The “Apple versus Android” debate rumbles on. The truth is that these are the two biggest operating systems by far, and whatever your stance, they are both very relevant to the industry, as well as being relevant to shooting video. A fun fact for you is that Android started in 2003 as a project of the American technology company Android Inc. and was designed as an operating system specifically for digital cameras. In 2004 the company pivoted and turned it into an OS for phones, and there was no looking back. Now, there are hundreds of thousands of mobile applications that are compatible, including a number of video and photo editing software solutions. For the world of photo and video, smartphones are not just a novelty product or a way to get a few half-decent shots without a professional setup. Did you know that video from smartphones has worked its way into Hollywood movies? Smartphone photographs taken on both Android and iOS have won awards from mainstream photography competitions. Just like a photographer or videographer would have in their studio, your smartphone can contain the suite you need for editing photos and videos right there on your home screen. The Quality of Cameras on Android Cameras on Android phones have continued to develop and grow. You can get cameras on your phone that have over 100 MP resolution, which would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. However, there is more to a camera than megapixels. Sensors and software play a big part, and these have also been improving greatly in recent times. The process of taking a photo or video on Android is incredibly simple. Anyone could do it. The camera mode is found in the “Camera” smartphone app, and you can use the icon within to switch between choosing still images or videos. To capture moving pictures, or video, with your Android phone, switch the camera mode in the Camera app to video recording. The same icon is used to switch between still and moving images. The shutter icon will take a still, and the video icon will take moving pictures with sound. Simple. Simple tips for ensuring that your images come out as high-quality as possible include checking the settings on your camera phone (some are set to capture at a lower quality than they are capable of to save space). Also, it doesn’t hurt to learn a little bit about composition, and always ensure there is plenty of light shining through before taking a photo or video, to avoid that annoying grainy look. To make your videos or photos look the best they can be, a little bit of processing is likely to be required. Below, we dive into some of the best video editing software and photo editing software that you can use to get the most out of your camera.

Best Editing Software Companies

These five companies produce apps for Android that can all help you to edit your photos and/or videos to a high standard. Movavi Movavi creates editing software for Android devices as well as iOS and for use with a computer or Mac. Movavi Video Editor Plus is the full-scale software but they also make Movavi Clips for mobile devices. Movavi Clips can be the ideal solution for simple and straightforward editing. You can create simple transitions, trim your clips to size, create slideshows out of still images, and even add titles, all from a simple Android device. As the Android platform has grown and improved, it is even possible to create some larger projects with really professional results. Whether you want to create videos for YouTube, home videos, or even corporate or professional clips, Movavi could provide the ideal solution. Cateater Cateater has created some more specialist software that is still really impressive, including a specialism for stop motion, and the option to use your android device to create a stop motion video or even connect your camera and make some 4K stop motion videos. Though the company doesn’t have any ‘full scale’ video production solutions, we’re impressed by the app. KineMaster KineMaster is a company that has been making multimedia software for 18 years, and their focus has shifted to apps such as their video editing app. It allows you to create a video project that looks more professional and correct errors, as well as make a stylistic statement with your app. KineMaster’s suite includes “state-of-the-art technologies in video & audio codecs, streaming protocols, media containers, and post-processing.” Adobe If you’ve got more of a focus on photo editing software, you can use some of the best mobile applications to edit still images on the go, made by the software giant Adobe. Adobe also makes video editing software and the humble PDF reader, and the company has provided some sophisticated solutions for decades. Mobile solutions for Android include Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom has long been used by photographers on computers, but now the same tweaks to color temperature and even simple retouch and edit tools are available to Android photographers. Adobe also produces the world-famous software Photoshop. InShot InShot is a Chinese app developer who makes the InShot Video Editor & Maker. This is good for those who want to create small, snappy videos for social media platforms. It lets you trim, crop, and merge videos and export in the ideal sizes for Instagram and other social media apps. It’s also got loads of effects and stickers. InShot is clearly a company with a focus on social media rather than aiming their products at the movie-making industry. Their company’s social media has posts like “how to make a reaction video” so their apps clearly focus on short videos for YouTube and Instagram.

Conclusion

It can be overwhelming trying to find the right apps for any purpose. The Android platform and Google Play Store is absolutely rammed full of options, and there are hundreds of options for editing photo and video. Some of these, like those mentioned in this guide, are straightforward, professional tools. There are some options on the market that are plagued by ads and paid add-ons, so take some time to do your research before hitting the download button. A little photo and video editing can go a long way. If you want your video to stand out from the rest, and to reach the considerable potential of your Android device’s camera, the apps and tips in this guide can help you along the way.