Taking great photos is just the first step – editing them can take them to the next level.
This guide covers the 15 best photo editing apps for Android to help you get professional-looking results on your phone.
Nowadays, our smartphones have become powerful mobile photography studios in our pockets.
With advanced camera hardware and computational photography capabilities, it’s possible to take stunning images rivaling traditional cameras.
However, the real magic often happens during the editing process. A few taps and swipes with the right photo editing app can transform an average shot into an artistic masterpiece.
From basic adjustments to advanced effects and creative editing tools, these apps put extensive image editing powers right at your fingertips.
In this article, we’ll explore the top 15 best photo editing apps for Android in 2024.
Whether you’re a casual shooter or an avid mobile photographer, these apps will help you elevate your photos and unlock their full potential.
1. Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is the industry-standard photo editing app from the kings of creative software.
It offers professional-grade editing tools and an intuitive interface that makes it easy to enhance your photos with just a few taps.
Key Features:
- Raw image editing support
- Powerful adjustment tools (exposure, contrast, highlights, etc.)
- Advanced color editing and lens correction
- Selective editing with radial and graduated filters
- Presets and custom preset creation
- Seamless cloud sync across devices
Adobe Lightroom excels at precise editing controls that let you fine-tune every aspect of your image.
With its robust feature set, it’s arguably the most powerful photo editor on Android.
2. Snapseed
Developed by Google, Snapseed is a versatile and user-friendly photo editor that strikes a great balance between advanced features and ease of use.
It’s completely free with no ads or in-app purchases.
Key Features:
- Streamlined, gesture-based editing
- Selective adjustments with the Brush tool
- HDR editing and perspective correction
- Tons of creative filters and effects
- Healing tool for removing objects
- Supports RAW images and high-res exports
Snapseed’s simple interface belies its impressive capabilities. With its wide array of tools and intuitive controls, it’s an excellent all-around editor for both quick fixes and creative edits.
3. VSCO
VSCO is a photography app that doubles as a powerful photo editor and an online creative community.
It’s particularly popular among influencers and mobile photographers for its cool, retro-inspired filters.
Key Features:
- Signature film-inspired presets and filters
- Comprehensive editing tools (exposure, color, cropping, etc.)
- Advanced camera controls and settings
- VSCO community for sharing work
- Options for video editing and collage creation
While VSCO excels at its stylish filter effects, it’s also a full-fledged photo editor with plenty of adjustment tools.
The stylish minimalist interface is easy to navigate as well.
4. Pixlr
Pixlr is a free, powerful, and beginner-friendly photo editor that offers a familiar layered editing approach similar to desktop apps like Photoshop.
It has both quick Autofix options and granular controls.
Key Features:
- Layer-based image editing
- A wide assortment of overlay effects and objects
- Tools for drawing, text, and adding borders
- Tons of filters and adjustment options
- Collage maker and double exposure tools
Whether you want one-tap fixes or an advanced layered workflow, Pixlr’s versatility makes it a great option for casual and enthusiast photographers alike.
5. PicsArt
PicsArt is a multifaceted creative suite that combines photo editing, drawing tools, collage-making, and a supportive online community.
It’s loaded with features while still remaining easy to pick up.
Key Features:
- Basic and advanced photo editing controls
- Blur effects and beautification tools
- Drawing tools, text, stickers, and overlays
- Collage maker and photo editor
- Active community of creators to draw inspiration from
With its extensive toolset and creative options, PicsArt is ideal for everything from quick edits to mixed media artistic projects on your Android device.
6. Prisma Photo Editor
Prisma is a unique photo editor that uses AI and neural networks to apply distinctive artistic effects and filters inspired by different art styles and movements.
Key Features:
- Neural network technology for replicating art styles
- Hundreds of custom art filters across multiple genres
- Powerful photo processing engine
- Tools for adjusting blend amounts and regional editing
- Video editing capabilities
Prisma’s AI art filters offer a creative twist that sets it apart from typical presets and overlays. It’s a fun app for adding an artistic flair to your mobile photos.
7. Afterlight
Afterlight is a feature-rich yet intuitive photo editor focused on helping you achieve that perfect Instagram look.
It has a wide assortment of filters and effects to get your photos feed-ready quickly.
Key Features:
- Clean, gesture-based editing interface
- 128 adjustable filters with filter stacking
- Advanced curves tool and selective color tuning
- Textures, light leaks, and creative overlays
- Real-time preview of edits as you make adjustments
With its streamlined filter workflow and diverse effects, Afterlight is tailored for crafting eye-catching, share-worthy images quickly.
8. Enlight Pixaloop
Enlight Pixaloop specializes in creating Cinemagraphs, which are still images with isolated areas brought to life with subtle movement and animation.
It’s a fun and unique app for creative expression.
Key Features:
- Easy-to-use tools for creating partial animation
- Motion masking with AI assistance
- Customizable brush tools and looping effects
- Tons of effects filters, overlays, and adjustment options
- Option to export videos, GIFs, or share directly
Enlight Pixaloop puts a fresh spin on photography by giving you the ability to add mesmerizing motion elements to your still photos.
9. Foodie
As the name suggests, Foodie is a specialized photo editing app tailored for food photography and blogging. It simplifies enhancing the look and presentation of your culinary snaps.
