I tested 5 products and found Photoshop Express to be the best photo editing app for Android.
Many of us enjoy experimenting with photos at home, with people like me being budding photographers in our spare time. There are even some competitions online to submit your best photo edits for prizes.
Overall, I feel that Photoshop Express helps deliver quality and professional photo editing for anyone that takes photography seriously. While you’ll need an account to get started, at least it’s free. There are also plenty of filters with which you can play.
Of course, I also looked at a few other categories. I wanted to try out a few casual photo editing apps for entertaining, but I also evaluated which one had the best special effects or tutorials.
So stay tuned to see which are the best photo editing apps for Android that I selected.
Mini-Reviews of the Best Android App For Photo Editing
While there are plenty of best photo editing apps for Android on Google Play Store and other sources, I’ve selected five that fit into different categories. I’ve chosen one as my favorite overall, and you’ll see I provide pros and cons for each of them.
Best Photo Editing App For Android Overall: Photoshop Express
For the best photo editing app for Android overall, I’ve chosen Photoshop Express.
Besides carrying a popular brand name, there are plenty of features to help unleash your creativity. There’s a perspective correction tool to fix any images that don’t look right. You can also reduce any noise you find in the photo’s grain or color.
For more editing features, you can check the library of more than 80 filters. It also contains most of the standard photo editing tools, such as straighten, crop, flip, or rotate. The app makes it easy for you to manipulate images with your fingertips, but there is a slight learning curve to getting the layers right.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Immense number of filters | You’ll need to register an account, even though it’s free |
| High-quality editing | |
| Several social templates | |
| Easy to share online |
You can download Photoshop Express for Android here.
Best Free Photo Editing App For Android: Snapseed
When looking for the best photo editing app for Android for free as a runner-up, I went for Snapseed.
The photo editing app is quite versatile in its functionality, and you’ll find it easy to use compared to many other alternatives. There aren’t as many filters as Photoshop Express, but you’ll still find about 30 on the table. It also opens various formats, such as RAW and JPG.
What’s more, is that you can export DNG and RAW files as JPG files. If you like what you did with one photo, you can save the settings and apply them to another one. While you can apply a dark mode theme, you’ll still have standard editing tools.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Has several professional presets | Has a slight learning curve |
| Ideal for beginners and experts | Need to save often |
| User-friendly interface | Integration with social networks can be tricky |
| Edit and export RAW files |
You can download Snapseed for Android here.
Best Android Photo Editor with Interactive Tutorials: Adobe Lightroom
Next, I decided to look to Adobe Lightroom as the top photo editing app for Android with interactive tutorials.
What better way is there to learn how to use an Android photo editor than with interactive guides? As you use the filters and tools, the application will show you how to master each of the functions. You won’t be left confused, although you should still expect a slight learning curve.
Besides photo editing, you can also use the built-in pro camera mode that lets you take photos. From there, you can change the settings or edit some components, or you may feel free to save it for editing later. Many of Adobe Lightroom’s features from the PC version carry over to your mobile phone.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Incredibly powerful RAW processor | Needs Pro membership for complete access |
| Doesn’t edit the source file | Limited sharing capabilities |
| Interactive guides to assist you | |
| Includes built-in camera mode |
You can download Adobe Lightroom for your Android device here.
Best Photo Editing Android with Special Effects: LightX Photo Editor & Photo Effects
I enjoy photo editing Android apps that have special effects, so I picked LightX Photo Editor & Photo Effects as my top selection.
Many photographers that share images on social media consider this program to be one of the best photo editing apps for Android. You can cut out images and replace the background, or add color splashes as additional effects. There’s also the option to merge two different images into one.
If you’re into making photo collages, you’ll be happy to know it includes that function. There are some frames you can apply, which you can send to your printer at any time. Of course, it also has some standard editing features, such as levels, color balances, and curves.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Large library of special effects | Has too many membership plans |
| Replace backgrounds | You’ll probably not use all of the Pro features |
| Manipulate shapes | |
| Merge images |
You can download LightX Photo Editor & Photo Effects for your Android device here.
Best Free Photo Editing App for Casual Fun: Avatarify: AI Face Animator
For the lighter side of life, I selected Avatarify as the best photo editing app for Android that delivers some casual fun.
How it works is that you can take any images of celebrities or musicians and place your face on them. There’s an internal filter that searches for songs, presenting them to you on a daily list. You can then impose your face on theirs to act as if you’re them for a moment of entertainment.
Of course, the fun will probably be short-lived, as is often the case with these types of photo editing apps. You’ll enjoy it for a short while before you move on to something else.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Prank your friends with your face on a celebrity | Short-lived fun |
| Easy to use interface | Not many editing options |
You can download Avatarify: AI Face Animator for your Android device here.
Downloading Guide When Looking at the Best Photo Edit Apps On Android
I know it can be a daunting task to choose the best photo editing app on Android. All of them promise you the world, while many of them under-deliver. Here are a few aspects you need to pay attention to.
Photo Editing Features
Most of the time, you’ll notice that the app presents a list of features it has and what you can use them for. While it may sound exciting to have more than 1000 tools, you should ensure that it meets your needs. It doesn’t help to have so many items, but you can’t use any of them for your project.
Social Media Sharing
For many photographers and creators, it’s essential to share creations on social media. They can show their followers their new photos, which can be professional or entertaining. Authors can even present promotional posters for upcoming books directly from the app on their phones.
Formats and Exporting
Most social media platforms and competitions only accept specific formats. Usually, you can work in one form and then export it to another. When you’re choosing which would be the best photo editing app for Android, make sure the format list meets your needs.
User reviews
It helps to see what other people have to say on the Google Play Store about the app. Their bad or good experience will be a reflection of how well the application performs. However, keep an eye out for scam or poor reviews that just serve to bring the developer down for malicious reasons.
Final Thoughts on Photo Editors for Android
Out of all the photo editing apps for Android I presented, I still feel that Photoshop Express is the best. I’ve been using it for several months now and posting the results on Instagram. My followers have loved what I presented.
It all depends on what you need it for. There are sufficient filters to get you started, and I don’t feel it takes too long to learn how it works.
If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can download Photoshop Express here.
