60 comments

10 Apps To Boost Your Instagram Photos (iPhone and Android!)

ifb instagram grid
The last couple of weeks have been huge for Instagram. First, they launched their app for Android phones (yay!) and next, they sold their 18-month-old company to that other social media giant, Facebook (for a cool $1 billion). With Instagram's Android downloads already topping 5 million, it's clear the photo-sharing app is hot (and not going anywhere, anytime soon)!

As I'm sure you've noticed from our many posts, the IFB office is one of Instagram's biggest fans, and we're so happy we can finally share all that enthusiasm with Android smart phone users. Being the tech-savvy, bordering-on-obsessive users that we are, sometimes the app's filters aren't quite enough for us. We want more. A collage, a cross-processing filter or those pretty bokeh light spots.

Below, we present 10 extra camera and photography apps that are sure to make your Instagram photos even better.

The Best Apps to Create a Grid of Photos:

Some of our Favorite Apps for Effects:

And the Awesome Lens Boost:

Also, check out lots (and lots) more Android photography apps here, and all your iPhone apps here.

Do you know of any brilliant camera or effects apps we may have missed? Please share in the comments!

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60 Responses

  1. Yelena

    My favourite picture app on Android has to be Retro Camera. I use the free app which gives me 6 different types of “cameras” to use which give the photos I take different affects. You can then share your pics via different social media platforms. I used the pics when I started my blog. Quick, versatile and produces beautiful quality pics.

    Reply
  2. Stephanie

    PhotoShake for Android is better than PhotoGrid! I swear by it! I have them both but will run to PhotoShake in a heartbeat!

    Reply
  4. Sam@Ying Shan

    Try these; Lomo Camera for Lomo effects (obviosuly) and One Man with Camera – it has many types of lenses and filters. InstaG. is pretty good too. You get to save photos into your phone and look at the pictures you like. The only one weakness is that you can’t upload. Hope this helps! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Emily Ulrich

    My new favorite app for iPhone has to be Frametastic. Not only is it free, but I find its editing feature to be far superior to the others. There’s a nice supply of edits you can add to individual images in the set, the ability to modify size and space within the chosen frame, as well as a great line of sharing options. 🙂

    Reply
  6. GSTAR

    I would like to know what app they used to created that text on the instagram pic.

    Reply
    • Michelle

      I use phonto and wordfoto to write on my iphone 🙂 Hope this helps

      Reply
      • meg

        Yeah phonto is the best!! And if you want different fonts get font inspector! (its 99 cents tho)

  7. Susana Juarez

    A few photography apps I really like are Camera FV-5 and MagicHour. I like that Camera FV-5 feels more like a manual DSLR camera but for your android phone. (Not sure if it’s available for iPhone) Magic Hour is great for post processing. There are oodles of filters from other MagicHour users as well as you can create your own to share with others.

    Reply
  8. De

    My fav by far for Droid (besides Instaram) is Pixlr-o-matic. TONS of filters and effects. Think its free as well. I pre-process in P-o-m and then finish by applying an Instagram effect. My latest addiction…

    Reply
  9. EdEditz

    The camera app I use most besides Instagram is Pixlr-O-Matic. It has a really huge amount of free filters in three categories: film, light and frame. I usually put my picture through Pixlr first and then go to Instagram. You can get some really awesome looks this way. Try it! 🙂

    Reply
  10. ChicGeek

    Great article!

    What font did you use on the word “instagram” is it from phonto?

    Thanks so much!
    xx

    Reply
    • ellie

      there’s this app for the iphone called “PEStudio” and there is an effect where you can add hearts to your photo like sunlight spots, hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Ruben

        Is there an app for an android phone that can be used to add hearts to a photo?

  12. Bunnie

    I’m very fond of Camera Awesome and Camera360 for iPhone.

    Camera Awesome has an ‘all in one’ switch for color and level editing, which you can just switch on and half the time it does a perfect job! Otherwise you can tweak all the individual elements. I’ve saved a lot of low-light photos that way.

    Camera360 has several ‘magic skin’ and color filters which are AMAZING; their magic skin is now my go-to for days when the lighting is unflattering or I’m not in full makeup. It makes you look perfect!

    Reply
  14. Leighton

    PhotoWonder has been my go-to Android app for about 3 years. It’s by far one of the best photo editing apps available for Android.

    Reply
  15. Nick

    Since I got my droid ‘Little Photo’ has been my all time favourite app. Does different types of Lomography, with lots of options like to control the intensity of effects. Like it more than Instagram. That’s a must download app!!

    Reply
  16. chanel

    I’m just wondering if anyone knows of the app that you can do circle or heart shaped frames around your photo? For android.

    Reply
  17. Jill Fox

    Hi! Omg! I loved reading this article & comments. Fed my addiction for pic taking and editing! I can’t believe a billion, huh? Very cooL
    Can anyone tell me the app to add hearts? I tried what one comment above said called PEStudio, but it could not be found. Great tips from all!!
    Happy gramming 🙂

    Reply
  18. Lindsey

    I personally LOVE Afterglow. It has LOTS of filters and frames, and you can transfer your picture directly to instagram to share! Definitely the best photo app I’ve tried!!

