The best apps to edit photos with your smartphone (Android and iOS)
You have the best smartphone for photography, yet you're still not happy with the results. Don't worry, there are tons of apps on the App Store and Google Play Store that can help you customize your shots to get exactly the result you want.
The problem is that photo editing apps are also too many and it's not easy to distinguish the best ones from those that leave the time they find (or worse, from the useless or even harmful ones). We've got you covered, with a list of the best photo editing apps available in 2022. All the apps in this list are available for both Android and iOS. Some require a little experience, while others are extremely easy and intuitive to use.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the first best app to give a professional touch to your smartphone photographs.
PicsArt (Android, iOS)
Let's start with PicsArt because it is one of the simplest and most fun to use. The app offers a rich package of options to quickly customize your photos: there are different filters, as well as ways to create creative collages. There is even a function to easily remove the background of a shot, so you can insert a personalized one. Added to this is the possibility of adding texts and stickers (also personalized) to the photos.Among the most curious features of PicsArt we also point out Remix Chat , which allows you to collaboratively edit an image with the rest of the community – which has over 150 million monthly active users. If after downloading the app you feel a little disoriented, fear not, there is an extremely easy to follow and comprehensive tutorial.
PicsArt is free but there is a premium version that unlocks access to other content. It costs 57.99 euros per year (but there is also a monthly subscription).
Download PicsArt from the Google Play Store Download PicsArt from the Apple App Store
Adobe Photoshop Express (Android, iOS) We immediately move to a different terrain. Adobe Photoshop Express is certainly more suitable for those looking for an app to edit photos in a more professional way. It is a mobile and somewhat simplified version of the famous computer photo editing software of the same name.
With Adobe Photoshop Express you have full control over the most important elements of photo editing, such as saturation, contrast, noise and brightness. The app also offers a rich list of special effects and pre-set filters. If you want to give a portrait effect to your selfies by blurring the background, Adobe Photoshop Express is extremely useful as it offers a function to do it very quickly.
If the idea of getting your hands on a photo editing app too complex already gives you a headache, do not worry: Adobe Photoshop Express offers some pre-set presets to choose from, in this way you should be able to give a professional touch to your photos without major complications. However, the most demanding users can freely browse through the different editing options.
Among the strengths of the app we point out the perfect integration with Google Photos, Dropbox and Facebook. You can extract photos, selfies, HDR images and other assets directly from the respective apps, without having to download them to the gallery first. Really not bad!
Download Adobe Photoshop Express from the Google Play Store Download Adobe Photoshop Express from the Apple App Store Adobe Lightroom (Android, iOS)
Here too we are faced with a version for smartphones of a professional photo editing program. Adobe Lightroom has a go-anywhere feature, which means that all your photo editing work is saved in the cloud and can therefore be resumed at any time on another device — such as your iPad, or a Windows or Mac computer.
All the works are saved on the Adobe Creative Cloud , which you can use to store your photos up to a maximum of 1TB in the cloud.
Adobe Lightroom also offers a very rich package of tools to customize and modify the your shots. And even in this case, if the great sea of different features were to disorient you, Adobe has made available to users an intuitive and easy-to-follow tutorial. Adobe Lightroom also offers the possibility of sharing editing work with a friend and colleague, who can participate in the work by providing their suggestions.
Inside the app there is also the mode camera , which lets you take pictures by fiddling with different customization options — in some cases offering better results than the default camera app. This app also offers several presets to customize photos with a simple touch, without having to go crazy to manually adjust each individual element.
Download Adobe Lightroom from the Google Play Store Download Adobe Lightroom from the Apple App Store Snow (Android, iOS)
Let's completely change category. If you are looking for an app to remove small aesthetic defects from your selfies, Snow is probably the most suitable app among those proposed in this list. If you want to remove an annoying pimple on your forehead, or you need a function to reduce dark circles or whiten your teeth… well, Snow can do it and very easily too. In fact, with Snow you can literally change your features, even changing the proportions of the nose or jaw. In short, it is an app for extreme photo editing daredevils.
Snow also offers an in-app camera, so you can take your selfies directly and then move on to editing, without having to go through the gallery. There are several filters, stickers and effects to give a touch of personality or 'madness' to your photographs. The app is free, but there is a premium version for 31 euros a year (or 4 euros a month).
Download Snow from the Google Play Store Download Snow from the Apple App Store VSCO (Android, iOS)
VSCO is an extremely complete app for editing your photographs. But let's cut the bull's head right away: the app offers a 7-day free trial, then you need to pay around 20 euros a month.
The app offers 200 different presets to choose from, and is therefore ideal for giving a professional touch to your photos, even if you are not a photo editing wizard. The package of editing tools is quite rich, ranging from changing brightness to contrast, passing through saturation, texture and grain. VSCO can also be used to export and edit photos in RAW format.
The app can also be used for video editing and editing. VSCO hybrid mechanical app to edit photos with those of a social network and, in fact, there is even a news feed to discover the creations of other users. Every week VSCO launches a photography contest to its community, in short, it's really the best for those interested in getting to know and discussing with other photography enthusiasts. VSCO is available on both Android and iOS.
