Smartphone cameras are getting more powerful with each new device. However, having photos that stand out on social media requires post-processing, which is important when framing your shots. Any respectable photographer can tell you about the rule of thirds, but the app stores have so much more options for you to truly bring the best out of every photo.


Smartphone cameras are getting more powerful with each new device. However, having photos that stand out on social media requires post-processing, which is important when framing your shots. Any respectable photographer can tell you about the rule of thirds, but the app stores have so much more options for you to truly bring the best out of every photo.


Any decent photo-editing app list would include Snapseed because of its comprehensive suite of tools and user-friendly interface. Within this app, you’ll find almost all the basic photo processing techniques needed to transform presentable shots into award-worthy masterpieces.
There’s also advanced editing available, such as the option to make spot adjustments and healing tools to clone away unwanted objects from your shots. If you need to undo a particular change, you can delete the specific alteration without touching the rest. It used to cost $6, but Snapseed is indefinitely free of charge now.


The iOS App Store dubbed Enlight as the 2015 App of the Year, and for good reason too. It gives you the standard tools found in apps listed here but it adds a handful of unique perks. There’s a Refit function for users to “squeeze” a photo, bringing subjects nearer without distorting them.
If you’re familiar with masking brushes found in desktop photo editors, you’ll be delighted to learn that Enlight has it too. Finally, there are adjustable Mixer and Reshape tools: the former for combining two photos for a double exposure effect, and the latter makes your subjects take an entirely different shape.


There will be times when a photo only needs a caption, or you just want to put something presentable online within a short time frame. Qwik comes with more than 600 pre-made artwork, over 50 filters, and 50+ fonts for typography – all of which will only increase in number over time. You can adjust color temperature and orientation of the presets to shake things up too.
The app updates its offering based on community feedback, on top of promising photo editing in mere seconds. This app is great for casual food photos and selfies - especially when the other professional options are too much to handle.


It’s a little odd to recommend the quintessential Camera+ app for selfies, but we’d ask you to give it a try. Camera+ not only provides editing tools, it also comes with its own camera function that would make your phone’s built-in app blush. For instance, Camera+ can provide continuous fill light, let you set exposure separately from focus, and even Burst shot mode. You also get high quality filters and advanced editing options – such as the option to remove color casts for a better white balance after the photo is taken.
Camera+ also provides a great mobile photo editing experience that has withstood the test of time.
