Hey guys! I get a lot of questions and direct messages on Instagram about how I edit my photos so I thought I’d share some of my favorite smartphone editing apps. While I do edit a lot of my photos in Adobe Lightroom, these apps are really great for adding that last bit of pizzaz and pop to your photos before posting. I included apps that I love for photo editing, video editing, and last but not least, making awesome IG stories. Since I know I’m addicted to watching stories lately, I thought they were worth throwing in there.

For the record: editing isn’t something you have to be good at off the bat. In all honesty: I’ve never had any sort of formal training in photography or photo editing, I just messed around with my camera and photos until I learned what I was doing and found my style. It’s honestly all personal preference, so just play around with these apps until you find what works for you! Don’t be afraid to experiment and try something new – that’s where the best things happen.

Let’s dive in:

*This is a photo I recently posted on my Instagram. I used VSCO to add color, and Mextures to add the light leak.*

9 of The Best Instagram Photo Editing Apps

Photo Editing Apps:

• VSCO

VSCO is amazing for so many reasons. The filters are so unique + the app offers plenty of in-app purchases for extra filters if you don’t dig the originals. Some of my favorite filters for warm colors are F1, 2, and 3. I also like HB1 and HB2 for a grittier vibe.

Pro tip: Only apply the filter at half of its capacity – so around 50, 60%. Sometimes the filters look too heavy at 100%. I like to use a filter halfway, then adjust the image from there using the Sharpen, Tone, Grain, and Exposure tools to get it perfect.

• Snapseed

Snapseed is your great, basic photo editor. While I’m not a big fan of the filters, I love the basic controls it has that are necessary when editing. I use the brightness tool to make my photos brighter, the shadows tool to make my photos more clear, and I also love the “selective” editor. This is a tool that I haven’t found on any other photo editing app. It allows you to only edit a certain part of the image while leaving the rest of the photo the same. This is great for brightening up your face if there is a shadow on it, or if you want a part of an image to appear darker.

• A Beautiful Mess

Add bright pops of color, cute pre-drawn graphics, letters, text, and much more. This app allows you to create one of a kind images, every time. I think the graphics portion is really cool since you don’t need to be a graphic designer or know Photoshop to create a unique image.

• Mextures

While I mainly use Mextures to add some grit and grain to my photos, there are so many awesome in-app features you’ll love playing around with. This app offers light flares, photo overlays, and everything else to keep your photos looking vintage and moody. I add dust to my photos using the “grit and grain” section.

• KiraKira+

Ah yes, the app that makes everything sparkle. Wearing jewelry? The Kirakira app will make it look 10x prettier. This app is so much fun to play with and honestly excites my inner little girl who lives for glitz  & glam. Who doesn’t need a little more sparkle in their lives?

Video Editing Apps:

• 8mm

Looking for something to give you gritty grainy looking videos? The 8mm camera is great for adding a vintage vibe to any video you take. It has a few different types of filters so you can pick one you like, and use it to add a vintage vibe to your stories. I like this app because it makes everything warm and fuzzy, like an old movie.

• Storeo

This app is a lifesaver: it allows you to capture real-time videos, then breaks the video into slides so that you can post a seamless Instagram story. No more talking over yourself or forgetting what you said in the last story lol (been there every day).

• 1SE

While I don’t use this often because I forget, the concept of this app is great. Basically, you record 1 second of your day, every day for a month, and at the end of the month, the app creates a cute little video for you. It’s awesome if you’re tracking progress or just wanting to see an overview of a month.

Apps for Amazing Instagram Stories:

• Canva

Canva is basically an app for graphic design, without having to be a designer. It’s like photoshop, but very watered down, which is amazing for creating graphics and photos without prior experience. I like to use Canva for creating graphics when sharing recipes on my IG stories. That way, they’re in a cute, easy to read format for when people screenshot them for later.

• Unfold

Unfold is a really fun app that allows you to add borders, different photo placements, and just create an overall aesthetically pleasing story. I use it almost every day! It gives your stories a very editorial, elevated magazine feel.

While I’m sure there are so many other amazing apps, these are some of the few I use almost every day so I thought you guys might like them as well! I’d love to do more posts like this in the future, so let me know if you guys enjoyed reading this. Also, please feel free to share any more apps you love in the comments for any that I missed. Thanks a lot babes, enjoy!

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