7 Samsung Camera Settings to Take Instagram-Worthy Pictures

Facebook is kind of dead for millennials and they have found its replacement — Instagram. Gone are the days when one would ask for Facebook details. Now it’s ‘Hey, are you on Insta?’ since it is all about pictures and videos. Sure, you can add text here and there but visuals are the main thing.



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While Instagram provides a bunch of features to enhance your images, your device camera is also pretty good. Especially if you own a Samsung phone. You can play with a number of settings to take Instagram-worthy pictures.

Without wasting time, let’s check the cool Samsung camera settings to click Instagram-ready photos.

1. ADD FILTER AND EFFECTS

Instagram is known for its filters. However, you can only add them after capturing an image. This is where the Samsung camera helps. You can apply live filters to see which one fits the best. You can then adjust your frame and other things accordingly.

Apply Filter

Open the Samsung Camera app and tap the effect icon. Then choose the filter that you want to apply.

Adjust Filter Strength

You can even adjust the filter strength. To do so, once you have selected the filter, tap anywhere on the screen. Then hit on the Edit filter button to adjust its strength.

Reorder Filters

If you like some filters more than others, you can change their position to make it easily accessible. To reorder filters, hold the filter and drag it to its new position.

2. BLUR THE BACKGROUND

Now, who doesn’t enjoy taking photos in the portrait mode? Samsung phones come with a feature known as Live Focus where you can adjust the background blur while taking pictures. Interesting, right?

To blur the background, choose the Live Focus mode in the Camera app. Then adjust the blur using the slider on the screen.

In fact, after capturing a photo, you can still adjust the background blur in the Gallery app

3. USE FOOD MODE

People post their food pictures all the time. You can use the Live Focus mode to blur the background. However, Samsung has a dedicated food mode that not only blurs the background but also enhances image colors.

Once you use it, you will find a huge difference in normal pictures and pictures taken using the Food mode. You can capture anything as it is not limited just to food.

To take a picture using Food mode, you need to enable it first. To do so, follow the steps:

Step 1: Open the Samsung Camera app and tap on the Settings icon at the bottom-left corner.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Edit camera modes. On the next screen, tap on Rear camera.

Step 3: Enable the Food mode.

PRO TIP: Use the arrow icons on the right to reorder the modes. You can also disable the modes that you don’t like in this setting.

Step 4: To use it, simply select the Food mode from the camera app's home screen.

Similarly, you can use other modes like Beauty, Pro, Slow motion, Hyperlapse, and others.   

4. ADD STICKERS AND STAMPS

While Instagram lets you add stickers to your Stories, you cannot do the same for the normal posts. But if own a Samsung phone, you can add live face filters and stickers. If you don’t like the native collection, you can download additional sticker packs.

To use stickers, tap on the Stickers mode on the home screen of the Camera app. Then choose the sticker from the bottom carousel.

5. CAPTURE SQUARE PICTURES

When you capture pictures from your phone camera, you will have to either zoom or crop the picture to frame it properly. But with this simple setting, you can take Instagram-ready pictures.

All you need to do is change the picture size to 1:1. To do so, follow the steps:

Step 1: Open Samsung Camera and go to Setting by tapping the gear-shaped icon at the bottom.

Step 2: Tap on Picture size. Then on the next screen, choose 1:1 with either of the megapixel options.

6. ADD GRID LINES

Interestingly, if you don’t want to switch to 1:1 picture size, you can still capture square pictures from Samsung Camera. Wondering how? Apart from the 3x3 grid lines, you also get a square grid. Basically, you will see a square frame while taking pictures of any size.

To enable this, go to Camera Settings and tap on Gridlines. Then select Square.

7. TIMING IS IMPORTANT

For a good picture, timing is really important. Sure, you can set the timer but there are other ways to capture a photo.

We mostly use the camera button and it isn’t handy at times. Thankfully, Samsung provides many other ways to capture pictures.

For selfies, you can either tap on the screen or show your palm to the screen to capture selfies. To enable these, go to Shooting methods under Camera Settings.

Similarly, you can use your voice instead of by saying commands such as Smile, Cheese, Capture, and so on. To use this feature, enable Voice control under Camera Settings.

