How to build a photo editing mobile app

Idea Usher
7 min readSep 7, 2021

What is a photo editing mobile app?

What is a photo editing mobile application? In essence, it is a program that enables the user to make changes to images easily from a mobile device. It can be as specific or as general as you want it to be. The idea for a photo editing app is similar to an image editor but highly simplified and produced for a much smaller version of the screen.

Most of the applications nowadays come with an option to edit photos. Among those who want to look younger, it is all the rage now. This step-by-step guide will help you develop your photo editing mobile application from scratch for iOS and Android devices.

What are the features of a mobile photo editing application?

The implementation of photo editing apps is growing almost on an hourly basis. Keeping the trend in mind, we shared the most commonly used features in a photo editing app development process.

In today’s world, the use of smartphones is increasing day by day. Mobile phones have become an essential part of our day-to-day life. With multiple apps available for download on the mobile app stores, the competition is growing vehemently. That’s why your app must have unique features to stand out from the competition.

Following are the features of any pic editing app:

1. Photo categorization

Saving a photo on your mobile device can be as simple as tapping on the image and then saving the artwork as you would any other image. But before you can get started editing pics on your phone, you need to decide how to organize and visualize your photos to make the most of them.

2. Auto corrections of colors and brightness

One of the most requested features of mobile photo editing applications is the correction of colors and brightness. These are important to photos and web content since computer vision programs interpret digital images much more accurately in bright sunlight than with darker images. Most smartphone cameras have a flash, so this is an invisible effect on the image unless you’re specifically looking for it (and then you might be off-topic).

3. Develop photo editing skills

If you’re looking for a great way to practice editing photos and video, then a photo editing app can turn out to be fantastic for you. The platform offers a variety of editing tools and templates that allow you to quickly create and share primary visual effects in a matter of minutes. You can also snap your pictures using its built-in camera or standalone service to add motion graphics and sound effects in seconds.

4. Share and edit photos

There are many advantages to be had from using a mobile device to edit pictures. First and foremost, you can take your photos directly from your smartphone. This is an excellent feature if you can take photos in several different settings — such as low light or high resolution. If you’re anything like me, you’d much instead post your photographs to Instagram than have them look like they were taken by a professional. Editing photos on a mobile device allows you to get rid of jaggies and blur — artifacts leftover from capturing the image in full HD resolution.

5. Easy and simple UI

In today’s world, a photo editing app can make or break your online presence. The number one reason customers leave reviews is that they are impressed by the app. If the photo editing app looks easy to use but has hundreds of features and sub-channels, chances are significantly less will be said about it in the months following its release. The best feedback you can get is from users who have used the app before and have friends who have used it.

6. Exports pictures in JPG, PDF, and PNG formats

The first thing you should do in choosing a photo editing app is figuring out if it has an export option. When you want your pictures printed, you want them to look as good as possible. If an app-only offers export options for JPG or PNG files, it’s not very useful. The next step is to figure out what type of file format the app expects. Some apps will offer a choice between JPG, which is the most common, and PNG, which is less common but better than nothing. Other apps will offer a choice between JPG and PNG files, but if they don’t provide any alternatives, you should probably go with the one that has an option for intermediate file formats.

Steps of photo editor mobile apps development

Step 1: Get an app development team.

An essential thing that any startup needs are talented developers. Mobile app developers are readily available, and there are several companies ready to help you with your project.

Start with finding an app development company in your chosen industry and ask how they handle issues like publishing subscriptions or adding new features to existing apps. It’s also vital to get outside help. There are resources available on the web that can help you get started with iPhone app development and other platforms if you feel adventurous enough.

Step 2: Create a prototype

The prototype is a work in progress that displays the features of your app. It allows you to quickly test out concepts, layout designs, and other interfaces before writing content that’s meant to be displayed as the final version. The goal of a prototype is to get some value out of your testing without spending much time or money on development. The more valuable feedback you gather from using the app, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether or not it’s worth pursuing as a full-featured product.

Step 3: App design and development

You need to get your idea off the ground with a solid design before you can get the coding started. Designers and developers are often very different people. The best way to handle what they should be working on is through teams with people with similar skill sets. Many mobile app development Startups have a product manager that is an expert in mobile app design and development. Other times you will find that a designer or developer is bringing practical design and development skills to the table on their own. A good designer can take your idea from good to excellent and, above all else, have fun while doing it.

A good app is more than just a two-dimensional illustration on a mobile phone screen. It’s a collaborative, interactive experience that brings your audience together through tangible, engaging ways. The most successful apps build on a foundation of value; they provide new ways to experience and interact with the world. New versions of these applications are constantly being developed, inspired, and influenced by consumers like you. In this session, we’ll discuss how to take your first steps toward creating an app, as well as the process of building an amazing one.

Step 4: Offer an assortment of filters.

Offering various filters is a great way to get your clients creative and open up their photos. Filters can be made available for purchase in the app, which allows you to modify the look of your pictures before they’ve even sent them.

Step 5: Test and launch

Once your app is ready to use and has gone to alpha and beta testing, it’s time to launch the app.

It’s better to launch the app for a few users first, make changes in the app according to their feedback, and then launch the final version for everyone.

While launching the app, read the Google play store and iOS guidelines correctly.

Top 5 pic editor mobile apps

1. B612: Make collages, add stickers and text, crop photos, remove blemishes, and much more.

2. Beauty Plus: A great all-rounder that offers filters, stickers, frames, overlays, and more.

3. PicsArt: The most popular free option, with over 100 million downloads to date.

4. Lightroom: Offers premium looks, DSLR effects, and much more for free.

Cost of app development?

The cost of building an app majorly depends on the app’s features and the professional work hours that go behind the development of an app. I hope this table gives you an estimate of the cost.

Features-Professional working hours

User Dashboard-72 hours

Editing tools-72 hours

Payment gateway for in-app purchases-60 hours

UI design-48 hours

UX design-64 hours

Ratings and reviews-36 hours

Export option-64 hours

Beauty and filter camera options-56 hours

Sharing option-52 hours

Filters-62 hours

Customer service panel-54 hours

The final cost range varies proportionally to the tech stack and complexity of the project. For a precise quote, feel free to contact Idea Usher.

Why Idea Usher ?

Finding a reliable mobile app development company can be very challenging, especially when the deadline is looming large over your head. Many companies are offering both expensive and cheap products.

Idea Usher’s goal is to offer high-quality software for affordable prices that are always on time.

Idea Usher promises that you get what you want! Speaking of want, what do you want in an application? Maybe you want fantastic customer support or additional features like push notifications or in-app payments? So what are you waiting for? Contact Idea Usher now to know more about the app development process.

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Idea Usher
Idea Usher

Written by Idea Usher

Powering startups with full-fledged end-to-end tech and marketing solutions with custom-made web and applications. https://ideausher.com

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