., click here to update your profile and earn points towards a Starbucks gift card

Learn more

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Instagram Editing Apps Guide (2024): Best Photo Editing Apps for Instagram

., you're logged in!
Enjoy this resource and share our programs with your school district to send these resources to your whole community
Tell Your School District About Our Program
., you're logged in!
Share this resource with a parent at .  (or visit our new sharing center)
Copy Share Link
., you're logged in!
Enjoy this demo pass. Click the button to share access with leaders in your school district (or visit our new sharing center)
Share Your Demo Pass With School District Leaders

Become a member or login to learn more on this topic

Superintendents, Directors and Principals: Request a partnership on this page to unlock our resources for your whole community.
March 22, 2023

Unlock this lesson to learn what you can do to keep kids safe on photo editing apps

This Instagram editing apps guide will help parents learn:

  • What are photo editing apps and why do students want to use them?
  • Why parents should care about the effects of using Instagram editing apps
  • Pros and cons of the top third-party Instagram photo editing apps

In this guide, parents & educators will learn:

Learn why parents and educators should care about photo editing apps

Log in or join the VIP membership today to view all SmartSocial.com resources about social media!

Become a member or log in to learn more on this topic

Superintendents, Directors and Principals: Request a partnership on this page to unlock our resources for your whole community.
Quotation marks

This is great info, thanks for giving me some ideas on how to start a dialogue with my teen!

StarStarStarStarStar

Sharon M.

Parent VIP Member

Quotation marks

Josh's presentation about social media was unbelievably fantastic. Our students learned so much about what kids should and shouldn't be doing. The fact that it is such a thoughtful process made it all worthwhile.

StarStarStarStarStar

Director of College Advising

Educator Webinar Attendee

Quotation marks

This webinar is a very helpful eye-opener on the apps that are popular with my students.

StarStarStarStarStar

Irene C.

Educator Webinar Attendee

Instagram Editing Apps Guide (2024): Best Photo Editing Apps for Instagram

., you're logged in!
Enjoy this resource and share our programs with your school district to send these resources to your whole community
Tell Your School District About Our Program
., you're logged in!
Share this resource with a parent at .  (or visit our new sharing center)
Copy Share Link
., you're logged in!
Enjoy this demo pass. Click the button to share access with leaders in your school district (or visit our new sharing center)
Share Your Demo Pass With School District Leaders
., now is your chance to earn 10 points towards a $5 Starbucks gift card by telling us what you learned in this resource!
To earn your gift card, please be specific and write a full sentence that helps us learn what you liked about the topic. Our non-profit uses this information to improve our program.

40 characters remaining to reach minimum

Your submission has been received! You now have additional points added to your account.

If you are in a live event, please comment "I filled out the form!" in the live event chat box!

Otherwise you are free to roam around the site.
Thanks!
-Josh and The SmartSocial Team
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Sharing photos and videos with others online is nothing new and Instagram is one of the most popular forms of social media in the world with over 2 billion active users (Source: Statista).  Now many third-party Instagram photo editing apps are available to edit and enhance photos and videos before posting them to the popular site.  These apps can be easy and fun to use, but parents should be mindful of the potential adverse mental health effects social media and filtered photos can have on teens.  

Student & parent training video

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home)

What are photo editing apps and why do students like them?

  • Photo and video editing apps are used to manipulate photos and videos with basic editing tools such as white balance and more realistic AI-powered digital filters
  • Instagram features built-in photo and video filters to help users post to their Instagram feed and Instagram Stories and Reels (short-form videos similar to TikTok), but many teens are looking for more advanced editing tools
  • Teens love to use these apps because most of them are easy to use and don’t require any specialized design skills
  • Students see other people’s edited Instagram photos and want to use the same filters and tools to achieve the same aesthetic

Top concerns for photo editing apps

  • Research has confirmed that exposure to edited photos on Instagram and other social media directly leads to lower body image, especially in girls, and the use of face filters by adolescents increases their acceptance and desire for cosmetic surgery (Source: BBC)
  • Parents should discuss with their students what these apps do, how they like to use them, and how they make them feel 
  • The use of editing apps can further perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards, making it difficult for teens and tweens to feel confident

VSCO pros and cons

VSCO app logo
  • VSCO is a photo and video editing app, for both iOS and Android, that allows users to share edited media directly to Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or messages from the app 
  • There is a free version with a limited amount of preset filters and editing tools and a subscription that offers more advanced features.  The app constantly suggests that users upgrade to the membership and offers a seven day free trial
  • The app is not just a photo editor, but also a camera.  Users can take photos or videos directly in the app with certain filters or overlays and then continue the editing process
  • VSCO is a form of social media where creators can share their photos and videos on the app, scroll a feed of others’ posts, follow other creators, and exchange direct messages with creators that are mutually following each other, but there is no comment feature.  Users can “like” others’ posts, but the app doesn’t make the number of likes or followers public 
  • All VSCO profiles are public and posts can be downloaded and shared across other platforms by any other user
  • Location data can be shared with photos.  This setting can be accessed through the “Security” tab
  • The overall aesthetic of the app is very artsy, but students may still be exposed to mature and revealing content 

Canva pros and cons

Canva app logo
  • Canva is a free, online graphic design tool students can use to create a wide variety of projects that can be shared directly to Instagram
  • The platform is designed to be user-friendly with pre-designed templates for Instagram so students of all ages can use it without graphic design experience
  • Canva is available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac
  • There is the option to purchase individual graphics or upgrade to a Canva Pro account
  • If students connect with Canva using a social media platform or share a design through social media, Canva may capture their contact details