Just below the Voice control setting, you will find two more settings to take pictures. One is the Floating Camera button and other is the Volume Key. In the Floating Camera button, you will get a capture button that you can move around. You can keep it in the most comfortable position on the screen. In the second option, you can capture photos using the physical volume button.

Tips: If you accidentally deleted some important photos from your Samsung mobile phone, here is a powerful Android data recovery software can help you recover deleted photos from Samsung Galaxy phones quickly. 

GET CLICKING!

While Instagram's options are good enough, you can always use the native ones on your Samsung phone. That way, you can post and share images rather quickly. 

In fact, you can use the camera app's settings and editing options for distinct effects rather than relying on the ones on Instagram. 

How to Use the New Multitasking Gestures in Android 9.0 Pie

In the last few years, features in smartphones have improved a lot. Whether it is the external appearance (bezel-less and large screens) or the internals (RAM, software, etc.), it’s no surprise that the smartphones are now extremely powerful devices.

Even on 6-inch screens, one can multitask and use two apps efficiently at the same time. Available on Samsung devices for many years now, Google introduced the split-screen feature in Android Nougat. With this feature, you can open two apps simultaneously on the same screen.

Also Read: 3 Methods to Update Android System Version

In Android Oreo, Google didn’t change much related to the multitasking feature except introducing the picture-in-picture mode (PIP). However, in Android Pie, Google has changed the way you multitask. While the basic functionality is the same i.e. you can switch between recent apps and open two apps on the same screen, the way you access it has changed completely.

So, in this post, we will tell you how to multitask in Android 9 or P.

HOW TO SWITCH BETWEEN APPS

Before Android Pie, one would press the Recent apps button to open the recently launched apps. These apps were arranged in a card layout and one had to scroll vertically to select a new app. Also, we could double tap the Recent apps button to quickly switch between the two recently launched apps.

However, that’s not the case now as one has to scroll horizontally to view the apps. The good thing about this format is that the entire screen of the app is visible now.

To access the recent apps screen, Android Pie has introduced gestures. These are disabled by default but when enabled, the Recent apps button is hidden and a Pill replaces the Home button. However, it’s not necessary to use gestures, you can continue using the traditional Recent apps button.

Also Read: How to Run Muti WhatsApp Accounts in one Phone

But if you want to use them, here’s how to enable it.

Step 1: Open device Settings and go to System. Under System, tap on Gestures.

Step 2: In Gestures, you will find the option Swipe up on the Home button. Tap on it. Turn the toggle on for the setting on the next screen.

Once this gesture is enabled, you have to swipe up from the lower part of the screen to open recent apps. Then you need to drag the Pill left to right to swipe through the apps. In order to dismiss an app, you have to swipe up on it. Similarly, to quickly switch between the apps, swipe left to right once on the bottom area of the screen.

HOW TO ENABLE SPLIT-SCREEN

If you want to use two apps simultaneously on your Android Pie device, you have to use split-screen mode. Earlier, one would tap the split-screen icon in recent apps to minimize them on the screen. However, now the procedure is slightly different and not apparent for newbies.

Step 1: Swipe up on the area where the Pill is present. You will be taken to the recent apps screen.

Step 2: Use the Pill or simply swipe horizontally on the apps to find the app that you have to use in split-screen.

Step 3: Tap on the app icon that appears at the top of the app card. You will get two options — App info and Split screen. Tap on Split screen.

Step 4: Choose another app from the bottom list to view these two apps in the split-screen mode.

NOTE: If the split-screen feature is missing from the menu, it's okay, as not all apps support split-screen mode currently. Once you do that, the app will occupy the top part of the screen and the recent apps will move to the bottom.

These two apps will now work independently of each other. For instance, you can watch YouTube videos in one app and scroll through your Twitter feed in the other.

To close the split-screen mode, drag the border of the app that you want to view in full screen in order to expand it. The second app will close automatically.

Tips: No time to cry over spilled milk, now you can recover deleted data from Android easily and for free with Gihosoft Android Data Recovery software …

BONUS TIP: VIEW RAM OR MEMORY STATUS IN ANDROID PIE

With Android Oreo, Google removed the RAM status from the settings. While it is present under the Developer options, you can also view it using the memory widget.

