Best Photo Editing Apps for iPhone and Android in 2026

Smartphone cameras in 2026 are more powerful than ever, but great photos don’t stop at clicking the shutter. A good photo editing app can turn an ordinary image into something eye-catching, professional, and share-ready.

In this guide, we’ll break down the best photo editing apps for iPhone and Android, based on ease of use, editing power, features, and value for money. Each section explains who the app is best for, so you can quickly decide what fits your needs.

Key Features to Look For in The Best Photo Editing Apps

Before downloading any photo editor, it’s important to know what actually makes an app worth using.

• Ease of Use: Clean menus, simple tools, and easy sliders save time and reduce frustration.
• Export Quality: Look for apps that maintain image quality and lets you export in JPEG, PNG, HEIF, or TIFF with adjustable resolution.
• Non-destructive Editing: The best apps keeps a full edit history, lets you copy edits between photos, export in batches, and save custom presets.
• Match the app with your needs: Some apps are best for working with RAW images while others are ideal for retouching portraits. You don’t have to pay extra for the features that are not your needs.
• AI Tools: Background removal, object cleaning, as well as skin retouching, has become very important in editing apps.
• RAW Support & Color Adjustments: RAW is important for maximum information and color flexibility. Curves, HSL, and adjustments are to be looked for.
• Performance and Speed: The app should be running smoothly without delays, even in older smartphones.
• Pricing & Value: Many apps have free versions with paid upgrades. The best apps provide useful functionality even if you don’t subscribe.

1. Best Overall Photo Editing Apps

These apps are for beginners to professionals for every kind of photo editing.

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Snapseed: Photo Editor

Snapseed remains one of the best all-around photo editing apps in 2026. You can auto-edit a photo in seconds or manually fine-tune every detail especially in RAW editing.

Why it’s great

• Completely free with no ads
• 25+ Professional-grade tools like curves, selective edits, and healing
• Simple interface for beginners, deep tools for advanced users

Best for: Users who want powerful editing without paying anything.

Download: iPhone | Android

Adobe Lightroom AI Photo Editor

Lightroom continues to be a top choice for serious photo editors. Beginner-friendly with retouch presets, but also deep enough for professional editing. Subscription unlocks the best features.

Why it’s great

• Advanced color control and presets
• AI-powered auto edits and object removal save time
• Cloud sync across devices

Best for: Creators, photographers, and users who want consistent, high-quality edits.

Download: iPhone | Android

2. Best App for RAW Photo Editing

If you capture ProRAW photos on your iPhone, you must get it.

Photomator

Photomator is designed for users who want full control over their photos. You get
clean interface with AI-powered tools that makes complex edits manageable. It syncs your edited photos to Photos app and iCloud Drive.

Why it’s great

• Over 750 RAW photo format support
• AI-based color and detail adjustments
• Copy-paste edits or batch edit photos. All changes are recorded in a live histogram.

Best for: iPhone users who shoot in ProRAW and want DSLR-level control.

Download on iPhone

3. Best Editing App for Object Removal

Photobombers can ruin your beautiful shots so have this app for a clean slate.

TouchRetouch

If removing unwanted objects is your main goal, TouchRetouch is unmatched. Just mark what you want to remove and let the app do the work. You can also edit 360-degree photos.

Why it’s great

• One-tap object, wire, and background removal
• Object aware touch ups
• Detailed face retouch

Best for: Removing people, poles, power lines, meshes, or small distractions from photos.

Download: iPhone | Android

4. Best Apps for Vintage and Retro Edits

Who does love posting aesthetic photos on Instagram? These apps are perfect to add a unique charm to your pictures.

1998 Cam – Vintage Camera

This app brings old-school camera vibes to modern photos. Apply a filter and you’re done.

Why it’s great

• 100+ Authentic retro filters
• Date stamps and film effects
• No watermark

Best for: Social media users who love nostalgic, film-style photos.

