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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Photoshop Express Photo Editor

55
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Photoshop Express is a powerful photo editor with many creative options, but recent updates have led to significant user frustration due to increased paywalls, buggy performance, and a shift towards AI-driven features that some users find unhelpful.

4.7★ lifetime (740,238) Free + in-app purchases since 2009 by Adobe Inc. updated 0.4 mo ago recent negative 55% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Paywall & Cost Bugs & Performance AI Features Feature Changes/Removal Ease of Use & Creativity
5★292
4★62
3★50
2★82
1★414
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.7★ lifetime average

Photoshop Express offers a wide range of editing tools and creative options, making it a popular choice for both quick edits and more complex projects. However, recent updates have introduced numerous issues including frequent crashes, features being moved behind a paywall, and an overemphasis on AI tools that frustrate long-time users.

What users like

  • Intuitive and easy to use for quick editsR4R39R83R154
  • Offers a wide range of creative tools and editing optionsR13R19R23R28
  • Can achieve professional-standard resultsR91R98R129
  • Improved performance for some users after updatesR32

What users complain about

  • Many previously free features are now locked behind a paid subscriptionR7R11R15R18
  • Frequent app crashes, freezing, and general instabilityR8R20R29R30
  • AI features are often unsatisfactory, rudimentary, or interfere with workflowR1R3R5R6
  • Watermarks are added to saved photos in the free version, forcing users to pay to remove themR16R25R36R318
  • Basic functions like cropping or object removal are buggy or difficult to useR37R185
  • Missing or removed features, such as 'Combine Photos' and specific fontsR22R34R53R62
  • Subscription model is perceived as expensive, with confusing trial offers and cancellation policiesR2R15R40R514
  • Issues with importing photos and cross-device compatibilityR10R279R407

Latest update · v26.26.0

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Swap Outfit: Transform your outfit instantly with AI and choose your perfect style. Available only on iPhone. AI Background: Replace your background with unique settings - such as Nature, Liminal Spaces, Fantasy. Available only on iPhone. Create your own stickers with AI: Use the Generate Stickers feature to customize to your own taste and make collages that feel so you! Play with proportions: Reshape or resize specific objects in your pic! Touch out the mess The Heal tool is now in Editor, perfect for scrubbing out those stains, healing blemishes, erasing distractions, and more! Generative Expand: Now you can make your photos the exact proportions that you need. Make your photos a perfect fit for every timeline, dump, or project. This is currently available only on iPhone. Animated Stickers: Choose from millions of animated stickers to bring your edits to life! Blush: Got you blu

Recurring themes

Paywall & Cost negative
Many users are frustrated that features previously available for free are now locked behind a paid subscription. The app is seen as a 'money grab' and too expensive, with some reporting issues with free trials and cancellation charges. The addition of watermarks to free edits further pushes users to pay.R2R7R11R15
Bugs & Performance negative
A significant number of recent reviews report frequent app crashes, freezing, and general instability, often leading to lost work. Users experience issues upon launching, during editing, and when trying to export or save photos. Some specific bugs include rotated imports, color adjustment glitches, and missing fonts.R8R10R12R20
AI Features negative
While the developer highlights new AI features, many users find them unsatisfactory, rudimentary, or disruptive. AI results are often described as 'fake,' 'less than satisfactory,' or 'mid.' Some users dislike the push for AI, preferring manual tools, and report issues with AI object removal and outfit swaps.R1R3R5R6
Feature Changes/Removal negative
Users are upset about the removal or alteration of previously available and crucial features, such as 'Combine Photos' and the healing/patch tool. This has impacted workflows for many, especially freelance artists.R22R53R54R55
Ease of Use & Creativity positive
Despite the negative trends, many users still praise the app for its intuitive interface, ease of use for quick edits, and the extensive creative options it provides. It's considered good for both beginners and those with more experience.R4R13R19R23

Who it's for

This app is for users who need a mobile photo editor with a wide range of creative tools and are willing to pay for a subscription to access all features R15. It's suitable for those who appreciate an intuitive interface for quick edits R4R39R83. It is NOT for users who expect a fully functional free app, are frustrated by paywalls and watermarks R7R16, or are looking for reliable, bug-free performance R8R29. It's also not ideal for those who prefer manual editing over AI-driven tools R6.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative (55.1% negative), which contrasts with the high lifetime rating of 4.7. This suggests a significant decline in user satisfaction following recent updates, particularly regarding paywalls and AI features. The developer notes mention new AI features, which directly contradict user complaints about the quality and intrusiveness of AI. Evidence for specific bugs (crashes, freezing, font issues) is strong and widespread.

