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Top Three Best Photo Editing Apps for Smartphones

IFB is always on the lookout for the best photo editing apps for bloggers of all niches. We know influencers of all levels want to present topnotch content to their followers. We also know how important it is to edit photos on the fly, before posting on various social media platforms.

hands nails smartphone touching screen

There are a million best photo editing apps out there on the market. And we know you don't have time to figure out which ones yield the best editing results. Let's face it, the best photo editing apps change drastically from year to year, even month to month. If you're still using Afterlight, VSCO or Color Splash to enhance your images before posting, you’re letting your photo editing game slide.

IFB has done an updated round up of the current top three best photo editing apps here on the blog. All three of the photo editing apps below are gimmick-free. Therefore, if you are looking to retouch their photos as professionally as possible from the comforts of their smartphones, keep reading. No funny business in this post, just IFB's two-cents and the best photo editing apps out there on the market.

Best Photo Editing Apps (2024)

Snapseed – The Photographer’s Favorite (Cost: Free)

Snapseed

Snapseed is one of the most powerful and versatile photo editing apps out there. If you’re looking to achieve professional editing results when touching up images on your smartphone, this is the best photo editing app to use. New features on this app include a Double Exposure filter (for combining photos) and the ability to save Stacks (i.e. layers) of edits applied to an individual photo. Saved Stacks can then be used on other photos or shared with other Snapseed users in the future.

Snapseed offers plenty of other customization options as well. With eleven different tools (including text overlay) and thirteen different filters, it’s hard to get bored playing around on this Google-owned photo editing app.

Pro tip: One of Snapseed’s most impressive feature is Expand. This feature extrapolates what the area surrounding the subject might look like and uses this data to make the canvas larger. It’s very similar to Photoshop’s Content Aware Fill. It works best on images shot against a mostly plain or abstract background.

The only downside to using Snapseed? It might be “too professional” if you’re looking for a quick editing fix or gimmicky features (i.e. “Stickers”) to add into your photos. But it’s a favourite with photographers (IFB personally know a few that use it) and it's free, so it's worth giving this app a try.

Adobe Photoshop Express – The Purist’s Favorite (Cost: Free, but with strings attached…)

Photoshop Express

Want to keep the best of Adobe’s Photoshop right at your finger tips? You now can, if you download the Adobe Photoshop Express app onto your iPhone or Android.

The app is easy to navigate, making editing your images a breeze. It also includes all the basic Photoshop editing tools from the original desktop version including crop, rotate, brightness adjustment and red-eye correction.

But what really makes Photoshop Express stand out, in comparison to the rest of the best photo editing apps? Its selection of smart filters designed to correct common problems (like color temperature, fogging and exposure issues). It also has an excellent selection of borders and artistic events, all adjustable via the help of the Slider feature.

There is just one tiny downer. You will need to sign up for a free Adobe ID with your email address, Gmail or Facebook account in order to use the app. We are aware not everyone is interested in giving away their information, in exchange for using an app (even if it is one of the best photo editing apps out there). Yes, creating an Adobe ID may make it easier for users to access other Adobe products and services at a later time. But IFB can also understand why some prospective users might be a bit reluctant to exchange their information to try a “free” photo editing app.

Regardless, for many people, it’s a fair tradeoff for access to one of the best photo editing apps for free.

Facetune and Facetune 2 – The Selfie Addict’s Favorite (Cost: $5.99 for Facetune, Free for Facetune 2)

Facetune-1

We know, we know. Facetune has been around for a while. And it is still one of the most popular photo editing apps on the market, if you’re looking to quickly retouch a selfie. The app allows its user to blur imperfections, adjust colors, whiten teeth, and even reshape faces and bodies with a few swipes of the finger. Many influencers swear by Facetune’s magical (or detrimental?) abilities.

Facetune 2 launched in 2016. In this updated version of the app users are provided with even more editing features, including a live editing tool. This new tool allows Facetuners to edit their selfies live, before actually snapping a picture of themselves and uploading it.

Facetune-2

Wondering which is the better of the two Facetunes? According to techtimes.com “Facetune 2 is the clear winner compared to the first generation title. It is the better app of the two to download for many reasons.” You can read more about the differences between the two versions HERE, but it seems pretty clear to us that Facetune 2 wins the battle handsdown.

