As smartphone cameras have gotten better and better over the years, more and more people are taking and uploading more photos to the internet. However, that doesn't mean every photo is perfect. Sometimes a random person in the background ruins a shot or maybe the sun pushed the contrast or the shadows out of balance. Many years ago, this would have been a big issue for anyone who was not savvy with photoshop, but those days are long over.
Although users have to pay for a lot of photo editing apps, there are certainly free alternatives that do the job just as well and give photo editing novices plenty of tools to make their photos stand out on social media.
Updated on June 2nd, 2022 by Tanner Fox: It's no secret that photo editing apps made with mobile platforms in mind lack the power and versatility of their desktop counterparts. Yet, that doesn't mean mobile-minded photographers need to sacrifice their creative visions; there are more than a few apps available that can spice up even the most mundane shots.
Plus, some mobile apps allow users to totally transform their images, making them into works of AI-enhanced art. Mobile apps may have been fairly limited in years past, but, in 2022, there are virtually no limits to what can be done on the go.
PicsArt - Available On iOS and Android
While Picsart might not have as many features as a lot of other editing apps, that is not the app's main purpose. If users want to simply jazz up the latest Instagram post with some stickers and themes, then PicsArt might be the go-to, and it is available on both iPhone & Android.
It's easy to write over the image and add text and add star trails and rainbow patterns among other features. This app is more about adding stickers and other custom elements on top of photos as opposed to changing specific features about the photos' properties.
Focos - Available On iOS and Android
Focos lets users turn any photo they want into a portrait-style shot by letting them touch an area to focus on it and blur out the background. It may seem like a simple feature, but it can turn ordinary shots into something truly photogenic.
Some newer iPhones have this feature built-in, but, for those who may have an older phone, Focos is a great alternative. As is the option with many photo editing mobile apps, there is a free version as well as an option to pay for extra features, but the basic level grants access to the app's most vital features. Portrait mode is used by a wide range of photographers from food to travel, and now it's available in the pockets of pretty much anyone with access to an app store.
SnapSeed - Available On iOS and Android
If iPhone and Android users are looking for a simple photo editor with a simple and easy-to-use interface, look no further than SnapSeed. While it doesn't have the biggest collection of filters, there are some unique ones, and, above all else, even the most unaccustomed photo editors can figure out how to use the app almost immediately.
SnapSeed also has a unique brush that allows users to edit the exposure, highlights, or contrast on whichever area the brush is used. It's not as powerful as something like photoshop, but even a few quick edits can make a mundane photo really pop.
Layout - Available On iOS and Android
Every Instagram user has posted at least one collage photo on their profile, and Layout helps users do just that. Simply open the app, select the desired photos to add to the layout, and the app will divide the photos amongst the canvas.
One drawback of Layout is that it only allows for a square canvas. People who want to take full advantage of Instagram's 1080x1750 max dimensions will have to use another app to get the full-size image. That being said, users can edit the borders within the canvas to make one image more or less prominent while also zooming and cropping the photos within the segments. Layout is available on both the Apple and Android App Stores.
Picsart
Most mobile photo editing apps include some sort of stickers feature, but Picsart takes that to an entirely new level. With literally thousands of unique PNG images, Picsart opens a new realm of creativity.
While filters and effects can certainly help an image to stand out, inclusions added via the Picsart app can really make a piece pop and cause viewers to truly take notice. While less is often more when it comes to stickers and photo add-ons, when tastefully done, Picsart allows amateur photographers to create something genuinely special.
Airbrush - Available On iOS and Android
As the name suggests, this app is less about changing things like hue and saturation and focuses more on the airbrush tool found on most desktop photo editing apps. Other features include changing the color of someone's hair.
One other feature of the app is being able to warp facial features such as the face shape, the forehead, and the color of skin. Although it can be used as a bit of a joke with some friends, there are certainly both iPhone and Android users that will find these features useful.
Superimpose - Available On iOS and Android
Superimpose is another app that is available on both iOS and Android platforms and has a plethora of features that makes it a dream for any photo editor. Granted, the ability to edit shadows, contrast, blacks and whites, etc. is slightly lacking, but the app will let users make a large number of edits between foregrounds and backgrounds.
