I tried Canva's photo editor to see if it could replace my favorite free app

[ad_1] <img class="e_Bg" decoding="async" loading="eager" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="the photo editor feature selected in the canva smartphone app" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="the photo editor feature selected in the canva smartphone app" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-photo-editor-feature-selected-in-the-canva-smartphone-app-scaled.jpg"/> Megan Ellis / Android Authority

I’ve been utilizing Canva for years, principally for easy designs. So after I noticed that Canva had rolled out a brand new photograph enhancing software, which is extra superior that the easy tweaks you can also make in a design, I used to be excited about making an attempt it out.

I stumbled throughout a helpful function that’s not in my favourite photo-editing app Snapseed, so I puzzled if Canva might really exchange the free app’s place in my workflow. I attempted out the Canva app’s new software to see simply how efficient it will be at changing Snapseed, and whether or not a lot of its options had been locked behind a paywall.

What's crucial function in a photograph editor? 35 votes

Availability on desktop and cellular.

26%

Generative AI instruments.

26%

One-tap edits and filters.

11%

Selective enhancing options.

14%

Sliders for distinction, saturation, and different attributes.

23%

My favourite Canva photograph editor function is one Snapseed doesn’t have

<img class="e_Bg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="a smartphone showing the Canva app's selection of the background of an image" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="a smartphone showing the Canva app's selection of the background of an image" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-smartphone-showing-the-Canva-apps-selection-of-the-background-of-an-image-scaled.jpg"/> Megan Ellis / Android Authority

I don’t trouble with generative AI on my smartphone, however there's one AI function I take pleasure in in relation to picture enhancing: background choice and removing. I really like Snapseed and its selective enhancing instruments, however I generally want I might simply choose the background or foreground with one click on.

After I tried out Canva’s new photograph editor for the primary time, I used to be excited to search out that it had these computerized choice instruments. Not solely had been they out there without spending a dime, however they had been additionally actually correct. Snapseed doesn’t have such a computerized choice, whereas I’ve discovered Google Photographs’ enhancing instruments to not be as correct as I would really like when blurring the background.

After I tried out Canva's new photograph editor for the primary time, I used to be excited to search out that it had auto-select instruments.

I’ve discovered that I’ve needed to edit images much less on the whole as digicam smartphones have superior, particularly now that I’m making an attempt out the vivo X200 Professional. However in relation to images that I exploit for the web sites I work for, I generally want the background could be extra out-of-focus. The X200 Professional is fairly succesful at adjusting the main target to hone in with regards to the photograph, however since I’m normally dealing with two telephones on the similar time for a picture, I generally battle to get the digicam to focus appropriately.

That’s what made me actually excited about Canva’s photograph editor and after making an attempt it out, I used to be actually impressed by the choice accuracy. Not solely can I exploit it to cut back the sharpness of the background, however I can modify different points just like the distinction and saturation. This opens up an entire realm of inventive prospects. Snapseed does have a lens blur function, however this is applicable extra of a vignette and blur across the edges reasonably than making the foreground stand out from the background.

Nonetheless, if you wish to generate a brand new background or take away the background, you will have to subscribe to Canva’s premium plan.

May Canva replicate the perfect Snapseed options?

<img class="e_Bg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="editing a photo of a cat in the canva app" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="editing a photo of a cat in the canva app" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/editing-a-photo-of-a-cat-in-the-canva-app-scaled.jpg"/> Megan Ellis / Android Authority

With my curiosity formally piqued, I made a decision to discover different options in Canva’s photograph editor to see if it might excel in the identical areas as Snapseed. Similar to Snapseed, Canva permits you to edit a spread of picture attributes. This consists of brightness, highlights, shadows, temperature, and sharpness.

Similar to Snapseed, Canva permits you to edit a spread of picture attributes.

I desire having some of these fine-tuned controls, since they’re easy sufficient for a newbie to familiarize yourself with with out being as overwhelming as curve enhancing. On the similar time, Canva additionally has loads of preset results and filters that make enhancing a breeze for individuals who desire one-tap enhancing.

That mentioned, Canva does lack a few of the extra superior options of Snapseed, like adjusting shade curves. However this isn’t a function that I exploit in Snapseed anyway, so its absence in Canva isn’t a difficulty. You can too do a shade edit in Canva, which I feel is a bit simpler to make use of than adjusting a curve.

I additionally like that Canva has a brush editor, so you'll be able to particularly choose areas that you simply wish to fine-tune. I discover this handy for choosing components of an object to spotlight, or decreasing the presence of shadows.

Canva fails in a single key space

<img class="e_Bg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="duplicate images in the canva uploads folder" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="duplicate images in the canva uploads folder" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/duplicate-images-in-the-canva-uploads-folder-scaled.jpg"/> Megan Ellis / Android Authority

With all the things that works in Canva’s favor, there’s a significant caveat — since Canva is primarily used by way of the online platform, its cellular app isn’t as optimized it ought to be. Don’t get me flawed, Canva’s Android app has considerably improved over time. There was a time I refused to make use of it, however this aversion isn’t as robust because it was once.

That mentioned, I nonetheless discovered the usability of the app to be missing. Typically bugs would forestall my contact enter from registering. In the meantime, urgent the again button on my smartphone usually exits the app reasonably than merely exiting a function throughout the photograph editor.

I discovered the usability of the app to be missing.

One other factor I dislike concerning the app is that even when it has entry to your digicam roll, it is going to re-upload a picture you choose to edit. This meant that after I unintentionally exited the app by urgent the again button, then chosen the photograph I needed to edit, it will re-upload the photograph once more. I needed to study to go to my Initiatives tab, then the Uploads folder, to edit a picture I had uploaded.

The enhancing workflow is a little more intuitive within the Canva net app, however I'd say that it nonetheless wants some enhancements — corresponding to making it a lot simpler to entry present uploads.

Canva can be my go-to editor for PC After making an attempt Canva’s photograph editor, I’ve determined to make use of it when enhancing images on my PC. Since Snapseed doesn’t have a desktop model anymore, because of this it’s not changing the app’s place in my workflow, however reasonably complementing it.

It really works out nicely for me as a result of after I modify the photographs I exploit for web sites, I desire to edit them on my PC reasonably than my smartphone. However Canva’s cellular app quirks signifies that I received’t be utilizing it to edit my social media images on my smartphone. For that goal, I’ll be sticking with Snapseed, which I nonetheless contemplate probably the greatest photograph editor apps for Android.