When you think of it, there’s no wonder selfies are so popular. They satisfy the basic human needs perfectly. Selfies are personal, self-centered, and usually bring people closer together, quite literally. And isn’t that what so many of us really want? So, whether you’re a selfie machine or make an occasional cameo here and there, here are 5 apps for the iPhone that should be on your watch list.
1. Instagram
The one that started it all. For a lot of people, Instagram is enough for snapping a selfie. Of course it’s the go-to place for posting them. The recent updates to Instagram have given more control to users over the editing process. You can now edit details like contrast, exposure, and saturation to make your selfie really pop. The filters are also adjustable via sliders. What’s more, there’s a slew of apps that plug into Instagram to make it better. There are apps that overlay the current location and weather details over a photo and some that let you add beautiful text. Check out the post 5 Excellent Apps to Share Better Images on Instagram to know more about these apps.
2. oSnap
oSnap ($0.99) might be the simplest iPhone camera app there is. Which is what makes it perfect for selfies. There is no shutter button you need to tap carefully nor are there any menus, settings or editing features. Just swipe to switch to the front camera and the tap the screen to snap a selfie, it’s that simple. Send it to Instagram or other social networks once you’re done.
3. FrontBack
Frontback is an app for people who are just as obsessed with what’s around them as they are with themselves. Imagine this scenario. You’ve got a cake sitting at your table, the red velvet 2-die-4 variety and you want to capture that look on your face before you devour it. Picking the up the cake so you can hold it next to your face sounds rather risky, so instead of passing up this wonderful opportunity to share something with the world, try Frontback. It will capture images from the front and the back camera at the same time. It’s also a great app to take technical selfies with people who don’t really like cozying up with others.
4. Selfie Cam
If you absolutely need to have a dedicated selfie app, go with Selfie Cam. It boots up directly into the Selfie mode and you get a couple of options to spice up your selfie. You get borders and shapes to play around with. Also there are stickers with such classics as “swag”, “love” and my personal favorite “sotally tober”.
5. CamMe
CamMe is a selfie app that actually won an award for the “most innovative app” at Mobile World Congress. And no it wasn’t for making someone’s face look beautiful. It was for a surprisingly legitimate implementation of technology. It makes use of gestures for taking a selfie instead of tapping on the screen. So when you have your hand far outward, at a weird angle, you’ll still be able to take a selfie by gesturing with another hand. When the phone is dead ahead, raise your hand and close your hand to activate the shutter key. I tried it and it works. The screen will show a state asking you to raise your hand and will tell you when it’s recognized. Now just close your hand. I know what you’re thinking – “but what about my hand showing in the pic?” CamMe didn’t win an award for nothing. After the gesture is activated you get a 3 second timer, plenty of time to put your hand back where you want it to be. Did you know: The Adobo Chronicles, a satirical news site, released an article on a newly classified disorder called Selfitis, defined as “the obsessive compulsive desire to take photos of one’s self and post them on social media as a way to make up for the lack of self-esteem and to fill a gap in intimacy.” The article soon went viral, and you know what? Many people actually believed the information in the article was true!
Bonus: VSCO Cam
Any good camera app can make a good seflie app. And VSCO is one of the best. Its editing features rival that of Instagram. Top image via Paško Tomić. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.