    Reply
  20. Meg

    Hiya, i was wondering if anyone knew what apps do the symmetric app? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  21. Jessica Nicole Griffin

    Hello,
    I love photo sharing apps and all these apps look very interesting. Have you heard of Moment me? This app is available for the web, as well as iPhone and Android. You can create amazing moments and collect pictures from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other Social Networks.
    You can also take a look at the Trending moments which are a collection of photo galleries of amazing events going on all over the world, such as concerts, sport games, awards, festivals and other.

    Reply
  22. Beth

    I would like to know if there is an app for android that allows you to be able to post whole pictures without having to crop them. I know there is for iphone, but I have yet to find one for android. Please help.

    Reply
    • Billy (@nights55)

      Hello Beth,

      Not sure if you ever received a response to your question asking if there’s an android app that lets you post full pictures instead of squares.

      There actually is a GREAT app called Streamzoo! Its like Instagram only better (WAAAAY BETTER) for posting full sized photos! Hope this helps and good luck!

      Reply
  23. Joshiesgirl

    What app do you use for the photos used at the beginning of this page?

    Reply
  24. Julia

    pudding camera is the best photo app ever. I’ve been only using this app since i downloaded it. it takes photos with effects already with it, you can take fish eye, its just so perfect. <3333333

    Reply
  25. Dhel

    I would like to ask if what app in Android phone or iPhone has a girly frame and heart stickers also has a sparkling effects.

    Reply
  26. Giselle

    Um id like to know if there are any apps for android like the symbolgram for iphone

    Reply
  27. Infinity 101

    N for iPhone: juxtaposer which is free, superimpose which is 0.99

    Reply
  28. Zahra

    Hey Everyone.
    Can someone tell me how to make infinity signs on a photo & To look like it has space on it (Infinity things that are popular now lol) And make triangles on it. If someone Knows please tell me<3 Thanks:)
    By the way: To edit my photos i use: Pics Art , Cymera I totally recomend them, 🙂

    Reply
  29. Jessika

    I really want to find out what this app is called. It makes white frames in circles and cross and etc. someone in the comments said that there was one called Shaped and I can’t find it I my AppStore and I don’t know if its because my phone is Swedish and stuff? Please help me lol

    Reply
    • kathy zamora

      if you have an iphone i would use instaframe it works amazing ((: , also just try looking for shapely also works amazing hope this helped and can you try to answer my question :\

      Reply
    • Aria

      I’m Pretty Sure The App With All The Diff. Shape Frames Is Called DipTick
      (Its For iPhones) It Lets You Do A Million Things Totally Recommend!

      Reply
  30. kathy zamora

    I see some of followers on my Instagram posting a photo with this very light effect and I was wondering if any of you know the app , I have this app if any one wanted it , it’s called instasize so your photo won’t crop on instagram it works really well , a app to make your picture shaped is this app called shaped its amazing a good collage app is , picsart (: hope I helped some of you now can you help me ((: ?

    Reply
  31. Lynn

    We take before and after photos of people who have instant results from our body wrap application. We need a photo app (android) that will allow us to put the pictures together in a set of 4 or 6 maybe even 8 very quickly but still allow for some croping and light adjustment etc. We have seen one for iphone called CamWow but there is no crossover for android. Any help?

    Reply
  33. neyim123

    Shottext is a free app used to add text to photos with many color and font options.
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shottext/id699579226?ls=1&mt=8

    Reply
  34. Maria

    For more like and follower , follow @mehradmajidi
    this really works
    this will give you more than 1000 follow and like in a week

    Reply
    • Maria

      For more like and follower , follow @mehradmajidi
      this really works
      this will give you more than 1000 follow and like in a week

      Reply
  37. Chelsee Teleha

    My fave apps are VSCO cam, Luminance, Over, Mextures, and Fragment. Hands down.

    Reply
  38. Roxanne D'souza

    I live on Instagram and my photo editing and enhancing apps. I have over 22 apps just for that on my phone!
    The ones I would really recommend are – VSCO cam, mextures, phonto, Image blender, Fuzel, Squaready and Studio.

    Reply
  40. Max

    Ive seen a few photos on random pages where it looks like the sky or clouds are turned into the universe with dark purples and stars and planets different types of space, cellestial (spelling?) Scenes. Thought I had an app that had it but deleted it becore I used it and dont remember. Please help

    Reply
  42. Ritika

    I am a poet and I am looking for some apps I can use that give a typewriter font.. Any free ones available?

    Reply
  43. Samantha Grain

    Nice! Cool apps, thanks Taylor!
    Does anybody know a service for unfollowing? i need it for follow4follow thing. I tried some from app store, but they’re all kind of slow… I don’t know why but i can’t unfollow more than couple hundred users per day, is it normal?

    Reply
  44. Billie

    Amazing! Its truly remarkable post, I have got much clear
    idea about from this article.

    Reply
  45. Lisa Walker

    This has been a popular article! When you receive a new comment email, you should be able to scroll to the bottom select an option that will remove you from this. Please contact us if that doesn’t work for you.

    Reply
  46. Lisa Walker

    Once you enter our site, there should be a pop-up window that will prompt you for your email address. If not, please contact us with your email address, and we would be happy to add it to our list. Thank you for your interest!

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  47. Windsor

    I use my iPad to take pictures and post on Facebook and Instagram. Are the ones you recommend good for iPads? Thank you.

    Reply
  48. Natural Herbal Shampoo

    Hii,
    After read your article i downloaded all apps in my mobile but PicsArt is one of the best app for photo editing then all pictures are see very attractive. Thank you so much for sharing your article because i like photo editing and your article is informative for me.

    Reply