Pros & Cons
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- Loads of photo tools and effects.
- Drawing tools.
- Active social network.
- Highly adjustable filters.
- Layered effects.
- Shares to social sites.
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- Ads clutter interface in free version.
- Encourages gaudy images.
- Occasionally slow.
PicsArt (free) is a rare app that came to prominence on Android before getting an iPhone version. Most app developers have an easier time creating iOS apps first (a good example is Instagram's recent Hyperlapse), since they don't have to deal with Android fragmentation resulting from so many devices and OS versions. PicsArt, a smorgasbord of smartphone photo editing, enhancement, and sharing, has bucked this trend to become a real Android success story. In testing it, I discovered why, and found myself runnign around the office to show people all the cool stuff it could do. No other Android photo app comes close to PicsArt.
Getting Started With PicsArt
As with most Android apps, PicsArt requires you to agree to several privacy permissions before completing installation—including in-app purchasing, device and app history, identity, location, and call info. I installed the app on a Samsung Galaxy S5. A $5.99 in-app purchase is required to remove ads from the app.
View All You can start shooting and editing photos in PicsArt right away, without signing up for an account. But to participate in PicsArt's Instagram-like social network, you will need to sign up for an account, which is easily done using an existing social network account.
Choose or Shoot an Image for Editing
You can start by choosing a photo in your Picture Gallery or from an online source (such as Facebook or Flickr), or you can snap one with your phone's camera. You don't need a Flickr account to use photos from that service, since PicsArt can show you interesting public photos from it.Shooting within the app has the benefit of showing you effects applied even as you compose your shot—an ability Instagram had in the past but ditched. But in my testing, an "initializing" message occasionally appeared for several seconds while the app switched between effects. You can also shoot with multiple layered effects enabled, such as bokeh, light leak, textures, and borders. Setting the ISO level and choosing time lapse or burst modes are even more-welcome possibilities.
The PicsArt app editing interface is well designed and powerful. Despite its multitude of options, using the app is not confusing. The banner ads across the bottom, however, can be distracting. You can pinch to zoom, reveal more controls with a plus button, see before and after views of your image, undo the last action, and reset your picture to its original state.
Final Thoughts
PicsArt Photo Studio (for Android)
PicsArt took the Android photo editing and sharing world by storm, and with such a vast array of tools and active social network, it's no wonder.