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

142 months ago
My hat is off the the effort put in by this team of geeks.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
peglegjack Avatar
142 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)
142 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
141 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
142 months ago
Next step... APPLE WATCH!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
teslo Avatar
142 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

iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'

Sunday March 29, 2026 8:18 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has high expectations for Apple's first foldable iPhone. In his Power On newsletter today, he said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history." "iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said. Like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open up like ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year

Friday March 27, 2026 2:03 pm PDT by
March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it. Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is...
Apple Apps Grid

Apple Releasing Two New iPhone Apps This Year

Saturday March 28, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release two new iPhone apps this year, including an Apple Business app and a Siri app with chatbot-like functionality. With the Apple Business app, employees at businesses using the new Apple Business platform will be able to install apps for work, view contact information for colleagues, and request support. Apple Business is launching on April 14, and it replaces Apple ...