Download VSCO from the Google Play Store Download VSCO from the Apple App Store Snapseed (Android, iOS)
Always for the most demanding users (but even more competent): Snapseed is dedicated to professional photographers. It offers an extremely articulated package of editing tools, as well as various filters capable of imitating the films of the most important and well-known cameras of the past.
It is certainly an app suitable for users who are more attentive to detail, who they want to spend hours editing every single element of their photographs from the comfort of their smartphone. Considering its target, Snapseed obviously also allows the import and editing of photos in RAW format.
In addition to the editing functions, we also point out the creation of customized presets, so to be able to save your favorite tricks and then be able to import them with a single touch also on other photographs. Snapseed also makes it easy to fix any messes by saving your editing work step by step. You can cancel any passages by going back with a touch (or vice versa you can go back to any canceled changes). The app is completely free and there are no paid versions.
Download Snapseed from the Google Play Store Download PicsArt from the Apple App Store
With Adobe Photoshop Express you have full control over the most important elements of photo editing, such as saturation, contrast, noise and brightness. The app also offers a rich list of special effects and pre-set filters. If you want to give a portrait effect to your selfies by blurring the background, Adobe Photoshop Express is extremely useful as it offers a function to do it very quickly.
If the idea of getting your hands on a photo editing app too complex already gives you a headache, do not worry: Adobe Photoshop Express offers some pre-set presets to choose from, in this way you should be able to give a professional touch to your photos without major complications. However, the most demanding users can freely browse through the different editing options.
Among the strengths of the app we point out the perfect integration with Google Photos, Dropbox and Facebook. You can extract photos, selfies, HDR images and other assets directly from the respective apps, without having to download them to the gallery first. Really not bad!
Download Adobe Photoshop Express from the Google Play Store Download Adobe Photoshop Express from the Apple App Store
Adobe Lightroom (Android, iOS)
Here too we are faced with a version for smartphones of a professional photo editing program. Adobe Lightroom has a go-anywhere feature, which means that all your photo editing work is saved in the cloud and can therefore be resumed at any time on another device — such as your iPad, or a Windows or Mac computer.All the works are saved on the Adobe Creative Cloud , which you can use to store your photos up to a maximum of 1TB in the cloud.
Adobe Lightroom also offers a very rich package of tools to customize and modify the your shots. And even in this case, if the great sea of different features were to disorient you, Adobe has made available to users an intuitive and easy-to-follow tutorial. Adobe Lightroom also offers the possibility of sharing editing work with a friend and colleague, who can participate in the work by providing their suggestions.
Inside the app there is also the mode camera , which lets you take pictures by fiddling with different customization options — in some cases offering better results than the default camera app. This app also offers several presets to customize photos with a simple touch, without having to go crazy to manually adjust each individual element.
Download Adobe Lightroom from the Google Play Store Download Adobe Lightroom from the Apple App Store
Snow (Android, iOS)
Let's completely change category. If you are looking for an app to remove small aesthetic defects from your selfies, Snow is probably the most suitable app among those proposed in this list. If you want to remove an annoying pimple on your forehead, or you need a function to reduce dark circles or whiten your teeth… well, Snow can do it and very easily too. In fact, with Snow you can literally change your features, even changing the proportions of the nose or jaw. In short, it is an app for extreme photo editing daredevils.Snow also offers an in-app camera, so you can take your selfies directly and then move on to editing, without having to go through the gallery. There are several filters, stickers and effects to give a touch of personality or 'madness' to your photographs. The app is free, but there is a premium version for 31 euros a year (or 4 euros a month).
Download Snow from the Google Play Store Download Snow from the Apple App Store
VSCO (Android, iOS)
VSCO is an extremely complete app for editing your photographs. But let's cut the bull's head right away: the app offers a 7-day free trial, then you need to pay around 20 euros a month.The app offers 200 different presets to choose from, and is therefore ideal for giving a professional touch to your photos, even if you are not a photo editing wizard. The package of editing tools is quite rich, ranging from changing brightness to contrast, passing through saturation, texture and grain. VSCO can also be used to export and edit photos in RAW format.
The app can also be used for video editing and editing. VSCO hybrid mechanical app to edit photos with those of a social network and, in fact, there is even a news feed to discover the creations of other users. Every week VSCO launches a photography contest to its community, in short, it's really the best for those interested in getting to know and discussing with other photography enthusiasts. VSCO is available on both Android and iOS.
Download VSCO from the Google Play Store Download VSCO from the Apple App Store
Snapseed (Android, iOS)
Always for the most demanding users (but even more competent): Snapseed is dedicated to professional photographers. It offers an extremely articulated package of editing tools, as well as various filters capable of imitating the films of the most important and well-known cameras of the past.It is certainly an app suitable for users who are more attentive to detail, who they want to spend hours editing every single element of their photographs from the comfort of their smartphone. Considering its target, Snapseed obviously also allows the import and editing of photos in RAW format.
In addition to the editing functions, we also point out the creation of customized presets, so to be able to save your favorite tricks and then be able to import them with a single touch also on other photographs. Snapseed also makes it easy to fix any messes by saving your editing work step by step. You can cancel any passages by going back with a touch (or vice versa you can go back to any canceled changes). The app is completely free and there are no paid versions.
Download Snapseed from the Google Play Store Download PicsArt from the Apple App Store
