it helps to save your device’s storage by pushing the images to the cloud.
Social media is one of the best ways people express and communicate with each other. Instagram is a popular social platform where one can share images and videos either to their feeds, stories, or their friends. Sure, it is an image-sharing platform but, it does have a number of tools that you can use to edit your images by making adjustments and also applying filters. Instagram has a wide range of filters that you can choose from. If you haven’t made use of the editing tools on the Instagram app, it is best you give it a try right away.
TouchRetouch
If you have ever captured an image and only later realized that there were unwanted objects in your image, it can be disappointing. But, what if we told you that there is a free app put there that helps you to remove such objects from your images? TouchRetouch is an app that has a magic eraser type of tool that you can use to remove objects from the image. It is simple and easy to use. If you don’t know how to make use of the app, there are tutorials available within the app that you can follow and learn right away.
Afterlight
If you prefer a simple no-frills and easy-to-use app, Afterlight is the app for you. It has a good number of tools, filters, textures, and frames that you can use on your images. The controls and app navigation are fairly simple. The great part about the app is that you can also make use of various filters that have been created by various Instagram users. While the app is free to use, you can also subscribe to the Afterlight membership to gain more access to in-app content.
Conclusion
These are the best photo editing apps that you can install and use on your Android or iOS devices. Having a photo editing app that suits and works perfectly for you is important as it helps you in being more creative while editing your images. Whether it’s a free or a paid app, the skills to edit an image are an important key factor. What photo editing app is your favorite from this list? Is there an app that you use that didn’t make the list? Let us know about it in the comments below.
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