Frequently asked

Is Photoshop Express free to use?
While the app is free to download, many core and previously free editing features are now locked behind a paid premium subscription R7R11R15R54. The free version also adds watermarks to saved photos R16R25R36.
Does Photoshop Express have AI features?
Yes, Photoshop Express has introduced new AI features like Outfit Swap, AI Background, and Generate Stickers, but many users report these features are rudimentary, unsatisfactory, or interfere with their editing workflow R1R3R5R6.
Why is Photoshop Express crashing or freezing?
Many recent reviews indicate that the app frequently crashes, freezes, or experiences glitches upon launch, during editing, or when trying to save work, leading to lost progress for users R8R29.
Are there issues with specific features like 'Combine Photos'?
Yes, users report that features like 'Combine Photos' have been removed or significantly changed, making them less intuitive or unavailable, which has disrupted workflows for many R22R53R578.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] 4/5 · US Highly Intuitive: That’s my review. Lots of buttons too.
  2. [R39] 5/5 · US Great for quick edits: It super easy to use and you can tap one button and it edits the whole thing
  3. [R83] 5/5 · US Simplistic and effective: I love how user-friendly this program is. It offers a lot of editing capabilities while being simple to use. I wish they made a similar version for the computer.
  4. [R154] 5/5 · US Easy to use: I love it ! It’s so much fun
  5. [R13] 5/5 · US Best App Ever!: I love this app it does everything I need. I highly recommend!!!!
  6. [R19] 5/5 · US Best app: Photoshop is a best app offering easy editing for both Computer end phones.I really love this app and use it most time.But mostly occasionally.One thing I love is even with free editing version you have various tools to use and can edit as a pro.Meaning the app responds positively to customs.I personally use both computers and phone;you are the best.
  7. [R23] 5/5 · US English it!: I've enjoyed Ps Exp for several years now. It's fun to work with. I appreciate the many options and edits you can do with it.
  8. [R28] 5/5 · US Photoshop Express: Photoshop Express allows you to use the tools to be as creative as you want to be when designing graphic designs with an impressive array of production options. Wonderful for the creative artist!
  9. [R91] 5/5 · US Great for professional standard, and also first timers can learn!: Photo shop opens creativity for pros and regular people working on a project. Very doable. Enjoy!
  10. [R98] 5/5 · US Love PS Express: Compares favorably to the full PS version. Highly recommended!
  11. [R129] 5/5 · US Great App.: It’s a great tool have. I can adjusted my pictures and getting a fine touch at the end. I do love this App.!!!!
  12. [R32] 5/5 · US Vastly improved performance: Much better than previous versions. I stopped using it because all results were muted. Now I run all photos I plan to use through it before sending them to clients.
  13. [R7] 1/5 · US Terrible: This used to be my go to app for photo editing until they updated everything to require a paid subscription, features that I used to use that used to be free are now paid features
  14. [R11] 1/5 · US This is not a free app: I used to ma kb e the most basic changes for free, but now everything is under premium, which requires a subscription.
  15. [R15] 2/5 · US Not bad, but…: Almost everything is paid. I had this app for years and suddenly many features are premium. I used to get premium once in a while for certain edits, but now there’s almost nothing I can do without premium, and it’s very pricey. Probably works well if you’re a photographer and earn money by using this, otherwise, not so good. Adobe, we have enough subscriptions!
  16. [R18] 1/5 · US Definition of Self Sabotage: This app has become unusable and awful. The most simple features require a subscription now and they have removed everything that made this great.
  17. [R8] 2/5 · US Crash: To pay for this app and have it crash half the time is ridiculous. Perform all these edits and it says error saving then crashes. All work lost.
  18. [R20] 1/5 · US App never works: This app sucks!!! It never works
  19. [R29] 1/5 · US Not working for a while: Crashes every time i ooen the apo
  20. [R30] 4/5 · US Editing photos: It’s a great app. The only t problem I have with it is that it freezes up and I have to restart to edit my photos. Other than that, I love editing with this app.
  21. [R1] 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: It undoes all my work with the fakest adjustments that can’t be undone even though they were just done. Ruining hours of tedious work.
  22. [R3] 3/5 · US Not as good as other free AI: Very rudimentary free options. There are so many other better free apps out there now
  23. [R5] 2/5 · US AI issues: One would expect the AI to be more intelligent. The results were less than satisfactory.
  24. [R6] 2/5 · US Used to be so much better.: It used to be just like photoshop where you could make any change you wanted. Now, everything is generative AI and it’s hard to do anything manually and actually make it your own work. Subscribed and immediately unsubscribed. It’s time to stop with the AI and let people make their own stuff again.
  25. [R16] 1/5 · US Watermark: upset and disappointed. I loved the app and use it several times/day. I cannot use it with the logo watermark on it. To remove it you are forced to pay a very high subscription. A once loved app, now forced to look elsewhere
  26. [R25] 2/5 · US Used to be a great app: This app used to be great, but then they took away many of the free features and made them cost money. In addition, now every photo you save from the app has a HUGE watermark on the bottom! Really sad how bad this app got
