Have you ever wanted better photos but lacked the means to use expensive photo editing programs like Photoshop? Or, perhaps you want to add some stylistic flair to a selfie. Either way, mobile photo editing apps can help. You can do a huge portion of professional editing right on your iPhone. You can even make memes!
We've looked online and found 10 great photo editing apps for iPhone that reviewers love. Our top pick is Lightroom by Adobe Inc. since it lets you do basic edits and advanced color editing for free. For more of our favorites, please read on! Also, don't forget to check out our buying guide for tips on how to choose the right photo editing app for you.
Quick List - Top Photo Editing Apps For Iphone
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Photo editing apps on iPhone can drastically improve your photos. Here are some tips on how to find the right photo editing app for you!
Some photo editing apps are more all-purpose, while others may have a single function with much more depth. Simpler apps will cover the basics, such as filters, cropping, exposure, contrast, and sharpening.
However, certain apps have more detailed particular functions, like saving custom presets, layers, curves, HSL, light leaks, split toning, blemish retouching, and much more. If you want more specific functions, you can usually check if the app has them in its product description.
Some photo editing apps are also easier to use than others. However, most will usually have a basic tutorial or FAQ section. For more popular apps, there are often video tutorials on YouTube. A few apps also have a built-in community that lets you share work and ask questions.
Other than image processing, some photo editing apps can also create content. They let you add more things to your photos, such as text, decorations, and sparkles.
Some apps may also have layout editing functions that allow you to combine multiple photos into a single photo. These features can be particularly useful for people who want to create memes, event posts, or professional social media posts.
Most photo editing apps will let you upload and export images to your phone’s default photo gallery. Many apps also let you directly share your exports to different social media platforms. It’s always good to check the export function before you start working so you don’t waste your time just to realize you must pay to export.
If the free features are good enough for your needs, this probably doesn’t apply to you. However, many free photo editing apps have subscriptions and microtransactions that can easily add up.
Common premium features include extra filters, selective editing, advanced color editing, geometry tools, advanced healing tools, body editing, and split toning. If you wish to use these apps for a while, buying apps for a single flat price will cost you less in the long run.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Adobe Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor | ![]() | An Intuitive Editing App Ideal for RAW Photos | |
2 | Adobe Photoshop Express Photo Editor | ![]() | An All-in-One Photo Editor | |
3 | Snow B612 - Beauty & Filter Camera | ![]() | A Photo Editing App for the Perfect Selfie | |
4 | Lightricks Lightleap | ![]() | A User-Friendly App With Advanced Editing Features | |
5 | Prequel PREQUEL: Aesthetic Editor | ![]() | An App for Creative and Retro Photo Edits | |
6 | Afterlight Collective Afterlight | ![]() | An App for Artistic Edits and Film Textures | |
7 | Visual Supply Company VSCO | ![]() | A Photo Editing App With Presets for Every Mood | |
8 | ADVA Soft GmbH TouchRetouch | ![]() | A Simple App for Easy Object Removal | |
9 | Pocket Pixels Juxtaposer | ![]() | An App Made Specifically for Photo Montages | |
10 | Canva Canva | ![]() | An Editing App for Photos and Design |
Lightroom is one of the most popular photo editing apps on both PC and mobile. It lets you use sliders to edit the lighting, color, and cropping for free. Plus, you can save custom presets. It also has healing tools, selective editing, and perspective adjustments, but they require a premium subscription.
Reviewers complain that the camera function is not very good compared to iPhone's default camera app, but it does allow you to take RAW photos. Also, premium subscribers have issues syncing to the cloud.
Besides these issues, most reviewers say Lightroom is one of the best RAW photo editors on mobile. They like that there's a "learn" section that teaches you the tools. They also love that you can easily share entire albums with people or import photos directly to social media platforms like Instagram.
Some of Lightroom's features that require a premium subscription are free on Photoshop Express, such as the healing tools. Unlike Lightroom, however, Photoshop Express can combine photos, use blend effects, add borders and text, and create collages.
Some reviewers complain of pop-up splash-screens and app performance issues. Other than that, most reviewers find that this app is pretty easy to learn and has a variety of features great for social media posts. They recommend this app for both beginners and advanced users.
B612 is a Korean photo editing app made for selfies. It has a real-time beauty camera that shows live edits with augmented reality technology. It can also edit selfies that have already been taken. There are over 1,500 stickers, Snapchat-style filters, and drawing effects. You can even edit music videos!
A few reviewers complain that the filters don't always work properly or recognize their faces. However, most reviewers praise this app for having a large variety of free beauty features, stickers, and filters. They say that it's great for photos as well as making TikTok videos.
Lightleap is a photo editing app that helps make advanced editing tools accessible for people that don't know how to use Photoshop. You can do basic edits, remove objects from your photos, add filters, or even add an entire sky in the background. They have realistic and fantasy-like looks for many tastes.
Reviewers complain that the healing tool is not always perfect, stating that it can look obvious when you try to remove a person from the background. They also state that even the realistic sky options can look unrealistic.
Regardless of these complaints, most reviewers say this app is a good all-in-one alternative to Photoshop on mobile. They like that it's easy to learn, especially for beginners. They also appreciate the number of editing tools available in the premium version.
Prequel is a photo editing app that focuses on aesthetic, vintage, and retro effects. For example, effects include disco, bling, Miami, prism, VHS, and D3D. This app also has basic edits and adjustments, including retouching and filters. It can also edit videos.
If you don't buy the premium subscription, reviewers warn that there's a watermark on your exports and a one-minute limit for videos. However, most reviewers are highly satisfied with the large variety of effects. They love all the retro filters, audio, and stickers; they point out that many effects mimic retro camcorders.
Afterlight is a photo editing app that focuses on stylish, film-like editing. This app has filters created by photographers. It also offers frames, borders, lots of fonts, and layer management. You'll also find advanced editing tools such as advanced curves, HSL, overlays and gradients, grain, and more.
Reviewers warn that this app tends to make destructive filter edits, so you may lose photo quality the more you edit. Despite that, most reviewers praise this app for its customizable filters, user-friendly layout, and text creation tools. Some reviewers note that this app has replaced multiple other photo apps.
VSCO is a photo editing app great for RAW photos. Besides basic editing tools, it has hundreds of presets, such as vintage film looks from Kodak, Fuji, and Agfa. It can also edit videos and create montages. There's also an active built-in community.
Reviewers report that there are only ten presets and basic editing tools on the free version. Otherwise, most reviewers are pleased with its many subtle presets, unlike other apps with overpowering filters. They also love that the built-in community limits toxicity and encourages creativity.
If you've ever wanted to remove objects from your photos without Photoshop, then TouchRetouch is your answer. It can remove a variety of objects with a single touch, including wires, surface breaks, scratches, photobombers, blemishes, or almost anything you want. There are also in-app video tutorials.
A few reviewers complain that the photo management is lacking, stating that you cannot switch between photos without going back to the album screen. Besides this issue, most reviewers find this app very easy to use. They like that the removal tool's AI is great at detecting what you're trying to remove.
Juxtaposer is a photo editing app made specifically for simple photo montages. This app lets you cut out a subject from one photo then paste it onto a different photo. You can also adjust the "mask" of the cut-outs.
The only complaints are that this app lacks photo adjustment tools to better match the subjects to the backgrounds. Despite that, most reviewers say this app is extremely user-friendly and easy to learn. They love that you can put many random things together and make fantasies come to life.
Even if you're not a design expert, Canva will let you create great posts for social media. After you apply filters and make basic adjustments, you can use thousands of templates made by professional designers to create the perfect Instagram stories, logos, or event invitations.
Some reviewers had issues with logging into the app and state that the app often logs them out. However, most reviewers love that this app lets anyone become a designer. They are pleased with how easy it is to create engaging images with text and borders.
Originally, iPhone photos were captured as JPEG files. As of iOS 14.3 and later, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max can capture photos in a format called Apple ProRAW.
JPEG files are compressed, smaller, and automatically processed at the cost of quality. RAW files take up much more storage space, but they are much crisper and more detailed. Unlike JPEGs, RAW files also don't make permanent changes, so you have much more flexibility and control.
If you want to edit your photos, then you should capture them in ProRAW. To turn on ProRAW, go to Settings > Camera > Formats, then turn on Apple ProRAW under Photo Capture. You should then be able to turn it on or off on your iPhone’s default camera app.
Photo editing apps are great for post-processing, but there are a lot more ways to improve your iPhone photos. Check out the articles below for more ideas!
No. 1: Adobe |Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor
No. 2: Adobe |Photoshop Express Photo Editor
No. 3: Snow|B612 - Beauty & Filter Camera
No. 4: Lightricks |Lightleap
No. 5: Prequel |PREQUEL: Aesthetic Editor
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