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

Michaelgtrusa Avatar
129 months ago
My hat is off the the effort put in by this team of geeks.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
peglegjack Avatar
129 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)
fluchtpunkt Avatar
129 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
129 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
129 months ago
Next step... APPLE WATCH!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
teslo Avatar
129 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

Alleged iOS 19 Icons Front Page Tech

iOS 19 Leak Reveals Alleged New Design With Rounder App Icons, Floating Tab Bar, and More

Monday April 7, 2025 3:13 pm PDT by
YouTube channel Front Page Tech is back today with another video that provides a closer look at iOS 19's alleged design changes. The video contains re-created renders of iOS 19, which are allegedly based on real footage of the software update, provided by sources within Apple. Overall, iOS 19 is expected to have a more glass-like, visionOS-inspired design, with added translucency for user...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Report Reveals Internal Chaos Behind Apple's Siri Failure

Thursday April 10, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
A new report from The Information today reveals much of the internal turmoil behind Apple Intelligence's revamped version of Siri. Apple apparently weighed up multiple options for the backend of Apple Intelligence. One initial idea was to build both small and large language models, dubbed "Mini Mouse" and "Mighty Mouse," to run locally on iPhones and in the cloud, respectively. Siri's...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro's New Rear Camera Bar 'Same Color As Rest of Device'

Monday April 7, 2025 2:09 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a redesigned rear camera panel that spans the width of the device, but it will be the same color as the iPhone itself, rather than being part of a two-tone design. That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, the reporter says the iPhone 17 Pro won't have a two-toned back, as some renders have...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

5 Biggest Changes Rumored for iPhone 17 Pro

Tuesday April 8, 2025 2:38 am PDT by
Later this year, Apple will introduce the iPhone 17 series, which includes the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, two new high-end flagship devices that will be sold alongside the regular iPhone 17 and an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. If you have been holding out for the iPhone 17 Pro or its bigger sibling, here are five of the biggest changes, informed by the latest reports and...
iPhone Assembly

Trump Believes Apple Could Manufacture iPhones in the U.S.

Tuesday April 8, 2025 12:08 pm PDT by
U.S. President Donald Trump "absolutely" believes that Apple could manufacture its iPhones and other devices in the United States, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said today during a media briefing. Leavitt was asked whether Trump thought that iPhone manufacturing is the kind of technology that could move to the U.S. "Absolutely, he believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have ...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store in Chicago Area Permanently Closing Later This Month

Wednesday April 9, 2025 9:56 am PDT by
Apple will be permanently closing its store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook on April 26, the company has announced. Apple has added the following notice to the store's web page:Thank you Northbook. Apple Northbrook is closing on April 26 at 7pm. We're still here for you. Please visit apple.com/retail to find your nearest store.Apple Northbrook opened ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Wednesday April 9, 2025 8:56 am PDT by
Apple employees are testing iOS 18.4.1 for iPhones, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update will likely be released in a week or two, if not sooner. As the version number implies, iOS 18.4.1 will obviously be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. There are no...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

All the Design Changes Rumored for iOS 19 So Far

Tuesday April 8, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
Apple is going to unveil iOS 19 in just about two months at its June WWDC event, and rumors suggest that it's going to bring a big change to the iPhone's design. It's been described as the most notable design overhaul since iOS 7, so it should be an exciting update. We've rounded up everything we've heard so far about the design changes coming to iOS 19. visionOS-like design with...