To do so, follow the steps:

Step 1: Hold any empty space on the home screen and then select Widgets from the options at the bottom.

Step 2: Scroll down and drag Settings to the home screen. The Settings shortcut screen will open. Tap on Memory.

Step 3: A new Memory icon will be created on the home screen. Tap on it to view the memory status of your device.

HAVE FUN MULTITASKING

Google is continuously introducing features that make our lives and work easy. One such feature is multitasking. Now that you know how to do it on Android Pie, have fun. 

10 Best Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop for Android

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular and capable photo editing tools available for the desktop. However, the same cannot be said about Photoshop on Android. Adobe was very late to release its Photoshop app for Android, and even when the company did release the app, it fractured the app into various apps, each of which performs certain tasks. That is not good for users who want a one-stop solution for all their photo editing and retouching needs. In fact, there are many photo editing and retouching apps out there which I prefer to use on my Android device than Adobe Photoshop. So, if you are someone who wants an Adobe Photoshop like an app on Android but don’t want to use the official apps, here are the 10 best Adobe Photoshop alternatives on Android you can use:

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1. Snapseed

Snapseed is one of the best if not the best photo editing app that you can get for your Android device. The app has a very pleasant user interface and makes it really easy to edit your photos. All the tools are present in the right place and even if you have not used the app before, you will quickly get the hang of it without any problem. However, the simplicity of the app should not be equated with its lack of features. On the contrary, it is one of the most feature rich photo editing apps you can find on the Play Store. Unlike Adobe Photoshop, the app brings all the features inside one app.

Snapseed comes with a set of 29 tools and filters including features like healing, brush, structure, exposure, color, masking and reshaping tools, among other things. I especially like the filters found on Snapseed as they don’t make the photos look artificial and allow users to enhance their photos with just a couple of taps. The biggest strength of Snapseed is that it makes photo editing enjoyable as it encourages experiment through its nondestructive editing interface. Also, the app is completely free to use without any ads or in-app purchases, so you don’t have any excuse to not try this out.

Pros:

• Superb photo-editing tools
• Nondestructive editing
• Authentic and beautiful filters
• All the styles come with fine and precise control tools

Cons:

• Beginners need to invest time to take full advantage of the app

Install: Free

Also Read: Top 5 Best Cameras Apps for Android to Take the Perfect Selfie

2. Pixlr

Pixlr is yet another good photo editing and retouching tool for Android which can act as a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop on Android. The app is packed with features and brings a plethora of filters, effects, and overlays to allow users to edit their photos on the fly. One of the biggest features of Pixlr is the ability to use layer editing to blend multiple photos together. Adobe Photoshop Mix (Free) also does this on Android, but again, that is an app which is just dedicated to layer editing while Pixlr also brings all the other photo editing features.

Other features of the app include the ability to create photo collages, color fixing, stylizing images with a pencil drawing, an ink sketch, or poster effects, focal blur, text overlay, masking, and more. As you can see, Pixlr is a very capable photo editing app and is certainly a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop on Android. The app is totally free to use, however, it does come with ads. If the simple and boring interface of Snapseed doesn’t suit your editing skills, Pixlr is a great option for you.

Pros:

• Over 2 million combinations of free effects, overlays, and filters
• Layer editing
• Stylize images with a pencil drawing, an ink sketch, or poster effects
• New effects are added regularly

Cons:

• Free but supported by ads
• Too many effects mean that users might choose the easy path and refrain from learning the real photo editing process

Install: Free

3. Toolwiz Photos – Pro Editor

Toolwiz Photos is a worthy alternative to Adobe Photoshop on Android as it brings a set of more than 200 powerful tools to help you edit, retouch, and enhance your photos. While the app brings all the usual editing features, one of the major advantages of using this app is its advanced color correcting tools. You can maintain image tone using features like levels, RGB curve, brightness, contrast, gradient map, color transfer, auto tone, and more.
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Other features of the app include magic filters, art effects, watermark, stickers, frames, borders, HDR support, twenty different types of blur effects, painting styles, drawing and doodling support, text overlay, and more. Toolwiz Photos brings more features than one will ever need and is a very good photo editing app on Android. The app is free to download and use with ads, while there are in-app purchases to disable the ads.