Download: iPhone | Android

Colorize – Color to Old Photos

This app focuses on restoring and colorizing old images. Upload your B&W photos, tap, and let AI do the work. Minimal manual editing needed.

Why it’s great

• AI-powered photo colorization
• Restores faded photos
• Great emotional value for old memories

Best for: Colorizing black-and-white or old family photos.

Download: iPhone | Android

5. Best Apps for Creative Templates

For the most quick editing, you should go for the apps with preset templates and filters.

PicsArt AI Photo Editor, Video

PicsArt is a creative playground for photo editing. You can generate AI background only using text prompts. It has a slight learning curve, but very rewarding once you explore the tools.

Why it’s great

• Thousands of templates, fonts, stickers, and effects
• AI tools for background and object editing
• Unique collages great for social media graphics

Best for: Creators, influencers, and users who love artistic edits.

Download: iPhone | Android

Canva: AI Photo & Video Editor

Canva is more than a photo editor; it’s a AI-powered design tool. One of the easiest professional apps to use for non-designers.

Why it’s great

• Ready-made templates and mockups for posts, stories, and ads
• Easy drag-and-drop editing
• Lots of AI tools including image and video generation

Best for: Business owners, marketers, and beginners who want fast results.

Download: iPhone | Android

6. Best Face Editing Apps

Finally, if you want to make your portraits beautiful, download the below apps.

AirBrush: Face Photo Editor

AirBrush focuses on beauty and portrait editing. You can reshape every element of your picture, tweak body contouring, and even add makeup glamour. Simple sliders make it easy to avoid over-editing.

Why it’s great

• Skin smoothing, blemish removal, and teeth whitening
• Natural-looking face retouching
• Real-time editing previews

Best for: Selfies, portraits, and social media photos.

Download on iPhone

Luminar Mobile AI Photo Editor

Luminar brings desktop-level AI editing to mobile. You can retouch your face imperfections and reshape your figure. The preset filters and smart AI control make it very beginner-friendly.

Why it’s great

• Advanced AI face and sky enhancements
• Professional portrait tools
• High-quality results with minimal effort

Best for: Users who want premium AI-powered face and photo edits.

Download: iPhone | Android

How to Choose the Best Photo Editing Apps for iPhone and Android

Here’s a simple way to decide:

• For free, powerful editing: Snapseed
• For professional and RAW photos: Lightroom or Photomator
• For removing objects: TouchRetouch
• For vintage effects: 1998 Cam or Colorize
• For creative designs and templates: Canva or PicsArt
• For selfies and portraits: AirBrush or Luminar

Think about what you edit most like selfies, landscapes, social media posts, or old photos, and pick the app that focuses on that use case.

Best Practices: Get Better Results With Photo Editing Apps

To get consistently high-quality results from the photo editing apps, follow the below tips:

• Start with light edits: Make small changes to exposure, contrast, and color. Strong edits can quickly make photos look unnatural.
• Always zoom in: Check details at 100% zoom, especially after using AI tools for background removal, object erase, or skin smoothing.
• Improve AI results: Feathering or edge refinement correct harsh edges, hair lines, or shadow areas.
• Edit RAW when possible: The RAW files provide more information about highlights, shadows, and the white balance. Export your files only once.
• Use presets smartly: Develop the preset for the desired style but then personalize it for every photo.
• Compare before and after: Quick comparisons help you avoid over-editing and keep results realistic.

These simple habits can noticeably improve your results, even with basic photo editing apps.

Final Thoughts

In 2026, photo editing apps on iPhone and Android are smarter, faster, and easier to use than ever. The best app isn’t the one with the most features, it’s the one that fits your editing style and your goals like quick fixes, pro-level RAW control, or social-ready content.

Try one or two apps, see how they feel, and stick with what makes photo editing enjoyable for you. Also, share your experience in the comments, and explore our related guides on photo editing tips and iPhone camera settings.