Smartphones are capable of handling a variety of traditional computing tasks, including photo editing. Despite the limitations of a smaller screen and the absence of a mouse and keyboard, your phone can effectively manage enhancements and tweaks to your pictures while you’re on the go.
While there are many photo editing apps available, we will focus on Adobe Photoshop, a name synonymous with image editing on desktop computers. The mobile version of Photoshop, known as Photoshop Express Photo Editor, can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android. Basic features are free, with advanced options and cloud storage available for $4.99 per month or $34.99 per year.
Using Photoshop Express Photo Editor
The mobile version of Photoshop offers a simplified interface compared to the desktop version. Despite the limitations, you can still perform various edits on your images using the tools available. To begin, select Photo Editor & Retouch in the app, then choose an image from your phone’s gallery. The tools at the bottom of the screen, such as Adjustments and Crop, allow you to modify colors, brightness, and crop images.
Utilize the Heal brush to fix imperfections in the image, and the Background feature to apply effects to the background. The app can differentiate between the background and foreground elements, but you can adjust the selection as needed.
Additionally, Photoshop Express Photo Editor includes AI generation capabilities. By tapping the Insert Objects button, you can add AI-generated elements to your images. The app offers filters, image combinations, stickers, text overlays, borders, and more. Once you’re satisfied with the edits, you can easily save or share the image.
Other Adobe options for mobile
In addition to Photoshop Express, Adobe offers a more advanced mobile version of Photoshop exclusively for iPadOS. This version supports PSD files, layers, advanced retouching, and selection tools, making it comparable to the desktop experience. A Creative Cloud subscription is required to access Photoshop for iPad, priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
Adobe Lightroom, the companion app to Photoshop, is available on iOS and Android. Basic features are free, with a subscription ($4.99 a month or $49.99 a year) unlocking additional tools like the healing brush and batch editing. Subscribers to Creative Cloud with Photoshop also get access to all premium Lightroom features.
Another Adobe app worth considering is Adobe Express, available for iOS and Android. This app focuses on graphic design and AI-powered art creation, offering basic effects, image cropping, and text-image combinations. It can be used for free or with a subscription ($9.99 a month or $99.99 a year) for additional features like advanced background removal and more cloud storage.
