Best Apps for Editing Photos

Let’s face it, many of us buy the newest iPhone to level up our phone photography. Some of us might even be professional photographers who use our phones to snag shots on the fly without having to drag out the bulky DSLR. These days, people are expecting higher and higher quality from the photos they take with their phones, especially when it comes to iPhones. And while the quick editing features of the native iOS Photos app are reasonably robust, if you’re trying to achieve close to professional-quality image output with your trademark style, leveraging apps that have features geared toward specific aspects of post-production is an absolute must.

To help you cut through the vast landscape of iOS photography apps, we’ve put together a list of apps for getting the most out of your iPhone 14, iPhone 13, or iPhone 12, whether you’re just trying to take better selfies or snag an epic shot of the Milky-Way with a mountain silhouette background.

We’ve organized the list based on feature depth and useability, from entry-level basic editing capabilities for quick face touch-ups before posting on social media to professional-grade combo camera/editing tools that allow you to simultaneously shoot in RAW mode and Smart HDR 3 and blend them in post.

Together, let’s find the app that’s perfect for the scene you’re working with, so you can capture the emotion of the moment, nail that on-brand look, or apply an editing preset before posting directly to Instagram.

VSCO is a popular photo editing app that offers a wide range of editing tools and filters to enhance your photos. With its sleek and intuitive interface, VSCO is easy to use and perfect for both beginners and professionals alike.

One of the main benefits of VSCO is its vast library of filters and presets. These filters are designed to mimic the look and feel of traditional film photography, giving your photos a unique and timeless look. You can also adjust the intensity of each filter to achieve the perfect balance of color and contrast.

Another great feature of VSCO is its community of users. You can share your photos with other VSCO users and discover new photographers to follow. The app also offers a range of tutorials and tips to help you improve your editing skills and take your photography to the next level.

Adobe Photoshop Express is one of the best apps for editing photos for beginners. If you're just beginning the art of iPhoneography and overwhelmed with the best practices for posting photos to social media, Adobe Photoshop Express is a simple (and FREE) app to use.

When sharing your photos on social media, it's important to resize them properly. This will help avoid any blurring or distortion that can occur once you've uploaded them onto the platform. But, how do you resize images for social media properly? Resizing your images is crucial to ensure they look their best, and Adobe Photoshop Express offers simple tools for the most popular platforms. 

Another great feature of Adobe Photoshop Express is its seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud. This means that you can easily share your edited photos with other Adobe users and access your work from any device. You can also use the app to easily create collages and share them on your social media accounts.

While heavy-duty features abound in this Facetune, there’s more of a learning curve than more novice-level apps for editing photos and a somewhat hefty price tag. If you take many selfies and are the go-to person for family and friend portrait shots, Facetune has some excellent features for high-level face edits. Easily brighten smiles and eyes, smooth wrinkles, soften contours, and enlarge or reduce features – all with stunning production quality. Even better, there’s a before/after view at every step of the process, so you have a gauge to ensure you haven’t crossed into “over-produced” territory.

Taking selfies has become a part of our daily lives, and having a magnetic phone case can greatly improve the quality of your photos. Not only does it provide a secure grip on your phone, but it also allows you to quickly and easily attach your phone to a magnetic surface for hands-free selfies. A magnetic phone case can also help you avoid blurry photos caused by shaky hands. By investing in a magnetic phone case, you can take better selfies and capture special moments with ease.

If you love taking ultra-wide pano shots, you’re probably woefully aware of post-production difficulties with distortion across the shot. Enter the Darkroom app. It helps you achieve a more natural, less distorted end product that’s suitable for larger-format prints by providing vertical, horizontal, and straightening adjustments. Dramatic shots on your phone for your next wall mural? Not a problem with this app!

Darkroom, which won the Apple Design Award 2020, has been a mobile-only photo editor app for iPhone and iPad for quite some time. We first discovered Darkroom nearly two years ago when it was featured on the App Store, and it quickly became popular with both professional artists and enthusiasts. We personally fell in love with Darkroom on iOS because it was capable, didn't push subscriptions, and had a simple user interface that was easy to learn.

When taking ultra-wide photos on an iPhone, a few tips can help enhance the quality of your shots. Firstly, keeping your phone steady and your phone secure is important to avoid any blurriness or distortion. The ROKFORM detachable phone lanyard will help avoid those accidental phone drops. Secondly, try to find a vantage point that will allow you to capture the entire scene you want to photograph. It's also helpful to avoid taking ultra-wide photos in low light conditions, resulting in grainy or dark images. Finally, experiment with different angles and perspectives to add depth and interest to your shots. With a little bit of practice and attention to detail, you can capture stunning ultra-wide photos with your iPhone.

Maybe the coolest feature in this list of the best apps for editing photos is Halide Mark II’s “Coverage,” a new capture mode that takes two photos – one with Smart HDR 3 and Deep Fusion, and one in RAW mode. With this feature, you get the benefit of having an instantly sharable JPEG or HEIC file for family and friends but also a more robust Raw file for ultra-deep, professional-grade edits, and outputs.

Of course, this combo camera/editing app has all the high-level editing features you’d expect from something with a RAW shooting mode, offering you the ability to shoot and edit without shuffling your shots around from gallery to app.

When editing photos with Smart HDR 3 and Deep Fusion features, there are a few tips that can help enhance the quality of your shots. Firstly, make sure to use the "Auto" setting for the exposure and brightness adjustments, as this will help bring out the best in your photos. Secondly, experiment with the "Vivid" and "Warmth" filters to add more depth and richness to your images. It's also helpful to avoid over-editing your photos, as this can result in a loss of detail and clarity. Finally, don't be afraid to play around with the different editing tools and features to find the perfect balance for your photos. 

Nightcap Camera is a fantastic app for iPhone photography enthusiasts who are looking to capture stunning photos at night. This app comes with various features such as long exposure, light trails, and star trail modes that allow you to take breathtaking photos of the night sky. With Nightcap Camera, you can also adjust ISO, shutter speed, and focus manually to get the perfect shot. 

Additionally, Nightcap Camera has a time-lapse mode that enables you to record beautiful videos of the night sky. You can set the duration and interval of the time-lapse, and the app will take care of the rest. Furthermore, this app also includes a noise reduction feature that helps to reduce the amount of noise in your images, resulting in clearer and more detailed photos. Overall, if you are looking to capture stunning photos of the night sky, Nightcap Camera is the perfect app for you.