# Simply B&W

> Simple iOS app for creating black and white photos with tone, brightness, and contrast adjustments. (iPhone/iPad app by James Moore.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-b-and-w/id601916620 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [James Moore](https://appshunter.io/developer/428240071)
- Category: Photo & Video, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.80/5 from 28 App Store ratings · 65 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 9 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2013-02-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-15
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-b-and-w/id601916620/reviews.md

## What is Simply B&W?

Simply Photography. Simply B&W.

An easy and simple way to turn your colour shots into dramatic black and white photos. Explore tone, brightness and contrast to re-visualise your images on your iOS device. 

Learn to look in monochrome and develop your own interpretation of reality. 

Try SimplyB&W Today!

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Features:

* Classic SLR style editing controls in a single view. 
* Tap or dial in adjustments to the exposure, brightness and contrast of the image.
* Add simulated film grain.
* Select from 6 different coloured lens filters to enhance certain colours and shades in a photo.
* Preserve EXIF and Geolocation data.
* Outputs images in full resolution.

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What App Reviewers say:

LifeInLoFi
"With minimal fuss, Simply B&W quickly creates rich, great looking black and white photos."

AppAdvice
"This sleek and simple app provides a minimalistic user interface that is intuitive and filled with plenty of powerful features. It also stays out of the way so that the focus is all on your images rather than the app itself. Weve been enjoying making classy black-and-white photos with SimplyB&W over the past few days. If you feel like seeing the world through black-and-white, then you need to give SimplyB&W a try for yourself."

Mashable.com
"This well-designed, capable app provides just what you need to create stunning, classic black-and-white photos on your iPhone"

ComboApps Blog
"If you want to make beautiful black and whites with one app, then Simply B&W is the only app you will ever need"

appotography.com
"Given the overabundance of black and white converters in the App Store, Simply B&W can easily go unnoticed. As a matter of fact, although I am mostly devoted to black and white photography, I had overlooked this app myself. However, as far as the value of Simply B&W is concerned, I am quite sure iPhone black and white enthusiasts will enjoy this app quite a bit"

icommephoto.com
"In a few words: app creation of black and white as simple and elegant, Simply B & W produces natural results and well balanced. An excellent choice of its kind!"

iosphotoapps.com
"The beauty of this app is the simplicity. You just choose from one of the five color filters, and then tweak brightness/contrast"

iphoneography.com
"Simply B&W is definitely a simple to use app that is very capable of producing some really nice black and white images, either directly from the camera itself, or existing photos. Whilst it doesn't offer the features found in some of the more advanced black and white apps, what it does offer, it does well"

Babble.com
#9 in the Top 25 iPhone Photo Apps for Parents of 2011
"This app provides helpful advice on which filter to choose and easily has the best image quality of any other app of its kind. It also has a magical power to make a wild, screaming child look serious, astute, and brooding..."

## Key features

- Classic SLR style editing controls
- Tap or dial adjustments for exposure, brightness, contrast
- Simulated film grain
- 6 colored lens filters
- Preserve EXIF and Geolocation data
- Full resolution output

## Recent user reviews (10 of 65)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-b-and-w/id601916620/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Simply The Best

*2025-06-21*

I have been looking for an app like this for years ! If you are an artist who works from photos and you have photos with poor contrast, this is the app you want.

### 1/5 — Will not work

*2023-07-29*

Downloaded app then blank screen on my iPhone 14 Pro Max disappointing

### 1/5 — Not so sure

*2022-12-07*

I’ve tried to download the app three times and then I tried to use the app it’s just jammed no use

### 4/5 — application sympathique

*2022-07-05*

Gratuite, cette application permet d’explorer les effets des différents filtres couleurs, modification des ISO sur le rendu final : cela permet à la fois de modifier une image, et d’une certaine façon d’apprendre.

### 4/5 — Très facile

*2022-06-11*

Bons et beaux résultats simplement

### 5/5 — Unmatched

*2021-08-08*

Simply the best black and white app to ever exist. It gives me exactly what I want.

### 1/5 — War mal meine liebste b&w-App......

*2021-05-20*

Die Umgestaltung der Bedienung ist leider nicht mehr meins und die Anpassung von Helligkeit, Kontrast, Körnung ist viel zu kompliziert. Die Ergebnisse kommen mir grobschlächtig vor, die Grautöne und Details waren früher subtiler. Schade, dass man etwas Gutes so verschlechtert hat!

### 2/5 — No more camera

*2020-04-18*

I miss that this app no longer has a camera function.  Disappointing.

