Megan Ellis / Android Authority
I’ve been utilizing Canva for years, largely for easy designs. So after I noticed that Canva had rolled out a brand new photograph enhancing device, which is extra superior that the easy tweaks you can also make in a design, I used to be excited by 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 might truly change the free app’s place in my workflow. I attempted out the Canva app’s new device to see simply how efficient it could be at changing Snapseed, and whether or not a lot of its options have been locked behind a paywall.
What’s crucial function in a photograph editor?
14 votes
My favourite Canva photograph editor function is one Snapseed doesn’t have

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 terms of picture enhancing: background choice and elimination. I like Snapseed and its selective enhancing instruments, however I typically 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 have been they obtainable without spending a dime, however they have been additionally actually correct. Snapseed doesn’t have such a computerized choice, whereas I’ve discovered Google Pictures’ enhancing instruments to not be as correct as I would love 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 pictures 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 terms of pictures that I exploit for the web sites I work for, I typically want the background could be extra out-of-focus. The X200 Professional is fairly succesful at adjusting the main focus to hone in with reference to the photograph, however since I’m often dealing with two telephones on the identical time for a picture, I typically wrestle to get the digicam to focus appropriately.
That’s what made me actually excited by 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 alter different facets just like the distinction and saturation. This opens up a complete realm of artistic potentialities. Snapseed does have a lens blur function, however this is applicable extra of a vignette and blur across the edges quite 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 want to subscribe to Canva’s premium plan.
Might Canva replicate the very best Snapseed options?

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 means that you can edit a variety of picture attributes. This contains brightness, highlights, shadows, temperature, and sharpness.
Similar to Snapseed, Canva means that you can edit a variety of picture attributes.
I favor having these kind of fine-tuned controls, since they’re easy sufficient for a newbie to become familiar with with out being as overwhelming as curve enhancing. On the identical time, Canva additionally has loads of preset results and filters that make enhancing a breeze for individuals who favor one-tap enhancing.
That stated, Canva does lack a few of the extra superior options of Snapseed, like adjusting colour curves. However this isn’t a function that I exploit in Snapseed anyway, so its absence in Canva isn’t a difficulty. You too can do a colour 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 may particularly choose areas that you just need to fine-tune. I discover this convenient for choosing elements of an object to focus on, or decreasing the presence of shadows.
Canva fails in a single key space

Megan Ellis / Android Authority
With every little thing that works in Canva’s favor, there’s a significant caveat — since Canva is primarily used by the online platform, its cell app isn’t as optimized it must be. Don’t get me incorrect, Canva’s Android app has considerably improved through the years. 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. Generally bugs would forestall my contact enter from registering. In the meantime, urgent the again button on my smartphone typically exits the app quite 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 by accident exited the app by urgent the again button, then chosen the photograph I needed to edit, it could re-upload the photograph once more. I needed to study to go to my Tasks tab, then the Uploads folder, to edit a picture I had uploaded.
The enhancing workflow is a little more intuitive within the Canva internet app, however I might say that it nonetheless wants some enhancements — similar to making it a lot simpler to entry present uploads.
Canva will likely 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 pictures 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 quite complementing it.
It really works out nicely for me as a result of after I alter the photographs I exploit for web sites, I favor to edit them on my PC quite than my smartphone. However Canva’s cell app quirks signifies that I received’t be utilizing it to edit my social media pictures on my smartphone. For that objective, I’ll be sticking with Snapseed, which I nonetheless think about one of many greatest photograph editor apps for Android.
