Here’s why Snapseed is still my favorite app for editing photos

There’s no scarcity of free picture modifying apps to select from on Android. Many boast AI options and instruments like background removing, whereas OEMs have considerably improved their very own native picture editors with extra superior options.

However on the finish of the day, there’s one app I all the time advocate for modifying cell images: Snapseed. Whereas it doesn’t get many updates (the final one was in Could 2024) and lacks the generative AI options of lots of its rivals, Snapseed continues to be one of the best cell picture editor on the market in my view.

After I say that Snapseed is straightforward, this doesn’t imply it’s not highly effective or solely has a small set of instruments. Nevertheless it isn’t saturated with complicated options that make it troublesome to discover ways to edit images within the app. Whereas it does have a spread of preset filters you need to use, it additionally has extra nuanced modifying options that target particular attributes.

It’s these modifying instruments that make Snapseed so highly effective. Together with the flexibility to tweak attributes like brightness and distinction, the comb and selective instruments let you apply edits to particular sections of a picture with out having to fret about working with layers.

I often use the comb and selective instruments to tweak over-exposed skies in my photos and add a little bit of depth and drama to cloud cowl. Whereas my cellphone is nice at capturing photos with vivid colours, Snapseed’s saturation and distinction instruments are extraordinarily efficient when utilizing a price range digicam cellphone to seize photos. However even in case you’re utilizing among the finest digicam telephones on the market, you would possibly discover that that you must tweak a picture now and again.

Whereas I don’t submit as many photos to social media now (and once I do, I give attention to exhibiting the unique photos from the units I exploit), Snapseed is the rationale behind a few of my hottest and visually distinct posts.

One other factor I really like about Snapseed is that you simply don’t must be a photographer or inventive skilled to familiarize yourself with its options. Relating to utilizing picture modifying software program on my PC, I’m typically overwhelmed by the complicated options and technical phrases. However I’ve by no means had bother utilizing Snapseed.

There are many free apps you need to use on Android, however normally these include drawbacks corresponding to distracting adverts or paywalls for essentially the most helpful options. Relating to picture modifying, free apps will typically embrace a watermark until you pay to take away it. The freemium mannequin of those apps additionally typically comes with invasive information permissions to collect insights for the advertisements they serve you.

However Snapseed is a type of uncommon free apps that’s simply downright wonderful. There aren’t any advertisements or subscriptions — but it has loads of options that let you create nice edits.

I technically have entry to Google Pictures’ modifying instruments as a result of I’ve a Google One subscription, together with the Magic Editor. However I hardly ever use these instruments as a result of I take pleasure in Snapseed a lot. Snapseed can be a Google-owned app, but it surely has escaped the development of injecting AI into every little thing. I want its conventional instruments over generative AI gimmicks.

Relating to information permissions, no information gathered by Snapseed is shared with third events. The app collects gadget data and app exercise, however this information assortment is much much less invasive than rivals that accumulate and share monetary data or private IDs.

I don’t use Snapseed as a lot as I used to once I was very lively on social media. However it’s nonetheless one in every of my important apps that I set up on each Android gadget that I exploit. I’ve used it to make my social media photos stand out in addition to for cell images that I print out and body.

I’ve tried different picture modifying apps, however I’m normally postpone by the monetization fashions or the overwhelming variety of options. The prompts to improve to a premium subscription don’t assist both.

I believed that by now I’d’ve gotten bored with Snapseed’s lack of updates, however I discover it refreshing — particularly since updates to CapCut and its transfer in the direction of a extra aggressive monetization technique have precipitated me to desert the video-editing app.

Snapseed has been an incredible app for years, and I hope it continues to offer a helpful, free photo-editing app for cell customers.

These days, I hardly ever vouch for an app with such fervor — particularly with the various drawbacks of freemium apps. However in case you haven’t tried out Snapseed but, I’d extremely recommend getting acquainted with the photo-editing app.

It doesn’t require an account, is totally free, and doesn’t embrace advertisements. It’s a uncommon gem among the many many free apps which might be obtainable on Android. Nevertheless, it’s not for everybody. In order for you extra superior options, you’ll must look elsewhere.