**Developer response:** I’ll be looking at live camera modes in the future so it’s more like a point and shoot experience. Sorry about this in the meantime

### 1/5 — What’s the point?

*2020-02-02*

What’s the point of having both a shutter speed adjustment and an exposure adjustment - the both do exactly the same thing!  A redundant waste of space. AND, where’s the option to choose NO filter?  It used to exist. I can see where by increasing ISO you thereby increase grain, but unless you’re a photographer you might no know or understand that. Are you just adding or changing features for the sake of change without adding usefulness?  A BIG miss!  UPDATE:  In response to the developer’s response - that still makes NO sense!  Why not just call UV No Filter (NF) if that’s what it s or supposed to be?  And, using Shutter to adjust brightness and contrast (doubtful) is just ridiculous!  As a working professional photographer for over 40 years it’s my opinion that you’ve gone backwards with your app.

**Developer response:** No filter is UV. Shutter takes care of contrast and brightness together. Exposure does bracket adjusts on top of that. I’m sorry you are not keen on the updates. Thanks for the feedback.

UPDATED RESPONSE: Thanks. I try to take on as much feedback as I can and it’s appreciated. There are some tweaks I am making in the coming months to the image processing as well as additions like depth of field, reintroduction of film stocks (based on feedback) and other effects. 

With the 35mm film UI, I am trying something different to some other editors out there (and there are many excellent B&W apps out there) while trying to make the gamut of effects as a result of adjusting exposure, contrast etc as dial-innable (if that’s a word) as possible.

I appreciate your comments, as a fellow pro-photographer, and more so for your passion and thought on how this app should be. I hope in time, some of the changes will win back some favour with you.

Cheers Jim

### 5/5 — How to save result?

*2020-01-18*

Nice simple controls, choose image, alter exp etc... then what? No way to save it??? For info to the Developers, if they read this, I’m using an iPhone SE, it’s a small screen but still should be able to save image!
Update... found how to save image.. use right/up pointing arrow THEN scroll down! Didn’t do this, didn’t see “save image” ....oops,👍

**Developer response:** Great news and thanks for the update. I tested on an SE and noted that the save dialog sometimes isn’t fully visible. 

You can reorder these in the view preferences under “Edit Actions” but again this is at the bottom (again you need scroll down) to get these but it then updates your preferred actions system-wide.

## Frequently asked questions about Simply B&W

### What does Simply B&W do?

Simply B&W is an iOS application designed to easily convert your color photographs into dramatic black and white images. It allows you to explore tone, brightness, and contrast to re-visualize your pictures in monochrome.

### What are the key features of Simply B&W?

Key features include classic SLR-style editing controls in a single view, tap or dial adjustments for exposure, brightness, and contrast, the ability to add simulated film grain, six colored lens filters, preservation of EXIF and Geolocation data, and full-resolution image output.

### How much does Simply B&W cost?

Based on the provided information, Simply B&W is a paid application. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or subscriptions, indicating a one-time purchase model.

### What devices is Simply B&W compatible with?

The application is designed for iOS devices. It allows users to edit photos directly on their iPhone or iPad, with features like full-resolution output and preservation of data.

### What are common use cases for Simply B&W?

Common use cases include transforming everyday color photos into artistic black and white images, experimenting with different tones and contrasts for a dramatic effect, and learning to see and interpret reality through a monochrome lens.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.0 — 2019-12-23

- Introducing a single view, dial controlled editing experience, reminiscent of classic 35mm SLR film cameras.
- Convenient pinch and zoom image editing review.
- Brought up to date for iOS 13 and larger screen sizes.
- New look and feel. Same classic black and white editing functionality.

### 2.0.1 — 2015-10-19

Updates in version 2.0.1
- Fixed contrast fidelity in full output images
- The black vignette blends a bit better now
- Layout fixes on home screen for iPhone 4S, 5 and 5S

What's New in version 2.0
- Extend your workflow with Adobe Creative Cloud integration 
- A new simpler, user interface that supports all device orientations
- Introducing new filters 'Polarizer' and 'Infra Red'
- All new presets simulating some well known B&W film types
- Performance Enhancements

### 2.0 — 2015-10-01

- Extend your workflow with Adobe Creative Cloud integration 
- A new simpler, user interface that supports all device orientations
- Introducing new filters 'Polarizer' and 'Infra Red'
- All new presets simulating some well known B&W film types
- Performance Enhancements

### 1.5.8 — 2015-01-04

- Fixes to orientation in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- Bug fix with location services when using in-app camera
- Optimised app file size
- I really value your feedback, please let me know what else you'd like to see in future updates

### 1.5.7 — 2014-11-11

- Fixed a save bug that cropped up in 1.5.6
- New Icon and cleaner UI on launcher screen
- Updated layouts for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
- Fixes to UI rotation in iPad
- Reworks

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## More apps by James Moore

- [BerryCam for Raspberry Pi](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/berrycam-for-raspberry-pi/id687071023)
- [FryUp](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fryup/id1170965185)
- [Trevni: Film Negative Inverter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trevni-film-negative-inverter/id6741860536)
- [Dottre: Halftone Print Lab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dottre-halftone-print-lab/id6762490295)

All apps by James Moore: https://appshunter.io/developer/428240071

## Related topics

[black and white](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/black-and-white)

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*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 2026-08-15.*