To say the least, it’s been an interesting six months of 2020, but we’re officially halfway through. These strange times, however, have provided us with something we may have never really experienced before: an excess of free time. With that being said, much of this large amount of time on our hands has been spent on social media (or maybe that’s just me). This has led me to think about the current themes of my personal social medias and how I want to change them to fit my growing personality and life. When I was thinking about the apps I currently have in my editing arsenal, I decided I wanted to share them with a wider audience. So here it is, the ultimate guide to the editing apps you should have on your phone to level up your social media brand.
THE CLASSICS:
These apps have been on the scene for a long time and are pretty mainstream at this point, but this is true for a good reason: they’re all amazing.
VSCO
VSCO has a wonderful set of pre-made filters that truly work with any photo and the app also includes settings to adjust just about every quality of digital media. VSCO is also somewhat of its own social media platform, so bonus, there’s plenty of inspo to be found as well.
Picsart
Picsart has its shortcomings, but overall, if you’re looking to edit a photo with fun and trendy graphics or even layer photos, this is the go-to app.
Lightroom
Everyone knows this one, specifically because presets have taken over the editing scene for most of our generation. While I am and have been an avid preset user, most presets out there look very similar and don’t always add to every photo. My suggestion is to familiarize yourself with the features of the app and build your own preset so that your editing truly matches your style and what you want (there’s plenty of YouTube videos on this topic).
THE STAPLES:
These apps are a little less well known than our Classics, but I highly suggest you add them to your editing tool kit- they’re the real deal.
Snapseed
This editing platform provides a lot of presets that go with a bright, colorful and saturated theme. This app is very similar to VSCO, minus the social media aspect.
Colourtone
This app has a large collection of ready-to-use filters that can go with any vibe and look good on any photo. This app is a lot like VSCO, but has a more trendy look to many of it’s presets.
Afterlight
This app has a lot of presets already installed within the app much like the other two in this category. Good for quick, one-tap editing. Personal favorite preset on this app: Mojave.
THE NEWBIES:
These apps are a little newer on the editing scene, but I. am. thoroughly. obsessed. These are so cute and cool and so trendy. There’s something for everyone and you can see your social media take on new life the second you implement these features.
Unfold
This app brings your Instagram story game to level: expert. It allows you to quickly make dope graphics and collages - these are especially perfect for birthday stories for your friends. Love this app.
Prequel (my personal FAVORITE)
The number of people who have asked me how I have edited my photos and videos when I have used this app is off the charts. Lots of unique, dreamy, trendy edits for videos and photos. This is my favorite editing app right now! Some suggestions are Effect: Disco 2 and Effect: Bling 2.
THE OTHERS:
While these apps are not something I would use every day, they are fun and helpful editing tools to play around with.
Prisma
This app can turn your photos into different styles of artwork, which in reality is very cool. This is more of a far-out editing tool, but it can put your photos right on trend when done right.
Canva
This app is something I actually found through my high school classes, but I have ended up using more in my artistic endeavors. I mostly use this app to make graphics for my stories or for collages as it is a super great design platform. In fact, every blog post I have written for KRNL so far has included a cover photo made using Canva! Tip - I prefer to use the computer version of this software rather than the app, but both are great and super easy to use.
BONUS:
Preview
This app honestly might be a little extra, but if you’re anything like me, you love having a feed on your social media that is cohesive and works together to support your desired brand. This app is perfect for that - it allows you to preview what a photo will look like with your feed before you post it on the gram.