This is my go-to photo editor on mobile that’s completely free, no strings attached

Screenshot of a phone UI with the Snapseed app for Homescreen Heroes series
(Image credit: Future)

Photography is a big part of my life, and so naturally my handset is packed with all manner of apps to support this passion. Spoiled for choice, Snapseed is the app that I instinctively gravitate towards for edits on the fly.

Nik Software originally developed Snapseed many moons ago and was consequently acquired by Google in 2012. Along the way, a huge number of editing tools have been added to Snapseed since it first hit iOS and Android app stores as a completely free download; options that are split into styles, tools, and export menus, and that tow the line between beginner-friendly single-click looks and smart selective tools like its Photoshop-style healing brush.

Homescreen heroes

This is the fifth in a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn't live without. Read them all here.

My preference for Snapseed speaks volumes when you consider that I have free access to the mobile version of Lightroom with my expensive paid-for Adobe Creative Cloud subscription – software I regularly use on desktop for powerful photo editing of my mirrorless camera photos.

Snapseed updates have shown signs of slowing down, but it remains a smart editor with clearly navigated yet wide-ranging tools for users of all abilities, creative needs, and stylistic preferences. I spend the right amount of time editing each of my photos in the app, and no more. So what exactly is it that keeps pulling me back to Snapseed? 

Single-step styles

Most photo editors built into smartphone cameras, and the likes of Google Photo and Instagram, are super-basic. You get a limited choice of styles, and it can be hard to find a look that you like. Conversely, I find that Snapseed’s 11 styles cover a broad range of looks and there’s usually one that I like for any photo; Accentuate pumps up the clarity to make photos pop, Portrait adds a severe vignetting that helps your central subject stand out, Bright gives a light and airy feel, plus there’s a range for black and white lovers, too (although tools is better for black and white, I’ll get onto that).  

The styles menu is a great starting point for your edit, and then you can go on and add more complex edits via tools. And if you are editing more than one photo with the same look, you can simply hit the ‘Last edits’ option that will apply all that hard work from your previous photo edit to your next one with a single click. There's no batch edit function, but it's smart stuff, and we haven’t even got onto tools yet.

Smart tools

If you think single-click styles are basic on a phone, wait until you see what’s possible with Snapseed’s tools. Tools unleashes a whole other level of creative editing beyond styles, and it’s what truly keeps bringing me back to Snapseed. There are too many tools to sensibly cover here, so I’ll run through my personal highlights and I have to start with the Selective tool.

Selective allows you to make changes to a specific part of your photo. In the example below, I have tapped and held on the Parakeet which brings up a close view to simplify picking a very specific part. I then release the screen and apply adjustments to brightness, saturation, and structure (clarity) to make it stand out more from its surroundings.

Next up is the healing brush, simply called Healing. This smart tool does its thing using content-aware fill (you might know that term from Photoshop). If you want to remove something from your photo you can brush over it with the Healing tool. It’s a little bit like Google’s Magic Eraser tool and it's pretty effective. 

If I’m going to convert to black and white, I’ll use the option in tools because it offers the industry-known black and white filters; red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Each of the filters gives a different effect. Green, for instance, brings out tonal detail and is great for portraits, while red and even orange are great for landscapes because they accentuate the contrast in the sky and look especially great for those sunny blue sky days with fluffy clouds. 

Versatile type-to-text offers a ton of styles and the option to invert so that your picture is only seen within the text. You can also use Tune image to make basic edits to color and brightness, with an auto option (that I rarely agree with). There are further basic edits covered that aren’t in many other editors, too, like crop to any aspect ratio. 

Double Exposure is a neat option, allowing you to combine two photos with the second overlaid so you can align it perfectly. Much of the rest of the tools menu is like styles on steroids; a bunch of Vintage looks, HDR effects, film styles, and more.

Throughout the whole process you can hold down on your screen to compare the before and after, plus any step of your edit can individually be removed no matter what stage in the process that step was, via the toolbar in the top right of the UI. All in all, Snapseed handles seamlessly. 

Time and again, I've been able to give my photos the little extra lift that they needed. There’s little wanting from Snapseed for edits on the fly and I’m pretty sure it’ll remain my go-to mobile photo editor for those final tweaks to images – even 'proper camera' images – before I share on social, for some time to come. 

Timothy Coleman
Cameras editor

Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other. 

Read more
A hand holding a phone showing a photo of a musician being edited in the Photoshop for iPhone app
I'm a Photoshop pro – here are 5 things I love about the new iPhone app and 3 things I don’t
Shooting with a Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartphone
I shot and edited this photo with my Samsung Galaxy Ultra and Adobe Lightroom Mobile – here's how you can get pro results with just your phone
photo book
Best free photo and video editing software for your new mirrorless camera of 2025
CyberLink PhotoDirector during our tests
Best photo editor of 2025
Three phones on a green background showing Gentler Streak, Headway and The Way
9 unsung iOS and Android apps we couldn't live without in 2024
CyberLink PhotoDirector during our tests
Best Adobe Lightroom alternative of 2025
Latest in Photography
Nikon Z6 III camera in the hand with no lens attached and full-frame sensor on display
What's the best camera sensor format? You told us your clear favorite – here's why it's not that simple
Lunar eclipse
I'm a pro photographer – here's how I'm shooting the total lunar eclipse blood moon with my camera and phone
A young man takes a portrait photo with a DSLR.
Sell Smart: Quick, easy, and secure camera gear solutions with MPB
Shooting with a Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartphone
I shot and edited this photo with my Samsung Galaxy Ultra and Adobe Lightroom Mobile – here's how you can get pro results with just your phone
A hand holding the Ricoh GR IIIx camera
My photography resolution for 2025 is to keep a point-and-shoot compact in my pocket, and to actually use it!
Two photos of a girl behind a window, one with reflections removed with Photoshop
Photoshop gets the next big thing in AI photography – a tool that makes your unwanted reflections vanish
Latest in Features
Disappointed by The Electric State? Here's 4 reasons you should watch Tales From the Loop on Prime Video
Close up of PS5 DualSense controller leaning on a PS5
5 reasons your PS5 needs a VPN
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
With discounts of up to 95%, these are the biggest deals I've managed to find in the Steam Spring Sale
The cast of The Parenting
The Parenting is Max's #1 most-watched movie but it has frightening reviews – here are 3 better horror films with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
Dr. Peter Zhou, President of Huawei Data Storage Product Line
Why AI commonization is so important for business intelligent transformation and what Huawei’s data storage has to offer
Asif Ali Saagar Shaikh and Poorna Jagannathan stand in line with a convenience store backdrop. Poorna is standing at the front with her arms on her hips in Deli Boys.
Hulu has 36 new shows this month – here are 3 you should watch this weekend with over 89% on Rotten Tomatoes