Pros:

• More features that one will ever use
• Enhanced color correction features
• Good user interface

Cons:

• Has a bit of learning curve
• Supported by ads in the free version

Install: Free, with in-app purchases

Also Read: How to Recover Deleted Photos from Android

4. PicsArt Photo Studio

PicsArt Photo Studio is one of the most popular photo editing apps on the Android. With more than 500 million downloads, the app has become one of the top most downloaded photo editing apps on Android. That said, the app is not only a photo editing app but also a photo retouching app which allows users to use effects, collage maker, free clipart library, millions of user-created stickers, and drawing tools to create collages, memes, and other kinds of shareable content.

When it comes to photo editing, the app brings tools to create cutouts, crop, stretch, clone, add texts,  and adjust curves, along with a library of filters. All the editing tools come with a brush mode which allows users to apply their editing skills to a selective part of a photo and not the entire photo. PicsArt Photo Studio is a very capable photo editing and retouching app and is certainly a very good alternative to Adobe Photoshop on Android.

Pros:

• The best collage maker on Android
• Rich with features and effects
• Free templates and stock pictures
• Shared editing

Cons:

• Individual photo editing is not as good as collage making
• The user interface takes time to get used to
• Free version comes with large ads

Install: Free, in-app purchases

5. Multi Layer – Photo Editor

While layer editing is present as a feature in most of the photo editing apps you will find on this list, if you are looking for a Photoshop Alternative which specifically focuses on layer editing, then “Multi Layer – Photo Editor” is the app for you. Just like Snapseed, the app is rich with feature while remaining easy to get used to, even for beginners. My favorite feature is the ability to add layers with just a tap and manipulating multiple layers with simple drag and drop gestures.

The app also allows users to start with a blank canvas, which is something that most of the mobile photo editing apps don’t allow. Other features of the app include filters, paints, frames, stickers, background eraser, text and shape overlays, and more. The Multi Layer – Photo Editor is a true alternative to Adobe Photoshop on Android for users who deal with layer photo editing and is certainly worth checking out.

Pros:

• Pro level multi-layer photo editing features
• Supports blank canvas
• Easy to add and manipulate layers
• Independent editing of layers

Cons:

• Free version comes with ads
• Lacks in features other than multi-layer editing

Install: Free, in-app purchases

Also Read: How to Save Instagram Photos and Videos on Android Phones

6. AirBrush: Easy Photo Editor

If you use Adobe Photoshop for editing your pictures to enhance your looks, AirBrush will help you do the same on Android. AirBrush photo editor comes with a plethora of tools allowing users to remove blemishes and pimples, whiten teeth and brighten eyes, smoothen out skin, remove freckles, slim, reshape, and lengthen selfies, add depth and style effects, and more. As you can see, the app focuses on beauty editing and if Adobe Photoshop was your main tool to do that on the desktop, AirBrush can fully replace it on Android. With AirBrush, your selfies will look better than ever before.

Pros:

• Enhance beauty editing features
• Good and beautiful filters
• Works on any kind of skin

Cons:

• Not recommended for editing features other than beauty editing
• Free version comes with ads

Install: Free, in-app purchases

7. Photo Editor by Aviary

Photo Editor by Aviary is a feature-rich photo editing app for Android which is a very good choice for anyone looking for a Photoshop alternative on Android. Apart from the normal photo editing controls such as brightness, contrast, color temperature, saturation, and more, the app comes packed with features such as one-tap photo enhance, color balance, focus change, overlay text, meme creation, and more. The app also brings a huge library of filters, effects, and frames, allowing users to enhance their original image with just a few taps. One of my favorite features of the app is the ability to use drag and drop to easily customize its toolbar to fit my photo editing workflow.

The app is also dynamic with developers adding new tools all the time. While the app is free to download and use, users can spend money to unlock additional filters and effect packs which are not normally found in other photo editing apps. I also love that the app allows you to browse your photo directory from right within the app, thereby removing the need of jumping between your phone’s gallery and the app itself. Overall, I quite like the app and consider it to be one of the best Photoshop alternatives on Android.