  27. [R36] 5/5 · US Stupid Instant Edit Square: If you use the free version, they put a square on your photo that says Instant Edit and you can't remove it . I have tried everything to remove it and was unsuccessful. I have used the paid version and it's great but I lost my job and had to cancel everything. I'm not happy !!
  28. [R318] 3/5 · GB Was brilliant: Was my favourite photo editing app, but now they’ve started including a big watermark in the corner of your picture unless you buy the premium version… typical.
  29. [R37] 1/5 · US Can’t even crop a picture: I can’t even crop a picture in app without it bugging out and randomly changing the settings/borders. Never had any issues on the desktop version but dear god the app is genuinely unusable, I shouldn’t have to spend 15mins fighting the app to do something that takes less than 2 seconds to do on the desktop version
  30. [R185] 3/5 · US The updates mess with workflow.: The updates keep changing the workflow pressing by changing the page navigation process to my projects vs closing out an edit to land on the home page. Object removal is hit or miss when previous edits are applied in the same editing process. Object removal is inaccurate and produces off the wall replacements 50% of the time. Multiple attempts to remove an object a
  31. [R22] 1/5 · US Bring Back “Combine Photos”: “Combine Photos” is arguably the most useful feature on this app, as it allows you to use a cutting tool while adding multiple layers. I’m a freelance artist, and this feature is absolutely crucial to my job. I don’t appreciate when Adobe randomly decides to pull features with no prior warning. Now I can’t work. No other application offers the same features that Photos
  32. [R34] 3/5 · US Fonts won’t download: Please fix.
  33. [R53] 1/5 · US Where did the combine photo feature go?: The ability to combine photos simply disappeared one day. Why?
  34. [R62] 3/5 · US Where are my fonts: I’ve been using this app for a couple of years. I absolutely love it. So much, I even subscribed. But now my fonts are missing. Just a turning arrow where the fonts should be. Not happy with this.
  35. [R2] 1/5 · US Money grab and bad tools: Don’t bother using this app if you arnt going to buy a subscription. Even with the subscription, the tools are very finicky and don’t deliver good results just mid. Very frustrating. Also be careful if you buy a subscription because they might try to charge you $100+ for canceling, completely motivated by making an extra buck where they can
  36. [R40] 1/5 · US Dysfunctional app: I do not recommend this app because of three reasons. One, you have to pay over 100 dollars a year to get the whole editing options of the app. Two. It gave me an option of a 14 day free trial. But it tried to make me pay that crazy 100 dollars first. Third. The options I do have, they suck. It keeps freezing and says, “can’t load”. This app is very dysfunctional. Don’t pay 100
  37. [R514] 3/5 · CA Thought I was agreeing to a free trial period…: But apparently I wasn’t. CC charged immediately. Be VERY CAUTIOUS AND AWARE of what you are signing up for as nearly the entire app requires premium and, to me at least, it appeared that it was offering a free trial. Hard to tell based on what I was presented with when signing up for the 3 day free trial. :) Otherwise the app seems OK from my brief
  38. [R10] 3/5 · US Glitchy when importing direct from iPhoto to PSE: Photos for collage will import to PSE directly from iPhoto but will show up in PSE rotated. Very frustrating to have to go into each photo within PSE - edit - crop - rotate. Please fix this.
  39. [R279] 3/5 · GB Needs work: I created an image on my laptop using the latest version on Photoshop, I opened my iPhone app and it won’t open the picture because it was ‘created by a newer version of photoshop.’ It wasn’t, both are up to date and it means I’ve wasted 6hours + on an image that I can’t use where I wanted to use it. Adobe, how can this be fixed?
  40. [R407] 3/5 · GB Not straightforward: I tried this app a few years ago, and it has some interesting effects, so was a useful addition to my photo packages. Now it seems more difficult to use. When I have selected one of my pictures to import to PS Express, I expect to see that image ready to edit. However there is no sign of it, and the app appears to want to access all my photos. I don’t recall this happening
  41. [R12] 1/5 · US Terrible: This app keeps duplicating clips during editing. I’ve deleted it, replaced it and even started over (after an hour of work) and it’s still not working. I don’t do app reviews but that’s how much this has aggravated me for the amount of money we pay for this service. FIX IT!
  42. [R54] 1/5 · US DONT UPDATE: the latest update ruined everything! Took away a lot of free BASIC features ( like the healing tool !! ) , lots of free simple filters also were removed . Basically useless app unless you go for the premium . Counting on Apple to improve the photo app to the point that you won’t need greedy Adobe anymore to simply retouch your pictures. That’s ridiculous Adobe!
  43. [R55] 2/5 · US Patch is now premium?: I returned after being away for a while to make a small fix to a photo as this app was my go-to for many before it. I’ve always been a fan due to the app being easy to use and really helpful for quick fixes. I found that I must now pay $9 to subscribe in order to use a previously free feature. I’m also reading other reviews that there are constant ads, paywalls and crashes s
  44. [R578] 3/5 · CA The update that changed how “Combine Photos” work sucks: Please put it back to the way it was before! It was far more user friendly

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store