# Afterlight: Film Photo Editor — user reviews > 1,218 indexed App Store user reviews of Afterlight by Afterlight Collective, Inc, rated 4.70/5 from 20,545 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterlight-film-photo-editor/id1293122457/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterlight-film-photo-editor/id1293122457.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 17,809 · 4★ 1,450 · 3★ 532 · 2★ 243 · 1★ 511 ## What do users think of Afterlight? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 👍 Intuitive interface - 🚀 Powerful editing tools - 💡 Unique filters and effects - 🤑 One-time purchase - 🎨 Helps create cohesive Instagram feed **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes - 🔒 Subscription model for full access - 📥 Lack of legacy feature support - 🤔 Confusing organization of tools - 🔍 Missing key editing features **Commonly reported bugs** - Photos disappear or become pixelated when editing - Filters and adjustments fail to save properly - App freezes when switching between images **Most requested features** - Add masking/selective editing tools - Bring back legacy filters and frames - Allow non-destructive editing - Improve performance and stability - Provide better organization of tools ## Newest reviews (11 of 1,218) ### 3/5 — App is usually great but recent update broke it. *2026-07-19, version 5.3* I love this app, but today’s update broke it. It crashes before I can edit any photos, and the upgrade to pro button also crashes the app. Please fix this! ### 4/5 — Needs a little more versatility *2026-06-09, version 5.2.2* There is a lot you can do with the picture filters, and it improves your pictures very well, but for adjusting and readjusting text there is a strong lack in capabilities to go back and correct your design of typography. Needs to be made easier to make re-adjustments to the typography. ### 2/5 — Crashes Constantly, Minimal Color Options *2026-04-16, version 5.2.2* Was looking for something just to tweak some wallpaper colors. When I opened this app, it asked for notification permission; when I hit “don’t allow”, it crashed. Reopened, went into add a color overlay to a wallpaper and none of the presets were what I wanted, so I cancelled to go back and pick a new image, but this crashed as well—every time. Doesn’t give me any confidence that it wouldn’t crash while making changes to my photos and lose everything. ### 4/5 — Review *2026-04-13, version 5.2.2* A bit frustrating that the app is always trying to upsale me every time I’m on it ### 3/5 — Disappointing updates *2026-04-12, version 5.2.2* I’ve been using after light for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite parts about it are the film like presets. I loved the gold one, you used to have 20 different variants and be able to tap the filter to change it slightly - but with this update now there is only one and i’m not a fan of it. Don’t know why they’d get rid of the multiple something for everyone options but unfortunately the MULTIPLE variants were the reason I still use this app and now I have no reason too. Disappointing as the variants were my favorite filter i’ve ever used ### 4/5 — Well worth the premium version, but… *2026-03-27, version 5.2.1* As always, an amazingly intuitive and essential photo app, but the latest version has a severe bug. When attempting to press “use” during the image selection process, the app gets stuck on loading indefinitely. Running on my iPhone 11 Pro (iOS 17.4.1) I had a simple low-resolution image showing a spinning wheel for 1 hour before I gave up, and I tired this for a number of various resolutions. I really hope that this is looked at soon, as I really don’t want to lose my 6 year daily photography streak or have to swap to a worse app. I’ll rewrite this review if the issue is resolved! :) (Unfortunately this bug is still present in the latest [27/03/26] version) ### 2/5 — Crashed & lost everything *2026-03-20, version 5.1.2* I discarded a layer and the whole app crashed, and I lost almost an hour’s worth of work. And this was right after subscribing to pro! Before the crash, it was fantastic. So disappointed. Now I’m hesitant to start over, I don’t want to lose my work again. ### 1/5 — Nothing but filters that you have to pay for *2026-03-12, version 5.1.2* I wanted to actually fix the lighting in an image. The only choices I were given with a paid plan were photo filters that I already have in my phone’s camera app. ### 1/5 — Bait-and-Switch Subscription Model *2026-03-05, version 5.1.2* I paid a flat rate for this app years ago and used it religiously. Now they’ve switched to a subscription model and locked features I already paid for behind another paywall. Unacceptable. Taking away tools from long time users who already purchased the app feels like a bait-and-switch. I supported this app early on and now I’m being forced to pay over and over again just to use what I already bought many years prior. ### 1/5 — Comprei a primeira versão e não consigo restaurar a compra *2026-02-22* Comprei a primeira versão do app e ter que pagar agora novamente é muito injusto com os usuários antigos já que a nossa assinatura era paga uma única vez. ### 3/5 — Workflow not great *2026-02-21, version 5.1.1* Very cool and unique in that you basically build custom film presets from the ground up. You can make your own film that may not even exist. However, I really wish the filters didn’t have original names. I’d rather just search for the specific film I’m looking to emulate, as opposed to an endless list of completely random names that I can’t remember and having to click on each one just to get an idea of what they look like. It feels disorganized and not the best for workflow. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Keeps Crashing on Iphone13 *2026-07-20, version 5.3* I’ve tried reinstalling, updating my phone, and resetting my network settings and the app still keeps crashing when I upload a photo. Please fix this bug issue! ### 1/5 — Would not let me use *2026-07-20, version 5.3* Anytime I selected a photo, the try this/continue menu would pop up and then the app would close. Everytime! App was completely unusable. ### 1/5 — Constant shut down *2026-07-19, version 5.3* Constant shut down. ### 1/5 — New update crashes on launch *2026-07-19, version 5.3* Fix this update! It won’t launch on iOS 26.5 ### 1/5 — Only crashes *2026-07-18, version 5.3* I can’t get this app to do anything; the farthest I’ve gotten is choosing a picture. It has a pop-up that shows you examples before you start and once I click through that, it crashes every time. I’ve heard good things about it so I’ll wait and see if it’s fixed with an update but heads up to new users that you might not be able to use it. (Note: I checked just before I wrote this and both the app and my phone are up to date so that’s not the issue.) ### 1/5 — Useless. *2026-07-09, version 5.2.3* The filters are useless. They barely change anything. Want refund but probably lost this money. ### 1/5 — Free trial is a lie *2026-06-21, version 5.2.3* Don’t fall for the free trial! They will take 9.99 from you with out your knowledge. ### 1/5 — Longterm client, gone *2026-06-12, version 5.2.2* Really disappointed to learn the original afterlight is now basically dead for THIS version. Which is just a rip off of lightroom. Cant work without crashing because the creators took all the features and put them behind a paywall. Cool! Literally the same dust and grain options now stuck behind a subscription fee. 15 years of loving your app diminished by schemes and greed. ### 1/5 — Went to a subscription model *2026-06-04, version 5.2.2* Was a great app, now useless. ### 1/5 — 무한 사진 로딩 에러 *2026-03-28* 업데이트 후 사진 불러오면 계속 로딩만 되고 화면이 넘어가지 않음. **Developer response:** 안녕하세요! 방금 이 문제를 해결하는 업데이트가 출시되었습니다. 꼭 업데이트하신 후 다시 시도해 주세요! :) ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Fine Art Photography *2026-07-19, version 5.3* I’ve been using this app for a pretty long time. It is like Photoshop in your pocket. I love to edit my photographs. People don't believe I do it on an iPhone. They think it's the phone that does. Nope. I use so many features of the camera plus this wonderful app. Thank you for the app! ### 5/5 — Best App for Color Adjustments *2026-05-06, version 5.2.2* I've used this app for years and years now, and I always come back to it. There is nothing that does it like this one when it comes to colors, filters, effects, adjustments... even compared to Photoshop (on the phone). I love Afterlight. They seem to be a good company too, I was grandfathered into the premium for being here before there was a premium, and they've never gone back on their word. You don't have to pay even more for additional community filters if you have premium either. Good app. :) ### 5/5 — Interface *2026-05-01, version 5.2.2* After about twenty minutes of use I couldn’t find a single AI feature, and I can do all the basics I need to edit my artwork without having to pay for it. 10/10 I would truly rate them higher if the App Store would let me ### 5/5 — Love it *2026-04-01, version 5.2.2* Love the app! I'm not a photographer but this sure helps me learn to edit the look of a photo! ### 5/5 — Update Issues Resolved. *2026-03-30, version 5.2.2* THANKS !!!!!! Working great again. ### 5/5 — Nifty & Brilliant *2026-03-29, version 5.2.2* A fantastic all-rounder for mobile image editing; contains a countless number of professional, designer, and user-made filters of endless variety, as well as the editing tools to make and catalogue your own with ease. Devs are responsive to customer issues, and fix (the very few) bugs that occur within a single day or two. The consistency of this app is a godsend, and the new filters introduced every so often bring plenty of variety. The premium upgrade is worth it in my opinion, just to be free of pop-ups and access the full suite of tools. Plus it’s a one-off purchase! ### 5/5 — Update Issues *2026-03-25, version 5.2* ▪️With the Afterlight 5.2 update today, I am unable to launch the app in the extension portion photos on my iPad. Might be due to the update of the iOS 26.4 also today. ▪️ Guidance please. ### 5/5 — Best App for Color Adjustments *2026-03-24, version 5.1.2* I've used this app for years and years now, and I always come back to it. There is nothing that does it like this one when it comes to colors, filters, effects, adjustments... even compared to Photoshop (on the phone). I love Afterlight. They seem to be a good company too, I was grandfathered into the premium for being here before there was a premium, and they've never gone back on their word. You don't have to pay even more for additional community filters if you have premium either. Good app. :) ### 5/5 — Best editing app since 2015 *2026-03-08, version 5.1.2* Great effects, the app doesn’t take advantage of the pro phones/ipad. Also wish you could edit in hdr. Everything else amazing had this app since 2015. ### 5/5 — 🫶 *2026-02-16* O app tem opções gratuitas de filtros, que são bem legais! **Developer response:** Obrigado! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*