Fun photo-editing app — that won't destroy kids' self-esteem

January 30, 2022 11:24 AM

My 9-year-old has just started to use her tablet's photo app to manipulate photos and make fun collages and drawings. Today, I noticed that she was using the app's facial retouching tools (skin smoothing, chin shaping, eye-resizing) on a photo of herself. Yikes! No! Please help me find an Android alternative that's just as much fun — but doesn't have facial retouching / facetune-type tools.

The app in question is the Samsung Photo Editor. The good news is that she doesn't have social media, just started using the app, and I don't think this was at a stage where it impacted her self-esteem at all. But!

I'd love to find another photo editing app that is super fun to mess around with. Something with at least some of the following:
* Drawing tools
* Weird effects
* Patterns and stickers and such
* Preferably free but would pay for something great

Googling only results in the exact opposite of what I'm looking for: lists of the best facial-retouching apps.

posted by Text TK to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

I think you’ll have better luck googling for “photo editor apps for kids.”

This parent’s guide to kid friendly photo editing apps from Common Sense Media may help. You will need to go through and check each one for the features you’re trying to avoid, but at least it’s a starting point.

(I’m assuming you are doing this in tandem with telling her outright that you don’t want her using facial retouching and why, coupled with a frank discussion about body image right now as a good solid foundation for when she’s older and can access apps etc. that you haven’t approved.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:50 PM on January 30, 2022 [5 favorites]

I think Canva would be a good choice - it's more of a graphic design tool than a photo editor, although it does have some photo editing features (e.g. filters, shadows, highlights, tints, etc.) As far as I can tell from google, it does not have any features intentionally designed for facial retouching or distorting. That said, I would keep an eye on this, because beauty filters are so popular that I could unfortunately imagine them adding such a thing in the future. It also doesn't have too much in the "weird effects" department, unfortunately.

As far as what it does offer - lots of fun to be had with stickers/collage/drawing, and as a bonus, it's very tuned toward printable stuff so it could help her create things that could be more easily printed and displayed later.
posted by mosst at 1:41 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]

Have you talked to her about why she was playing around with the retouching feature? If so, what was her response? What does she know and think about the ways in which people use retouching?

This is an opportunity for a conversation, and one I really encourage you to have, before and while you are finding alternative tools for her to use.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 8:10 PM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]