Pros:

• Feature rich with advanced photo editing tools
• Allows users to access all the photos from within the app
• High-resolution output for edited photos
• New tools are added every month

Cons:

• UI could have been a little more streamlined
• The free version comes with ads

Install: Free, in-app purchases

Also Read: 5 Best No Crop Apps for WhatsApp & Instagram to Post Full Size Pics

8. Fotor Photo Editor

Fotor Photo Editor is one of the best photo editing apps on Android for making collages and applying pre-configured photo effects. The app comes with a plethora of editing tools, a massive range of regularly updated photo effects and filters, and almost unlimited number of styles, including film, vintage, kaleidoscope, black and white, and more. The app also brings pre-build collage templates allowing users to easily convert their photos into pieces of art.

One thing that differentiates Fotor Photo Editor from any other photo editing app on this list is that the app allows users to monetize their photos by using photo licensing on PxBee,  a stock photo marketplace connecting the creative community of Fotor. Once you create your portfolio, people who want to use your photos will have an option to buy them, thereby earning you money. Fotor also holds weekly photo contests by partnering with world’s leading brands, such as Uber, Ctrip, Sichuan Airlines and more. Winning the contests will give your portfolio a vast exposure thereby increasing the chances of you earning money. If you want to earn money while doing the thing you love, Fotor is certainly a good place to start.

Pros:

• Exceptional collage creation and effects tools
• Easy to use
• Provides an avenue to earn money through your photos
• Weekly competitions are great for exposure

Cons:

• Too many things packed in a single app
• UI is a little bit crowded

Install: Free, in-app purchases

9. PhotoDirector

PhotoDirector brings a feature-rich photo editor, a rich and creative collage maker, and a ton of live camera filters and effects to enhance your photos as you shoot them. Unlike other photo editing apps which allow you to edit your photos after you taken them, the in-app camera in PhotoDirector lets you change white balance or saturation, apply live photo effects in real-time, and make other creative adjustments to your shots even before you take them. This is great for users who are used to taking photos in manual mode as it allows them a far granular control over their phone’s camera.

Other features of the app include the ability to remove photo-bombers, HSL sliders and RGB color channels, brightness, darkness, exposure and contrast sliders, photo effects and filters, and more. I love PhotoDirector’s ability to tweak settings even before you take pictures which is something that is not found in Photoshop on Android. While it might take you some time to start using its in-app camera to its full potential, once you do learn it, it will be worth it. If none of the above apps make you happy, you should definitely try this out.

Tip: No need to worry about deleting your favorite photos by mistake. Here are 10 best photo recovery apps for Android to help you recover deleted photos quickly.

Pros:

• The in-app camera is fun and powerful
• Powerful editing tools
• Object removal in photos

Cons:

• Has a bit of learning curve
• The free option is supported by ads

Install: Free, in-app purchases

10. Polarr Photo Editor

The last Photoshop alternative for Android on our list is the Polarr Photo Editor which brings advanced auto-enhance tools along with sophisticated filters to allow users to retouch their photos with just a few taps. Not only that, its pro editing tools are great for professionals too. The app supports tools such as layer editing, curve tools, local adjustments, custom overlay and complex blending modes, a complete set of masking and local adjustment tools, batch exporting, and more.

I also love that Polarr allows users to create and share their own filters. Users can get started with pre-build filters and once they are familiar with the concept, they can start creating their own filters. This is a good way to provide a unique look to your photos. I also love the support for layer editing and blending modes which allow users to use photorealistic effects like clouds, weather effects, light leaks, flares and more. Polarr is a very capable photo editing app and is a worthy alternative to Photoshop on Android.

Pros:

• Powerful and yet simple editing tools
• Serves both amateurs and professional editors
• Layer editing
• Users can create their own filters

Cons:

• Need to buy pro pack to be able to sync work across devices

Install: Free, in-app purchases

Tips: If you’ve accidentally deleted some of the most important photos on your Android phone or tablet, don't stress, since you still have a chance to get the deleted photos back. Normally, you can check the "Recently Deleted" folder in the Photos app of your phone, which will store your deleted photos for 30 days in case you regret it. If you cannot discover them here, then you need a professional Android photo recovery software like Gihosoft Free Android Data Recovery. With this freeware, you can easily restore deleted or lost photos, music, videos, contacts, messages, call history, WhatsApp and Viber attachments, etc. from Android phones and tablets with simple steps.

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