Powerful Image Editing App 'Pixelmator' Expands to the iPhone - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Powerful Image Editing App 'Pixelmator' Expands to the iPhone

by

Back in October, popular Mac image editing app Pixelmator was brought to iOS in the form of an iPad app, and as of today, that iOS app is being expanded to the iPhone. Pixelmator for iOS is now a universal app, giving iPhone users a way to edit their images with Pixelmator's powerful image editing tools for the first time.

iPhone support is an important step in Pixelmator's evolution and will let the company reach a much wider customer base. For many people, the iPhone has largely replaced point and shoot cameras. Image sharing site Flickr, for example, lists Apple's iPhones as the top three most popular cameras.

There are already a wealth of image editing apps available for the iPhone, but Pixelmator sets itself apart with a solid set of tools packaged in an accessible interface and iCloud interconnectivity with the Pixelmator Mac app.

pixelmatorphotoadjustments
Pixelmator for iPhone offers the same tools available in the iPad app, so those who have used the previous version of the app will be familiar with its capabilities. On the iPhone, Pixelmator's photo editing tools are likely to be the most useful, letting users adjust colors, fix lighting, add filters, crop, straighten, and distort photographs.

There are also powerful retouching tools that can be used to remove unwanted objects from images, much like in the Mac app. Tools have granular adjustments for making minor tweaks to the look of a photo, and there are brush-on effects in the "Retouch" menu that let users paint on image-correcting adjustments with a finger.

pixelmatorpainting
Pixelmator can also be used by artists and mobile designers to create original paintings, drawings, and compositions directly on the iPhone. It has support for more than 100 brushes and it includes a color picker and an eyedropper for managing colors. There's a smear tool for softening image edges, and a wet-painting feature for creating watercolor images. Pixelmator also includes support for words, shapes, and layers, with non-destructive layer styles and blending modes.

pixelmatorlayers
Like the previous iPad version, the new Pixelmator has support for iOS 8 features like iCloud Drive, Extensions, and Handoff. Images created on the iPhone will sync to the iPad and the Mac automatically, and it's also possible to begin an image on one device and switch over to another using Handoff. A Photos extension mades Pixelmator's editing tools available directly in the Photos app.

The iPhone app is being included in the existing Pixelmator app as an update, so all consumers who have previously purchased Pixelmator for iPad can download the new iPhone app at no charge.

Pixelmator for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

150 months ago
My hat is off the the effort put in by this team of geeks.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
peglegjack Avatar
150 months ago
I have this on my iPad Air 2, but decided to see if it would run on my iPhone 4S as well. Needlessly to say I absolutely stunned at how well it actually ran. What an absolutely amazing job they've done here.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
150 months ago
I own the iPad version and I was prepared to pay another $5, but they went universal. That was unexpected. Thanks
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
morespce54 Avatar
150 months ago
Excellent, this made my day. No one could have blamed them if they'd charged for it as a separate app, making it universal is just typical of their awesomeness. I am proud to have been an early owner of the previously more expensive Pixelmator on OS X and then later on iPad, and I don't begrudge them a penny I've spent on it, as it's just got better and better.[...]


TBH, I bought the Mac App when it first hit the App Store thinking I could use it to do some quick touch ups while using PS for heavy works. It turns out, I'm using Pixelmator so much I haven't fire up PS more than 3 or 4 time last year. Once you get the hold of it, you can do so much, it's amazing (even more, with the Vectormator mode [Command-Shift-V]).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
150 months ago
Next step... APPLE WATCH!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
teslo Avatar
150 months ago
It just won't be a pleasurable experience on such a small screen, no matter how well executed

of course it will be. for a documented bajillion people, it's a pleasurable experience just taking pics and putting crappy filters on them, now you have MORE capabilities than the norm. on your phone. which travels everywhere with you.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

November 20 to Mark the End of an Era at Apple

Wednesday November 11, 2026 7:51 am PST by
Apple has announced that the long-running Apple Support Community discussion forums for user-to-user tech support will be permanently closing on Friday, November 20. The forums have existed in some form for nearly 30 years, so it is the end of an era. Effective immediately, the Apple Support Community forums are in a read-only state, with new posts no longer being accepted. The final message ...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday

Monday November 9, 2026 4:22 am PST by
The Apple launches keep coming! The company is set to release two new products on Friday, November 13: the all-new Apple HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, both of which have been available to pre-order since mid-October. Apple HomeView: Apple's new smart home display, powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, for entertainment and managing the home. Available in tabletop and...
johny srouji

Apple's Johny Srouji Eyed to Replace Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