If users need to know the exact pixel size of the photo they are editing, it also displays this as they crop the photo, a feature that is lacking in a lot of mobile editing apps. Superimpose also lets users add drop shadows and mask out unwanted areas of photos. While the interface takes some time to get used to, once users have a handle on it, it unlocks a world of new possibilities.
Prisma
Prisma isn't a traditional photo editing app, but it's something all amateur photographers ought to have in their app lineup. Prisma allows users to upload pictures and then transform them into paintings via intricate, easily applied filters. With a bit of creative application, users can generate images that could pass for genuine paintings.
There are a ton of different styles from which to choose, allowing for some incredible versatility. From primer landscape photos to silly B-roll shots, Prisma can turn any image into a true conversation piece.
VSCO - Available On iOS and Android
VSCO does have a paid premium version available, but fear not; the free version does 99% of what most novice photographers will be looking for. The paid version does allow users to edit and add filters to videos, but, if photos are the only thing in need of editing, VSCO is a great choice.
VSCO has great filter options, and, even in the more detailed editing menu, users can increase contrasts, clarity, white balance, and skin tone, among other features, to a very high standard.
Instasize
As the name implies, Instasize is a must-have companion app for amateur photographers who frequent Instagram. Replete with all sorts of photos, effects, and options, the app makes it easier than ever to generate an Insta-ready image in no time flat.
Instasize also allows users to add borders and frames to images and create collages, effects that go a long way in terms of helping an Instagram post to stand out. It's not quite on the level of Photoshop, but it's an excellent mobile alternative, and more advanced users can pay five dollars monthly to unlock even more features.
Nightcafé Creator
Though it's pretty far removed from the realm of conventional photography, Nightcafé Creator is an awesome app that will allow users to combine their photos with alternative artistic styles to create something truly unique. Users can, for instance, combine their regular photos with Van Gogh's Starry Night or Edvard Munch's The Scream to create a surreal and wholly individual piece of art.
While it may be hard to make friends, family, and Instagram followers that what's been posted was a hand-crafted painting, it's nonetheless a powerful tool that can help artists to explore far beyond the limits of traditional photography.
Photos – Pre-installed on iOS
One app that is potentially overlooked by iPhone users when editing apps is the standard Photos app that comes with every iPhone. While the older versions of this app were not known for their editing quality, the latest versions have kicked it up a notch to keep in line with Apple's high-quality cameras.
With portrait mode, numerous great-looking filters, and more detailed editing options, as long as users stay away from the automated editing option, there is real potential to make any photo—be it landscape, food photography, or headshots—look exceptional.
Adobe Lightroom - Available On iOS and Android
Adobe's legendary Lightroom is available on all mobile devices, and, if users have an account with Adobe, they can log in and use their presets to edit photos they take on their phone. This means that anyone with an account can take a photo on their phone, edit it with a preset, and instantly upload it to any social media they like.
As is the case with all the mobile versions of Adobe programs, the user interface isn't as easy to use as the desktop version, but the Lightroom app does allow for a lot of ways to edit photos. It may come with a bit of a learning curve, but Adobe's lightroom has the reputation it has for a reason.
Adobe PhotoShop Express
Lightroom isn't the only Adobe app that made its way to iPhone and Android; Adobe Photoshop Express has a lot of options and filters that are the dream for any medium-high skilled photo editor. Photoshop Express has hundreds of filters within its library, and users can also use many of Photoshop's classic features.
With red-eye removal, blemish removal, lens flares, text, preset crop shapes, as well as the ability to lay photos out in a collage and edit border size and colors, there's very little the Photoshop app can't do. Even though there are some great photoshop alternatives, some amateur photographers may want to opt for the real thing.
Pixlr
Pixlr is best known as a free browser-based alternative to photoshop. Though it sacrifices power for approachability, it's an awesome way to create great edits without forcing users to jump through too many hurdles. The same could be said of the mobile Pixlr app, which has nearly all of the options available through the desktop version.
A one-stop shop for photo touch-ups, users can add and adjust all kinds of filters and effects to transform their images into something utterly eye-catching. When it comes to mobile photo editing apps, it doesn't get much better than this.