I attempted Canva's new photograph editor, however can it exchange my favourite 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 once I noticed that Canva had rolled out a brand new photograph modifying instrument, which is extra superior that the easy tweaks you may make in a design, I used to be inquisitive about making an attempt it out.

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

What's a very powerful function in a photograph editor? 16 votes

Availability on desktop and cellular.

13%

Generative AI instruments.

38%

One-tap edits and filters.

6%

Selective modifying options.

13%

Sliders for distinction, saturation, and different attributes.

31%

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 hassle with generative AI on my smartphone, however there may be one AI function I take pleasure in on the subject of picture modifying: background choice and elimination. I really like Snapseed and its selective modifying instruments, however I generally want I may 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 seek out that it had these computerized choice instruments. Not solely have been they accessible totally free, however they have been additionally actually correct. Snapseed doesn’t have one of these computerized choice, whereas I’ve discovered Google Images’ modifying 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 seek out that it had auto-select instruments.

I’ve discovered that I’ve needed to edit pictures much less normally as digital camera smartphones have superior, particularly now that I’m making an attempt out the vivo X200 Professional. However on the subject of pictures that I exploit for the web sites I work for, I generally want the background can be extra out-of-focus. The X200 Professional is fairly succesful at adjusting the main target to hone in with reference to the photograph, however since I’m often dealing with two telephones on the similar time for a picture, I generally wrestle to get the digital camera to focus accurately.

That’s what made me actually inquisitive 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 scale back the sharpness of the background, however I can modify different points just like the distinction and saturation. This opens up a complete realm of artistic prospects. Snapseed does have a lens blur function, however this is applicable extra of a vignette and blur across the edges fairly than making the foreground stand out from the background.

Nevertheless, if you wish to generate a brand new background or take away the background, you'll need 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 may excel in the identical areas as Snapseed. Similar to Snapseed, Canva lets you edit a spread of picture attributes. This consists of brightness, highlights, shadows, temperature, and sharpness.

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

I favor having a lot of these fine-tuned controls, since they’re easy sufficient for a newbie to become familiar with with out being as overwhelming as curve modifying. On the similar time, Canva additionally has loads of preset results and filters that make modifying a breeze for many who favor one-tap modifying.

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

I additionally like that Canva has a brush editor, so you possibly can particularly choose areas that you just need to fine-tune. I discover this handy for choosing components of an object to spotlight, or lowering 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 every part that works in Canva’s favor, there’s a serious caveat — since Canva is primarily used via the net platform, its cellular app isn’t as optimized it must be. Don’t get me unsuitable, 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 sturdy because it was.

That stated, 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 fairly 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 digital camera roll, it can re-upload a picture you choose to edit. This meant that once I by chance 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 be taught to go to my Tasks tab, then the Uploads folder, to edit a picture I had uploaded.

The modifying workflow is a little more intuitive within the Canva internet app, however I'd say that it nonetheless wants some enhancements — akin to making it a lot simpler to entry current 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 modifying pictures on my PC. Since Snapseed doesn’t have a desktop model anymore, which means that it’s not changing the app’s place in my workflow, however fairly complementing it.

It really works out nicely for me as a result of once I modify the pictures I exploit for web sites, I favor to edit them on my PC fairly than my smartphone. However Canva’s cellular app quirks implies that I received’t be utilizing it to edit my social media pictures on my smartphone. For that function, I’ll be sticking with Snapseed, which I nonetheless contemplate among the finest photograph editor apps for Android.