# ShakeItPhoto — user reviews > 116 indexed App Store user reviews of ShakeItPhoto by Zinc Collective LLC, rated 3.23/5 from 13 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakeitphoto/id302926603/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakeitphoto/id302926603.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 6 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 4 ## What do users think of ShakeItPhoto? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🎨 Authentic Polaroid effect and aesthetic - 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface - 🎯 Excellent color grading and saturation - 🎬 Fun shake animation and sound effects - 💰 Affordable price point - 📸 Works with both new photos and existing library images - ✨ Transforms ordinary iPhone photos into artistic shots - 🔄 Can reprocess photos for additional effects **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues - ⚠️ Outdated and no longer maintained - 📱 Incompatible with newer iOS versions - 🖼️ Overly aggressive filtering without adjustment options - ⏱️ Slow development animation becomes tedious - 🎯 Unpredictable and uncontrollable cropping - 📐 Aspect ratio issues with modern devices - 🔲 Viewfinder doesn't match final output **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes when developing photos - Photos develop as completely black - Incompatible with iOS 8 and iOS 12 - App scaling issues on larger iPhones - Viewfinder changed from square to rectangle - App crashes on launch after updates - Black screen during photo development - Inconsistent cropping behavior - Memory issues and performance degradation - File size exceeds 20MB, preventing updates - Photo library randomly disappears - Continuous shake requirement for development - Front-facing camera low resolution - Instagram sharing not functional despite claims **Most requested features** - Adjustable filter intensity and customization options - Crop preview and manual positioning before processing - Square format viewfinder for accurate framing - Text/date stamp capability on photos - Direct Instagram sharing integration - Optional instant development without shaking - Full resolution image support - Additional Polaroid frame styles and templates - Black and white filter option - Ability to save original unprocessed photo - Email sharing directly from app - Photo deletion within the app - Metadata preservation (EXIF data, GPS, dates) - Thicker bottom border for authentic Polaroid look - Image manipulation during development (smearing/rubbing) - Batch processing capability - Wallpaper setting option ## Newest reviews (16 of 116) ### 2/5 — No longer compatible with iOS12 *2019-06-13, version 3.2.3* Used to be the best and simplest app. Developer hasn’t touched it in 2 years and now crashes when trying to develop a photo. No longer compatible with iOS12. Additionally, the app scaling for anything bigger than an iPhone 7 is way off. PLEASE UPDATE AND KEEP THIS APP ALIVE. ### 2/5 — Used to be awesome *2018-04-11, version 3.2.3* This was my favorite app for a long time until the photos just starting coming out completely black. I tried reinstalling it three times and each time the same thing happens. Bummer. ### 4/5 — DOES NOT HAVE AN OPTION TO POST ON instagram. *2015-06-30, version 3.0* I hate how it doesn't have the option to post photos on Instagram. It only give you the option to post on Twitter or Facebook. When you want to post the pics you took with this app you have to crop it to square with will now look like a frame instead of a Polaroid pic. It's only 99cents but still what a let down. When it says on the Polaroid FB page we can directly post on Instagram when we really can't. If you're looking to post a Polaroid like pics on Instagram,this is not the app that you're looking for. So just save yourself the money. Unless you just want cute pics to post on fb and Twitter. ### 4/5 — Actually looks polaroid-like - kills Hipstamatic. *2012-07-20, version 2.0.1* The images this app produces actually look like polaroid film, they have done an incredible job on the processing. The images are warm, punch, and truly analog looking. Unlike hipstamatic, this app doesn't just layer nasty artifacts over the image - compare a shot taken with this and one with hipstamatic, and the hipstamatic looks like crudely messed-with digital. This actually looks film-like - beautiful. The ability to just shoot with your normal iPhone camera and then convert later is great - otherwise you have to wait for the processing on each shot before taking another. A couple of things that could be added - as many have commented, the ability to add a note on the bottom of the frame in a marker script would be great. Also, if you are taking the