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Adobe Photoshop Express 2.0 (for Android)

Michael Muchmore
 & Michael Muchmore Contributor

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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With impressive adjustment tools and effects, Photoshop Express for Android definitely feels like it comes from the leader in image editing software. - Android Apps
4.0 Excellent

The Bottom Line

With impressive adjustment tools and effects, Photoshop Express for Android definitely feels like it comes from the leader in image editing software.

Pros & Cons

    • Simple, sleek interface design.
    • Excellent photo adjustment tools.
    • Good selection of impactful filter effects.
    • Integration with online galleries.
    • No noise reduction option.
    • No titles or frames.

Adobe uses the Photoshop brand for quite a range of apps, from the lofty heights of the world's pre-emiment photo software Photoshop CC, through the pro photographer's best friend, Photoshop Lightroom, through the consumer-friendly version, Photoshop Elements. The most stripped down is the free Express version of Photoshop, available for mobile platforms, as a new-style Windows 8 app, and on the Web. Express offers just a taste of some of Photoshop's image-editing wonders, but it's a delicious taste.

Setup

Photoshop Express runs on any device running Android 4.0.3 and up. I tested on an "old" Samsung Galaxy SIII running 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and on a new Nexus 5 running KitKat 4.4.2. It makes just modest privacy demands for a 2014 app—just storage, network communication, and account credentials—no demands for location or notification permissions, as most apps these days do. At 22MB, nor is it an unduly weighty app on your storage. You can start using the app right away, without the requirement of signing up for an account as so many apps these days enforce before you can even kick their tires.

View All 5 Photos in Gallery

Interface

As you might expect from the design software leader, Express's interface is impressive but clear and simple. The first time you open the app, you'll see a beautiful slideshow with pointers about what it can do, and then the entry interface of three large stacked buttons—Open from Adobe Revel, Take a Picture, and Open from Gallery. Of course if you choose to open from Revel, you'll need a Revel account. Any previous account for Adobe, Photoshop.com, or Carousel (Revel's previous incarnation) works, too.

Shooting photos happens in your phone's default camera app, but once you've snapped a shot, you're taken seamlessly to Photoshop Express's editing interface:

Photoshop Express for Android Interface

Final Thoughts

With impressive adjustment tools and effects, Photoshop Express for Android definitely feels like it comes from the leader in image editing software. - Android Apps

Adobe Photoshop Express 2.0 (for Android)

4.0 Excellent

With impressive adjustment tools and effects, Photoshop Express for Android definitely feels like it comes from the leader in image editing software.

About Our Expert

Michael Muchmore

Michael Muchmore

Contributor

My Experience

I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 years, focusing on photo and video editing, operating systems, and web browsers. Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech and headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team. I’ve attended trade shows for Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft misstep and win, up to the latest Windows 11.

I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler—I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical music fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.

Technology I Use

For everyday work, I use a good-old Dell tower with 16GB of RAM, a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, and an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU that runs on Windows 11. I pair it with a 4K Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-10 monitor and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. For offsite work, I use a 2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Camera-wise, I moved to mirrorless from a Canon EOS 80D with a Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens. I now have a Canon EOS R7 with a 100-400mm lens, but I miss my DSLR for several reasons.

In order of usage, the software I turn to most frequently is the Edge web browser, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, Firefox, Brave, and WhatsApp. I use the Windows Phone link app to see everything on my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone, which has excellent telephoto capability.

For fitness monitoring, I have a Fitbit Charge 6 and use an Anker Smart Scale P1. I’m also a streaming fan, so I subscribe to both Amazon Music Unlimited (especially for its Dolby Atmos content) and Qobuz (for its high-res sound quality and classical catalog). I recently added a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE, which sounds surprisingly good given its low price. To holler commands instead of using a remote control, I have the Amazon Fire TV Cube in the living room, which lets me verbally tell the TV what I want to watch. It hooks up to an LG B4 OLED TV. I have a Sonos One speaker in my kitchen that also ties in with Alexa, as does the Echo Dot 2 With Clock in my bedroom. For serious listening, I have B&W 601 speakers plugged into a Conrad-Johnson Sonographe amp and preamp, with a Cambridge Audio AXN10 streamer as source. For reading, I also have a Nook GlowLight 3.

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