Thursday November 12, 2026 4:29 am PST by
Apple's chief hardware officer Johny Srouji is being considered as a potential successor to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as the chipmaker's board prepares to remove its co-founder, according to Semafor. Citing a person familiar with the matter, the publication identified Srouji as one of the people under consideration for Nvidia's top job. It is unclear if Srouji has yet been approached or...
Latest Stories
HomeView Launch Kicks Off as First Orders Reach Customers
HomeView Launch Kicks Off as First Orders Reach Customers
39 minutes ago
Apple Continues to Move Up iPhone Duo Delivery Dates
Apple Continues to Move Up iPhone Duo Delivery Dates
3 hours ago
Apple Explains How HomeView Keeps Camera Data Private
Apple Explains How HomeView Keeps Camera Data Private
4 hours ago
Apple Releases Updated HomeView Software 27.2 Before Launch
Apple Releases Updated HomeView Software 27.2 Before Launch
4 hours ago
Apple Adds Samsung Foldables to Trade-In Program
Apple Adds Samsung Foldables to Trade-In Program
7 hours ago
Apple Sports App Now Features UFC
Apple Sports App Now Features UFC
7 hours ago
Trump Says Tim Cook Should Be Nvidia CEO as Jensen Huang Resigns
Trump Says Tim Cook Should Be Nvidia CEO as Jensen Huang Resigns
7 hours ago
Apple Releases Emotional 2026 Holiday Ad Featuring MacBook Neo
Apple Releases Emotional 2026 Holiday Ad Featuring MacBook Neo
8 hours ago
Apple's Official iPhone 18 Pro Cases and Watch Bands Get Big Discounts on Amazon
Apple's Official iPhone 18 Pro Cases and Watch Bands Get Big Discounts on Amazon
8 hours ago
Nintendo to End 'Sign in With Apple' Support in January
Nintendo to End 'Sign in With Apple' Support in January
8 hours ago
Walmart Black Friday Sale Begins With Early Deals on TVs, Laptops, and More
Walmart Black Friday Sale Begins With Early Deals on TVs, Laptops, and More
8 hours ago
Apple Says HomeView Software Update Coming Next Month With Siri Fix
Apple Says HomeView Software Update Coming Next Month With Siri Fix
9 hours ago
Review: Is Apple's All-New HomeView Smart Home Hub Worth $299?
Review: Is Apple's All-New HomeView Smart Home Hub Worth $299?
10 hours ago
Apple Home Collection: Select Accessories Available to Order This Friday
Apple Home Collection: Select Accessories Available to Order This Friday
10 hours ago
'Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble' to Leave App Store This Month
'Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble' to Leave App Store This Month
11 hours ago
Apple's Johny Srouji Eyed to Replace Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Apple's Johny Srouji Eyed to Replace Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
11 hours ago
Apple Support Community Deserved a Proper Goodbye
Apple Support Community Deserved a Proper Goodbye
19 hours ago
Apple on Fatal Vehicle Crash Near Apple Park: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
Apple on Fatal Vehicle Crash Near Apple Park: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
1 day ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
1 day ago
Google Says Gemini App Rolling Out on Apple CarPlay Starting Today
Google Says Gemini App Rolling Out on Apple CarPlay Starting Today
1 day ago
Is It Worth Buying a Ceramic Apple Watch?
Is It Worth Buying a Ceramic Apple Watch?
1 day ago
Samsung Early Black Friday Event Brings Major Sales to Frame TVs and More
Samsung Early Black Friday Event Brings Major Sales to Frame TVs and More
1 day ago
iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins Battery Test Involving 32 Smartphones
iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins Battery Test Involving 32 Smartphones
1 day ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits Record Low $69.99 Price Ahead of Black Friday
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits Record Low $69.99 Price Ahead of Black Friday
1 day ago
Rumored Apple Smart Glasses Mentioned in Supplier's Earnings Briefing
Rumored Apple Smart Glasses Mentioned in Supplier's Earnings Briefing
1 day ago
Make Apple Watch Listen for Sounds Like the Doorbell
Make Apple Watch Listen for Sounds Like the Doorbell
2 days ago
Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Approves $1 Billion AI Investment
Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Approves $1 Billion AI Investment
2 days ago
'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20
'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20
2 days ago
Apple's Holiday Gift Guide Highlights iPhone Duo and More
Apple's Holiday Gift Guide Highlights iPhone Duo and More
2 days ago
Three Workers Die at Tata iPhone Parts Plant in India
Three Workers Die at Tata iPhone Parts Plant in India
2 days ago