Key Features:
- Auto food filters to enhance the look of dishes
- Simple tools for smoothing, brightening, and color correction
- Advanced adjustment controls for shadows, highlight tweaking
- Text and sticker overlays for captions and watermarks
- Sharing options for social media posting
If you’re a foodie looking to up your food photo game, this app’s dedicated feature set makes it easier than ever.
10. Photoshop Express
Adobe brings its legendary Photoshop software to Android with Photoshop Express, a lightweight but powerful mobile photo editing solution.
Key Features:
- Quick fixes based on Adobe’s imaging expertise
- Photoshop-caliber retouching and correction tools
- A good selection of filters and effects
- Noise reduction and defog tools
- Support for RAW images
While not as extensive as the full Photoshop, Express gives you core Adobe editing capabilities in a compact, easy-to-use package.
11. Adobe Photoshop Camera
Another Adobe offering, Photoshop Camera, uses AI and computational photography to capture and apply impressive visual effects and filters in real time while shooting.
Key Features:
- AI-powered lenses and filters change the look while shooting
- Unique effects like Portraits, Scene Stacks, and more
- Milky Way mode for night sky shots
- Automated face relighting and distortion correction
- Advanced editing controls to further refine shots
This app rethinks mobile photography by letting you create artistic images straight out of the camera instead of just enhancing them later.
12. Lens Distortions
As its name implies, Lens Distortions is a niche app focused on applying lens distortion effects and experimental styles to photos.
Key Features:
- The wide array of creative fisheye, warp, and distortion effects
- Vignette, halation, and other unique filter effects
- Tools for blending and layering effects
- Customizable effect parameters for precise control
For those looking to add cool distortions and abstract their photos, this unique app lets you easily explore creative lens manipulation techniques.
13. Pixtica
Pixtica is an AI-powered app that aims to enhance selfies with intelligent beautification and editing.
Key Features:
- Automatic skin smoothing and retouching
- AI face adjustments (slimming, eye enlarging, etc.)
- Automatic cloth removal and background swapping
- Filter and effect presets specifically tailored for portraits
- Advanced controls for makeup, lighting, and reshaping
Powered by complex algorithms and neural networks, Pixtica’s specialized tools can instantly elevate the look
14. Polarr Photo Editor
Polarr is a versatile, cross-platform photo editor that brings advanced editing tools to your Android device. Its rich feature set rivals desktop-class photo editors.
Key Features:
- Precise exposure, color, and detail adjustment tools
- Support for editing in different color spaces and depths
- Layers, masking, and selective editing brushes
- Film emulation filters and analog effects
- Comprehensive raw editing capabilities
For enthusiasts and professional mobile photographers, Polarr delivers an impressive depth of editing power wrapped in an intuitive interface.
It’s a great option for those wanting a more robust editing experience on the go.
15. Adobe Photoshop Fix
Photoshop Fix is another member of Adobe’s mobile editing suite, focused specifically on image retouching and restoration tasks.
Key Features:
- Advanced healing, patching, and liquifying tools
- AI-powered auto-corrections and face-aware liquify
- Features like smoothing, defect fixing, and content-aware fills
- Selective area editing with brushes and refinement tools
- Integrates with other Adobe apps like Lightroom
While more specialized than a general photo editor, Photoshop Fix shines when it comes to cleaning up shots, removing blemishes/objects, and applying precise targeted adjustments.
FAQ
Q. What photo formats do these apps support?
Ans: Most of the top photo editors like Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, VSCO, and Pixlr support standard formats like JPG and PNG as well as RAW files from Android camera phones.
Apps like Polarr and Photoshop Express also have excellent RAW editing capabilities.
Q. Are these apps suitable for beginners?
Ans: Absolutely! While some like Lightroom and Polarr offer advanced pro-level tools, many of these apps have simple, intuitive interfaces that make them very beginner-friendly.
Apps like Snapseed, PicsArt, and Prisma are great starting points for new photo editors.
Q. Do I need an internet connection or subscription?
Ans: Many of these apps can be used completely offline for basic editing. However, some like Adobe Lightroom,
VSCO and PicsArt offer cloud storage and syncing features that require an internet connection. A few have paid subscription tiers that unlock extra tools/features.
Q. How do I share my edited photos?
Ans: Most of these photo editors integrate directly with popular social media platforms, allowing you to easily share your final results on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more with just a few taps.
They also let you export optimized images to your camera roll.
Q. Can these apps edit videos too?
Ans: While primarily focused on still image editing, some apps like VSCO, PicsArt, and Prisma do offer basic video editing capabilities as well.
PicsArt and VSCO also have tools for creating photo/video collages and animated image effects.
Conclusion
With the amazing photo editing apps available on Android today, you’re no longer limited by your phone’s built-in editing tools.
The apps above cover a wide range of capabilities—from quick filters and basic edits to advanced adjustments and creative effects that rival desktop software.
Whether you’re a casual snapshooter looking to elevate your everyday photos or a passionate mobile photographer, there’s an Android editing solution tailored to your needs and skill level.
So download a few that pique your interest and unlock new levels of image editing prowess right on your smartphone!