Photoshop Express pros and cons

Photoshop Express logo
  • Photoshop Express is a photo editor from Adobe available on iOS, Android, and desktop devices developed to be more user-friendly than Adobe Lightroom, their photo editing program used by professional photographers
  • The Photoshop Express app and desktop version are free to use, but there is a premium version available for purchase
  • Users can use the built-in photo filters called “Looks,” create collages, add text, and create memes and upload media directly to other platforms such as Instagram
  • Students do not have the opportunity to interact with others (including strangers) through Photoshop Express

Facetune pros and cons

Facetune logo
  • Facetune is a photo and video editing app for iOS and Android available for purchase only, but students can use the app for free for 7 days
  • Facetune allows users to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to digitally edit photos and videos and save them to their device or share them on social media
  • Users can change the backdrop, remove people or things from photos
  • Facetune is mostly used to change the looks of faces and bodies and users can whiten teeth, remove under eye circles, reshape their face, change their skin tone and apply makeup, change eye color, and more
  • Learn more about this SmartSocial Red Zone app in our full Facetune Guide

Pixlr pros and cons

Pixlr logo
  • Pixlr is another popular Instagram editing app that uses AI to edit photos from your desktop or smart device
  • Pixlr has many templates to choose from or users can design their own to create posts for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or other products such as flyers, posters, invitations, and business cards
  • The program is free to use but there is a premium subscription available for purchase that offers more templates and other advanced features
  • Pixlr users can upload pictures to the app or website, edit them, save in various formats, and then share them via social media or email
  • Students do not have the opportunity to interact with others (including strangers) through Pixlr

Snapseed pros and cons

Snapseed logo
  • Snapseed is a photo and video editing program owned by Google and is available on iOS and Android devices
  • Snapseed allows users to digitally edit and enhance photos with 29 built-in filters and editing features
  • Users can save the edited media in a high-quality format that keeps the resolution of the original image

Conclusion

Editing photos and videos can be easy and fun with third-party Instagram editing apps. The options range from whimsical filters that turn your face into an animal to very realistic face-altering filters. Parents and students should be aware of the potential negative effects these editing tools can have on a teen’s self-image and mental health.

School Districts: Request a partnership on this page to unlock our resources for your whole community.

Unlock this lesson to learn what you can do to keep kids safe on photo editing apps

This Instagram editing apps guide will help parents learn:

  • What are photo editing apps and why do students want to use them?
  • Why parents should care about the effects of using Instagram editing apps
  • Pros and cons of the top third-party Instagram photo editing apps

In this guide, parents & educators will learn:

Learn why parents and educators should care about photo editing apps

Log in or join the VIP membership today to view all SmartSocial.com resources about social media!

Become a member or log in to learn more on this topic

Superintendents, Directors and Principals: Request a partnership on this page to unlock our resources for your whole community.
Quotation marks

This is great info, thanks for giving me some ideas on how to start a dialogue with my teen!

StarStarStarStarStar

Sharon M.

Parent VIP Member

Quotation marks

Josh's presentation about social media was unbelievably fantastic. Our students learned so much about what kids should and shouldn't be doing. The fact that it is such a thoughtful process made it all worthwhile.

StarStarStarStarStar

Director of College Advising

Educator Webinar Attendee

Quotation marks

This webinar is a very helpful eye-opener on the apps that are popular with my students.

StarStarStarStarStar

Irene C.

Educator Webinar Attendee

Learn more

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Join Our Next Live Parent Q&A Events (and earn a $5 Starbucks gift card)*

Dec
10
Register

Optimize Parental Controls: Balancing Safety & Privacy for Families

Understand how to set up parental controls and monitor your students without being intrusive.

Dec
12
Register

Protecting Your Family With A Social Media Agreement

Learn how to set up a Family Media Agreement for your entire family in order to keep your family safer with technology and social media.

Dec
17
Register

AI for Student Success: Being Productive & Learning Future Skills

This virtual parent night event will explore the fascinating world of AI and the role it can have in every student's educational journey and future career paths.

Jan
14
Register

How To Shine Online With Your Social Media Accounts

Learn how students can use their social media accounts to help them Shine Online and better their future.

Jan
21
Register

How To Shine Online With Your Social Media Accounts

Learn how students can use their social media accounts to help them Shine Online and better their future.

Jan
28
Register

How To Shine Online With Your Social Media Accounts

Learn how students can use their social media accounts to help them Shine Online and better their future.

*Only for families in partner school districts or individual paid VIP members: to receive a gift card, simply attend the live event, join in the activities, and your family will be eligible to earn one gift card per year (while supplies last).

Become a Very Informed Parent (VIP) to get our social media suggestions in your email every Tuesday & Thursday.

Dotted arrow to right
Learn about our
"Very Informed Parent" 
VIP Program
Right arrow
Hello, I'm Josh, the founder of SmartSocial.com. Protect your family by taking my 1 minute quiz

This quiz will help you understand how safe your family is

Take Josh's 1 Min Quiz
Right arrow
Smart Social Logo

Schools & Districts: Partner with us to protect your community online

Our remote presentations (and website) teach over a million students each year how to shine online. We teach students how their accounts can be used to create a portfolio of positive accomplishments that impress colleges and employers.

Partner with SmartSocial.com
Right arrow
Smart Social Logo
Join Our Smart Social Podcast
each week on iTunes

With over 240 episodes, Josh Ochs interviews psychologists, therapists, counselors, teachers, and parents while showing you how to navigate social media to someday shine online.

Listen on: