The 6 best photo editing apps for your phone

You’ve likely got a plethora of photos stored on your phone, charting out every day (or maybe even every hour) in detail, but have you done anything with them lately? Maybe you share them just as they are—or perhaps you leave them locked away.

The right photo editing app can help you to do more with your photos, and make the most of them before sharing. You might even be encouraged to share images you would’ve otherwise kept private, if you’re able to tweak them in new and interesting ways.

That’s where the best mobile photo editing apps come in, and there are more to choose from than you might have realized. These are our picks of the apps outside of the default options you get with your phone (Google Photos for Android or Apple Photos for iOS).

Pixlr

Pixlr has a well established suite of photo tools across mobile and the web, and the mobile apps are definitely worth investigating if you’re looking to make quick, effective edits on the go. From basic collage making (for social media) to more advanced tools like healing and sharpening brushes, there’s plenty of different editing features to try.

If you want to get really creative then you can start adding text and stickers, but Pixlr is just as good at the more straightforward edits—like cropping an image or colorizing it. AI generation also is included, but comes at a cost: $3 a month gets you AI and access to more tools, templates, and collage options.

Pixlr (freemium) for Android and iOS

Snapseed

As well as looking after Google Photos, Google has also been quietly developing Snapseed, one of the best mobile photo editors—and completely free to use. Head to the Tools tab in the app to see how much is on offer: All the usual basic adjustments, together with a curves editor, white balance control, and separate edit tools for highlights and shadows.

Every tool is straightforward to use, often just requiring a tap or a swipe, and you can see how your changes are applied in real time. If you need something a bit more immediate, you can pick from a wide variety of filters and stylized looks, including Grunge, Retrolux, Film, and Vintage. In many ways, it’s an even better editor than Google Photos.

Snapseed (free) for Android and iOS

Afterlight

Afterlight is well regarded as one of the best image editors out there for serious mobile photographers, and it wraps a whole host of powerful features—including adjustments for hue, saturation, contrast, curves, brightness, exposure, and many more—in an intuitive and elegant interface.

The app also comes with a host of filters and presets you can apply with a tap, to create vintage film looks or polaroid effects for example, and you can make detailed tweaks to just part of your images (like blurs and fades). Sign up for the $4-per-month Afterlight Pro package and you get access to the full collection of tools and filters.

Afterlight (freemium) for Android and iOS

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop doesn’t really need any introduction as a photo editor, and with its latest mobile apps Adobe has finally managed to cram the best features of its desktop software into a small screen interface. From selections and layers, to brushes and background replacements, this really is like having a portable photo editing package in your pocket.

Adobe has even managed to cram some generative AI features in here, while you’ll also find a range of tools for precision editing in specific parts of the frame, as well as access to stock photos. You can use the app for free, but some advanced features will cost you (either $7 a month or an existing Photoshop for desktop subscription).

Adobe Photoshop (freemium) for Android and iOS

VSCO

VSCO (after its creator, the Visual Supply Company) is similar to Afterlight (above) in that it has a strong reputation amongst pro-level photographers. As soon as you fire up the interface for the first time, you can see that this is an app that means business, with fine tuning for a wide variety of image variables, plus plenty of effects and collage options.

If you need something quickly, you can apply some of the many preset AI-powered filters to instantly transform the look of your images, while you’ve got plenty of options for sharing and exporting photos as well. More tools, filers, and other goodies can be unlocked through a paid subscription, with prices starting at $2.50 a month.

VSCO (freemium) for Android and iOS

Luminar

Luminar bills itself as an “all-in-one, on-the-go photo editor and creative companion,” and it’s difficult to come up with a better description than that. This is a photo editor that’s crammed full with tools and tweaks you can use on your images, but despite all of the functionality added by the developers, it never feels cluttered or difficult to use.

Some of the edits you can apply here include crops, rotations, lighting, contrast, colors, borders, AI transformations, and backgrounds—and a lot of effects can be applied with a single swipe (with more granular control available if needed). As you might expect, there’s a pro tier available for $5 a month, which gives you access to all of the various features.

Luminar (freemium) for Android and iOS