Back in the day, photography was too expensive to be taken anything but seriously, but with photography at our fingertips and the ability to save copies of photos with or without the changes you’ve made, having fun is the order of the day.
Software also used to be an expensive item, and it’s true that the very best photo editing software remains costly, but for simple photo editing, there’s no need to pay for software. Instead, you can just download free apps. Keep your social media accounts up to date and your friends and family amused – it’s fun, and it’s free!
1. Pixlr
Add special effects or use filters and overlays with Pixlr. The app says you can create more than 2 million different effects combos, but its ability to put images together into neat collages is one of the biggest reasons for its popularity. A single collage can tell the whole story of a special event at once – very nice for sharing on social media!
2. Fotor
This app is very easy to use and offers lots of image editing versatility. There’s also a social element, as you can browse through images made public by other users. Like Pixlr, it can be used to make collages, and it has a special focus feature that allows you to select a focal point and get a high definition look at your photos.
3. Instagram
Instagram is all about pictures, so it makes sense that the Download offers a free app for iOS and Android. Hint: you can apply special filters to your photos to make everything look even more glamorous. Who doesn’t want to look fabulous on social media? And you can also save the images on your phone!
4. Camera 360
This is a genuinely clever app with a wide range of photo editing options. Like Instagram, you can apply filters to enhance images, and you can also get really artsy with a wide variety of effects. You can also compare ‘before’ and ‘after’ versions of your photo on a single screen.
5. Lifecake
Lifecake is intended for parents who want to keep images of their children in chronological order and share them with friends and relatives. Your pictures are only seen by those you invite to view them: an excellent way to keep grandparents in touch with your baby’s development.
Download: iOS | Android
6. Cartoon Face
Turn yourself into a cartoon. See what you’d look like as a space alien. The weird and wonderful features are very amusing, and you can even create an animation covering a range of emotions.
Download: iOS
7. PhotoSketch
You’ve seen yourself as a cartoon – how would you look like a work of art? A range of smart effects allows you to play around with your images and create an artsy look.
Download: iOS
8. Qwik
Qwik lives up to its name. Tweaking your images quickly and simply is a snip. With so many free photo editing apps out there, it’s one of the crowd, but many people prefer it for its simplicity.
Download: iOS
9. Tadaa
Although it’s a relatively standard image editing app, Tadaa has two significant advantages. You can add frames to images that aren’t square (many of the social media-oriented apps won’t), and you can adjust the nuances of any filters you apply.
Download: iOS
10. Camera MX
Yes, it’s another image editing app, but it does have one remarkable difference: it lets you take moving snapshots. The Live Shot feature saves the seconds just before a photo is taken and the results can be quite amusing!
Download: Android
11. Geló
Create colored filters for your images and apply tone gradients. Sliders help you to adjust the color intensity of your ‘gel’. This is a fun app for those who like adding a touch of the artsy to their images.
Download: iOS
12. Photo Wonder
Perfect for concealing skin blemishes that show up on photos, the app also offers you a few other filters and effects. The selection isn’t enormous, but the app is so well-designed that you probably won’t even notice.
Download: iOS
13. Rakuga Cute
It’s very similar to PhotoWonder, but it has a slightly less cartoonish style. One of its more practical features is its ability to pixelate areas of an image. This allows you to provide anonymity if you share a picture of someone doing something particularly silly or scandalous.
Download: iOS
14. LINE Camera
Really fun for playing around with borders, icons and stamps, LINE Camera also allows you to add text in 100+ fonts to images with ease. It’s all rather cutesy pie, but rather sweet all the same. Best of all, it’s free and very easy to use.
15. Photo Editor by Aviary
For a free app, this one is actually remarkably good. It combines the more serious photo editing tricks with a few fun photo decorating features. It doesn’t have a huge range of filters, but it does produce good results. There’s also an “awesomize” button you can try for an automated photo tweak.
16. Collage Creator Lite
Although this is just a collage creator it has one really fun feature. Select your pictures and literally shake things up by shaking your phone. The collage maker immediately mixes up the images for a new look.
Download: iOS
17. Photo Warp
Distorting images can result in some hilarious pictures. Have a little ‘twisted’ fun by warping, bending or contorting faces into hilarious grimaces.
Download: Android
18. MSQRD
This Facebook app allows you to get your face into a celebrity setting. Have you ever wondered what you’d look like holding an Oscar? Now you can find out. Paste a pair of cartoon eyes onto a picture of your face and generally have fun.
Download: iOS | Android
19. Face Swap
Swopping faces in a photo around can produce funny results, and you can even set up a ‘face bomb’ in which all faces in a photo are replaced with a single one. You may have to play around with it a bit before you get it right, but unlike most face swop apps, it’s free.
Download: iOS
20. Mix Booth
Would you like to see how you would look if your face was combined with that of your favorite celebrity? Now you can find out! You can also mix up any of the portraits you have of friends and family members. It’s weird, but it’s fun!
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