Apps to edit photos on your iPhone

There are a lot of options for editing photos on your iPhone, including some great built-in features with the Photos app itself, but if you want to use the editing tool that set the gold standard, download the free PS Express app and get photoshopping with your camera roll.

Getting started with Photoshop Express

Photoshop Express (PS Express) is the official photo editing app by Adobe for use on the iPhone. You can download it for free from the App store, even if you don't have an Adobe account.

1. Download PS Express from the App store.
2. If you don't already have an Adobe account, you can create one using your email or your credentials from Apple, Google, or Facebook. If Adobe finds a matching account in their system, it will allow you to connect the accounts.
3. When prompted, be sure to allow photo access if you want to be able to edit your pictures from the app. You can either grant full access to your entire Photos library, or select specific photos or albums which the app will be allowed to utilize.
4. You can optionally connect your account to Dropbox, Google Photos, or Facebook to allow editing access to any photos on those platforms. You will see them listed at the bottom by scrolling to the right.

Features included in PS Express app

PS Express does not include all of the Photoshop tools and functions that are available on the desktop version, but it does offer a full feature list for basic photo editing. Some of the available features in the free version include:

• Cropping & resizing images
• Retouching photos
• Creating collages
• Adding text over images

If you want to get access to all possible features, there is a Premium upgrade available, which allows you to use advanced editing tools, and offers additional templates and presets. Premium access for PS Express is included if you already have an Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps subscription.

Using PS photo editing tools

Let's take a look at some of the most common editing tasks you can do on your iPhone using PS Express.

Retouch a photo

The easiest edit to make on a photo is to apply a filter to change the look and feel of your photo. PS Express has a number of predefined "Looks" that can be applied to your image, or you can make manual adjustments to features, such as brightness or contrast.

1. From the Home screen, tap on Photo Editor & Retouch.
2. Select the photo you would like to edit.
3. Tap on the Adjustments icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. You can make changes to a variety of image details such as Color, Light, and Blur.
   • On premium plans, you can choose whether to apply the effect to the full image, the main subject, or the background.
   • Use the slider to adjust the intensity of any effect.
   • You can tap on the square icon in the bottom right corner of the image to view the original version.
   • If you don't want to keep the selected effect, click on the backwards arrow icon to undo it.
5. Alternatively, the Looks tool includes preset settings for a variety of retouch options. Tap on the Looks icon at the bottom of the screen, then scroll through the different predefined looks to apply them to your photo.
6. To save the updated photo, make sure to tap on the download icon in the top menu.

Touch up faces

One of the most common photo editing tasks these days is to touch up faces, and PS Express has a specific tool set for just that purpose. You can use the app to do everything from changing the shape of your lips, to the angle your face is tilted towards.

1. From the Home screen, tap on Photo Editor & Retouch.
2. Select the photo you would like to edit.
3. Select the Face icon on the bottom menu. If there are multiple faces in the photo, you can tap on the face you'd like to edit.
4. Use the tools to edit facial features such as eyes, lips, or nose.
5. To save the edits, be sure to tap on the download icon in the top menu.

Remove images from a photo

The basic Heal tool allows you to blur out small portions of a photo, but if you want to do more advanced removal, you can take advantage of Adobe Firefly generative AI features integrated with PS Express. The free plan includes 25 generative AI credits per month, while the premium plan includes 250.

1. From the Home screen, tap on Generative Fill (you will be prompted to agree to terms & conditions for use of AI features).
2. Select the photo you would like to edit.
3. Use the brush or eraser to mark the portion of the image you'd like to replace, then tap on Replace.
4. If you'd like to have the image replaced to look like the background, leave the prompt area blank and tap Generate. You can alternatively enter a prompt with details about what you'd like to have inserted in the marked area.
5. Several different fill options will be presented based on your prompt. You can select one or tap on Refresh to try again.
6. To save one of the generated images, be sure to tap on the download icon in the top menu.

Get started editing your photos

It's never been easier to spruce up your iPhone camera roll than it is today with PS Express. Even with the free plan, users have access to sophisticated editing tools that once required desktop computers. Whether it's removing an ex from your favorite family photo, or enhancing your last vacation shots, the power is literally now in your hands.