picture with the app (rather than iPhone cam app) it should show the square framing. No other polaroid type app even comes close to the image quality on this - if you want juicy organic looking shots and not just 'tricked out' ones, get it! ### 2/5 — Great app but no 4S full res *2012-02-15* It's been 5 months since the 4S was released and this otherwise great app still doesn't support full resolution. Not worth $1.99, but grab it if it's on sale. ### 4/5 — Hmmm... *2012-02-08* I honestly expected more ... It's an good app for the price It's downside is the resolution of the "selfie" camera ... The camera at the back? Works well with the back camera though! I hope they will make the front one with better resolution!! Now deciding whether to get the real thing (film is sooooo expensive) or try ALL the other apps ... :/ ### 4/5 — Good app, almost all the way there. *2012-02-05, version 2.0.1* This app is really fun, the Polaroid frame and saturated colors give a great feel to the photos. A few things would make this a great app: 1) when you use photos from your photo album, you should be able to choose the portion of the photo you want to be centered in the frame 2) add a way to label the bottom of the frame with a fun black marker font 3) make email sharing work! Overall though, it's a great start guys! ### 4/5 — Best Polaroid App Ever! *2011-12-22* This is definitely one of my favorite processing apps! The only thing it needs is an option to write the date on the card kind of like how polarize had that option. This would be very useful for 365 photo projects and that would make this app a definite 5*. ### 3/5 — Just ok for a paid app *2011-11-02, version 2.0.1* I wanted to start with pros, but i cant think of any! For a paid app it offers not hardly enough. If you upload pics from ur iphone camera like me, it doesn't give u an option to zoom/crop/position photo before it turns it into a Polaroid. In keeping with Polaroid tradition, the images take about a minute to develop. I don't like having to wait when the results are so average. I forgot I paid for it at first so I wasn't bummed, but now I'm bummed!! Just want to let you all know it's not so great, there are better paid apps out there! ### 4/5 — Good, but wish it was SQUARE! *2011-10-22* This has become my default "Polaroid" app since the demise of Polarize, and I have now then to using the square border instead of the classic Pola border. However, it's not exactly square (Its height is slightly shorter than the width), which isn't a big deal visually but it's make life a lot easier if it was perfectly square so that I could post my images to Instagram, without having to run them through SquareReady to add a strip of white above and below every time! Just saying'…. ### 2/5 — Don't like the new filter after the current update. *2011-07-04* Don't like the new filter after the current update. Pls fix. ### 4/5 — why won't the updated version work? *2011-05-24, version 2.0* i had originally purchased the app from my phone. when the update came, i tried to update on my phone, but it said it's over 20mb, and to update it to my computer. i couldn't update it to my computer, so i finally just purchased the app AGAIN, from my computer this time, thinking that might resolve the problem. but my phone still tells me it's over 20mb. is the current version compatible with the 3GS?? help! ### 3/5 — Change isn't always a good thing *2011-04-21, version 2.0* With every 'update' this app changes drastically. It shouldn't stayed the same to begin with. Less crashes, better color, and in my opinion, almost no glitches. Now it always randomly 'looses' my library, the photo never develops just wants me to continuously shake my phone, and it crashes on me. Needles to say I'm very disappointed in this 'update' that just seemed to, once again, make me value this app much less. ### 2/5 — Missing 1.3 *2010-12-27* I love love loved this app before the recent update. I don't like the new colour processing. What's happened. Please bring back version 1.3..... i miss it so. ### 4/5 — Wow, awesome! *2010-12-18* The colours are back to normal with the new update! Great app! But can you make it look like an actual Polaroid instead of just have the even borders? You should increase the length from the bottom by a little bit. Otherwise, it's perfect. Highly recommended! ### 4/5 — More than fun *2010-12-16* What a fun app to use! I understand why there is a strong community of users behind it. Comment about the colour rendition could be addressed with an option in Preferences... Personally I much prefer the current setting and dynamic range. I was actually surprised of the details in shadows. Only in few occasions, pixels covered light surfaces like skin, making the image unusable. The Lomo camera made highly saturated colours very fashionable whatever the lighting conditions. But that doesn't make better photographers, just fun pix on Flickr. Crop mark (like for Leica telemetric viewfinder) to help frame would get the 5th star (even if a bit of randomness was great too for holiday/family shots ; ) So can only recommend that one. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Don’t purchase. *2019-02-20, version 3.2.3* The photos are overly filtered and you can’t adjust it. It makes your photos look like they have Instagram filters from 2010. The crop is always a hit or miss too. This would be okay if it were a free app. ### 1/5 — Lost the square view finder *2017-01-03, version 3.2.3* I love this app and some months ago it's Photo interface changed to A rectangle instead of the square that actually shows me the image that I am going to take. Help. ### 1/5 — While I usually LOVE this app *2015-07-09* While I usually love this app, the latest update is providing some issues. I can no longer open the app at until as when I do it crashes immediately, I hope the next update will quickly recover this glitch please. ### 1/5 — Not iOS 8 compatible *2014-09-29* I made a mistake by buying this app a couple of days ago. It doesn't work! I'm thinking it's because it's not iOS 8 compatible. So please, fix that, or give me my $2.00 back! ### 1/5 — Went from Fav app to Least! *2013-06-03, version 2.0.1* This app was my go to photo editor.. With brilliant polaroid inspired filters and the most accurate depiction of the time. Sadly... Someone took away the photo editing/post development options. That's where they made a big mistake. Because I certain cases the photo does not turn out how you envisioned it and all you want to do is change it to your go-to filter! Now you are stuck with one option.. One development.. One chance. When before you could take a photo, have the option to switch filters, change its intensity, customize the frame, and have all options to save it! Now it doesn't even have a 'save to camera roll' option!!? How can you go from the PERFECT app.. And then take everything away from it and lose customers overnight. Bad choices SHAKE IT PHOTO APP. Nonsensical to take away the best things about an app... And think people will still want to use it. Basic logic. Was fun while it lasted I guess. Disappointed!!!!! ### 1/5 — Low-res, no text adding ability, and no original date stamp when using other photos *2013-01-05* If this app would save full resolution images and have the feature to add text to the bottom of the Polaroid frame, it would be brilliant. Also, when loading a photo from the camera roll, it should save the date of the original photo. Best thing about this app at the moment is that the vintage processing is beautiful. ### 1/5 — Bad Update *2010-12-04* Great that image now saves in high res, but what's happened to the original high contrast settings that made Shake It so good? Images are now (literally) a pale imitation of what they once were. It's a wash out (literally) of an update. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ### 1/5 — Was one of my Favs... *2010-12-02, version 0* I have been following GSG's work for a while and when he announced ShakeItPhoto, I went and dl'ed it the day it went live. I have always loved the app for it's simplicity and mostly the unique and wonderful look the processing gave my images. However this new update completely changed the way it processes the images and now I don't like using it at all. Gone is the beautiful contrast and saturation. It's been replaced by murky, washed out, green tinted images. Nick, please change it back, or add in an option for us to choose the processing method like there is in CrossProcess. Until and unless this change is made, I will not upgrade to v1.3 or higher and I will stay with my recently downgraded v1.2 instead. ### 1/5 — Really Disappointing *2010-12-02, version 0* I bought this because of the really neat effect it had with the pictures, which was the best one of any app on the app store I've found. However, with the update to 1.3, they removed all of that, and just give you a washed out photo. I tried to find a way to switch it back, but according to Banana Camera Co. (the app's creators), they have no intentions to bring it back, despite the outcries from the fan base. If you want an app that looks like an authentic Polaroid, there are much better ones out there. I would avoid this app at all costs. It is a waste of your money. If you haven't upgraded yet, don't! ### 1/5 — Bring back the saturation *2010-12-02* I loved this app. It was magic. The update has taken away the perfect contrast and saturation and instant print plastic gloss that the last version had. I'm just sad now. Please fix. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Like but could be better *2023-09-07* I like this app a lot but I think that it would be better if it’s camera inter face was a Polaroid camera it would make that app better, and then I think it would feel more real. ### 5/5 — First and favorite- only authentic polaroid app *2020-12-15, version 3.2.3* I have been using this app since 2011 and it is still my favorite. I have tried other photo filters and always come back to shakeit! I just purchased the app for a new iphone 12 and have had no problem with it and think the 1.99 price s more than fair. It does sometimes seem to go black when it develops a photo but when you go to photo app the photo is intact. Also if you want to control the placement in the frame shoot in square format or crop to the square you want. I used a real polaroid back in the day and the authentic feel is dead on in my opinion. Plus- love the 'shake' ### 5/5 — Like it! And … you can use it on your existing pictures! *2011-11-04, version 2.0.1* OK… I almost didn't buy this app because I'd read a review that said the latest update, ver 2.0.1 would no longer allow you to process existing photos in your album (i.e. that you could only use it on new photos you take with the app). Happily, that is not correct. When you first launch the app, it brings up the camera to take a picture. Simply hit "cancel" and you can then select a photo to process from your photo album by tapping the "squares" icon in the at the bottom. I like the effects and how the app works. It's fun, and produces great results. One thing I would LOVE to see them add is some additional "polaroid style" templates. I've seen some cool ones on the "Lens", the photo blog of the New York Times, and it'd be great if they could build some more striking & creative options in. BUT… that said, it is very well done "as is" and definitely worth 2 bucks! ### 5/5 — Exactly what I was looking for! *2011-06-22* Bought this app being a bit apprehensive but it is exactly what I hoped it would be! Great photos with a nice, genuine looking effect! I recommend despite it being a little hard to frame... ### 5/5 — Excellent!! *2011-05-30* Now that Polarize has been killed off by its developer, this is the next best thing. You can't 'write' on the border but the photo effect and Polaroid border are both excellent. A bit pricey for what it does (particularly since Polarize was free) but it is the best currently available. ### 5/5 — Very fun and smart app - get it! *2011-02-05, version 1.4* This is one of those must-have iPhone apps. I hope this review means a lot coming form me, because I have another camera app in the app store! But I have to give great credit to ShakeItPhoto - it's a great experience. I don't know the designer, Nick Vegas, but I saw a video where he was talking about creativity. He's my kinda guy, and it gave some insight into how this was made. Anyway... everyone should buy this... it's so cheap compared to the joy it will bring you. ### 5/5 — banana camera co. is the ish! *2010-12-18, version 1.4* I use both their apps daily and its great that they listened to the majority of customers who wanted the old look back after the update. I myself will still be sticking with version 1.3 as I feel it produces the look Nick was going for originally or he wouldnt have changed it :) Either way the app produces awesome results and banana camera co. is one of the best designers for photog apps around. ### 5/5 — My Polaroid fix! *2010-12-18, version 0* Great photo app that mimics the feel and experience of old Polaroid cameras. Take a photo and the iPhone spits out a small milky grey square with a white border around it. "Shake" your iPhone and the photo shakes! I love the mechanical sound as the photo is rolled out onto the screen, reminds me of the rolling sound you get as you pull it from a real camera. New update supports photo sharing and full resolution for the iPhone 4. Fantastic! ### 5/5 — Old look is coming back! *2010-12-05, version 1.3* The company announced today that the old look is coming back and is in Apple's review process right now. 5 stars for this decision! The app pulled the rug out from under my feet by introducing this change. It's not so much that I was not a fan of the new faded look, it was that I wasn't given any option to turn it on or off. As an app developer myself, I'm really surprised they did this, because suddenly changing the core functionality of your app without giving the user any options pretty much tops the list of development Don'ts. ### 5/5 — Awesome *2010-09-27* Makes images pop! --- *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 2026-06-10.*