The only downside with Facetune is the cost of $5.99 to download the app. Facetune 2, although free to download, is only currently available to iOS users. If you’re the owner of an Android phone, you can forget about live editing your face before snapping a selfie. But it’s still one of the best photo editing apps to have in your arsenal. Especially if you’re a selfie enthusiast.

Want to know how to curate a follower friendly Instagram feed? Check out IFB's post HERE for a few simple tips and tricks on the blog.

We figured out a way to upload images directly from your computer to your Instagram feed – Learn all about the hack HERE on the blog.

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About The Author

Laura Andrea Kell is a Canadian freelance writer and IFB's Editorial Assistant, and is based in Dubai, UAE. She also writes for itpliveme.com and occasionally blogs at lauraindubai.com Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @lauraandreakell

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23 Responses

  1. FallForFall

    Nice post, I’d just like to add that Color Splash is compatible with Android, too.

    Reply
  2. Gray Lavender

    So many apps i’ve never used before, will definitely check them out. Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Erin B.

    I prefer vignette for Android. It’s my go to for filters and borders. Does anyone know of an Android app that has bokeh features comparable to iPhone’s PicFX?

    Reply
  5. Emily Ulrich

    Who’s going to need Photoshop for the computer anymore when you can just prettify all your pictures for $1.99 on your phone? 😉 Great app selections — there are so many to choose from, it can be overwhelming, so I appreciate you narrowing the field for us.

    Reply
  6. Carla

    Thank you, thank you. I was just looking for cool photo apps and here you brilliantly share this post. Love you guys!

    Reply
  9. Fashion-isha

    Thanks for the great tips. I can’t wait to try these apps!
    xo
    Sharon

    Reply
  10. Becky | life.style.flash.

    I love my photography apps yet the only one of these I’d heard of and use is BeFunky – thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Steffie

    I started using Vintique when I stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure if it’s available for Android but it is on the iPhone.

    Reply
  12. Zamri A.

    I’ve been using PS Express quite some time now, and it’s great for a simple editing on-the-go. Now I’m hooked to the Line Camera, it’s awesome as I can add lots of effects to the raw images. The Phototreats is great too despite some that you have to pay to use. Would love to try Color Splash, unfortunately it’s not free. 🙁

    I also used Color Effects, Photo Mess and PhotoPad for some editing on-the-go. They’re all free! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Easysquare

    If you want fit your entire photo into square really quickly and simply on an iphone, there is an app called “easysquare” that lets you do this in a three clicks. Automatically puts the white bars around your photo and sends it to your Instagram app — http://goo.gl/EvajV

    Reply
  14. DICKU

    I am the author of LikePics app
    Would you consider to add the app to the list, it has many filters, easy to use

    Reply
  15. Nitz

    I just love FX photo editor and Color Splash but rest of your suggestions are also looking awesome. I am amazed to know that there are so many options available out there to choose from. Thanks Chelsea for recommending these apps.

    Reply
  16. Kay

    I can”t thank you enough for giving me ideas of great apps I could use to better my pictures on my iPhone! Again, thank you so much! And @Zamri A, if you type in Color Splash free, you can get it for free. Or try this other app named “Colorful”

    Reply
  17. The Epic Duo

    OMG I can just use colour splash before I upload my photos! cooool! makes it a ton easier for me! thanks! great post btw!

    Reply
  18. mina

    here is some more advice:
    it is often considered really “artsy” to have your photo have a white border all around the picture.
    apps for that: squaready, photo squarer…
    don’t make your photo too complicated. usually what I do is use aviary to edit my photo, then I add the white border using photo squarer.

    Reply
  19. Bob

    Another great app is superimpose- I’ve made lots of great edits with that?

    Reply
  22. Jane

    Great post! These sound like some great apps to try! There’s certainly an amazing array of apps available for smartphones now that can really help improve aspects of your business (whether it’s blogging or another profession)! There are also some great tech gadgets for iPhones that can help create the perfect photo like selfie sticks or special phone cases with lighting features.

    Reply