Facebook probably thought they had scored a major win when they bought Instagram (along with its development team), but Google wasn’t sitting idly by and acquired the company that made Snapseed, an award-winning photo editing app similar to Instagram that has been available on iOS for quite some time. We later learned that it was coming soon to Android via a Google+ post, and today Google has finally launched the app in the Play Store (while updating and making the iOS version free), with special integration with Google+.

Snapseed is a bit more advanced than Instagram as instead of only having presets, it allows users to fine tune and personalize each filter, or enhancement as they call it, and that too very neatly by allowing adjustments via simple gestures on the screen. There are a multitude of effects and filters to choose from, such as blur, grunge, vintage, and more, you can enhance selected areas of a photo, and adjust the usual aspects like sharpness and saturation as well, all by dragging your finger across the screen.

Here’s a look at the official features:

  • Easily adjust your photos with a single tap using Auto Correct
  • Tweak your photo to perfection with Tune Image
  • Use Selective Adjust to enhance specific objects or areas in your photos
  • Experiment with fun & innovative filters like Drama, Vintage, Grunge, and Tilt-Shift
  • Add Image Borders for a finishing touch
  • Share your creations via Google+, email, and any other service you have installed.

Instagram sure has some serious competition, as from my time with Snapseed, I can say it’s quite an amazing app that allows a nice amount of tuning for all your photos and images, instead of just applying a preset filter, while keeping it easy for the average user to use.

Hit the link below to download Snapseed from the Play Store, and show your photo editing skills to those fans of that “app that takes amazing food pictures.”

Google Play Link