10 Smartphone Photo Editing Apps You Need

Love taking pictures for your 365 Project on your phone? Then you’ll want to know all about these amazing apps available for editing images on the go!

One of the reasons people like to snap their project pics on their mobile device is that it is quick and easy to upload to their project there and then. No downloading from a memory card back at home! Now you can tweak the pictures you take to your heart’s content with a range of fab apps with a whole suite of effects between them.

Snapseed

Voted Best Mobile Photo App 2012, Snapseed brings a wealth of wonderful editing tools to your fingertips. It has been hailed as high quality photo experience that you’ll want to use on a daily basis, not surprising as it was created by some of the best brains in the digital photography software industry. Enhance and transform your images with a range of filters, borders, auto correct options and other delightful tweaks – then share! Great for basic editing and has advanced options too.

VSCO Cam

This editing app isn’t about slapping a filter on top of a picture… No! VSCO Cam has expanded control settings that allow you to fine tune elements of your picture to suit you. So although it does give a classic, vintage film aesthetic, it isn’t just an overlay. The app also lets you compare your edited version with the original image so you can fine tune down to the finest detail, or know when you’ve taken it all a bit far! VSCO Cam lets you tweak the basic elements like contrast and brightness, but also gives control over white balance and film grain. Additional filter packs and effects are also available.

Adobe Photoshop Express

This is a free editing tool with the basic functions you need for everyday editing. Photoshop express lets you edit colour, composition and lighting and also has a range of one-touch effects tools. Great beginner editing app, but if you want something that packs more punch, go for Photoshop Touch!
PS Express lets you edit attributes of an image including lighting, colour, composition (cropping) etc. PS Touch gives you much more advanced functions such as layers. PS Express is a free online tool whereas PS Touch is a paid-for app that works from your device.

Photoshop Touch

This app is full of advanced functions, just like the desktop editing tool! You can adjust the basic elements of a photo like contrast, brightness etc. just as you would expect – but this app also lets you work with layers, selection tools, adjustments, painting effects, filters, brushes, strokes… you can add drop shadows and fades, or add text. You can even combine images and start the editing on your phone and finish it on your desktop later! Some think Photoshop Touch is all a bit much for a smartphone picture-editing app, whereas others think it is meeting the demands of the latest technology.

Tilt Shift Generator

This app does what it says on the tin – it turns your images into tilt-shift pictures. It has three blur options and 30 filter options that you can mix to create some groovy effects. Turn everything around you tiny with this fun and slightly frivolous photo editing app.

LensLight

Add over 100 amazing lighting effects to your photos with LensLight. From Bokeh to Lightleaks, this editing app can give smartphone snaps a whole new aesthetic. Only available on iPhone.

PicSay Pro

And here is one that is only for Android… PicSay Pro has all the basic photo editing tools you’d expect, but in addition has a range of funky features that are fun to play with. This app lets you insert cut-outs of other pictures, use paint, colour splash black-and-white pictures, add text and even speech bubbles. Plus there are a heap of filters you can apply too.

Pixlr-O-Matic

Effects, overlays and borders – loads of them! In fact 100, 280 and 200 respectively. According to the developers that adds up to 5,000,000 possible finishes. Phew! If that all sounds like a bit much, the lovely people at Pixlr-O-Matic have also built in a Randomizer, so you can have a wonderfully random edited picture with a single swipe. Top banana.

Filterstorm Neue

Another iPhone-only offering, but well worth mentioning. It has many of the same features as Photoshop Touch in as much as it works with layers, gradients and opacity as well as offering filters. You can also make adjustments to exposure, saturation, temperature etc, and specify the final aspect ration you want for your image. You really need to check out the list of features to fully appreciate its potential. Note – do not get the original Filterstorm app, make sure it is Filterstorm Neue.

iDarkroom

One more that is for iPhone users only (sorry!). This app has been declared fast, intuitive and powerful – which gave it an “app of the week” status in iStores around the UK. With light effects, noise effects, film paper effects, colours, filters, frames and tilt-shift as well as all the other photo editing tricks you’d expect from an app – this is kind of like an everlasting gobstopper of photo tweaking opportunity. Social sharing is easy and your final creation can be produced in full resolution or be web-ready.

Well, that’s it for now – do let us know if you have a favourite photo editing app on your phone – or ones you wish you’d never bothered with!

Spread the ‘APPiness with other 365 members! Share your pictures with us in the comments below, including which app you used!