# Simply B&W — user reviews

> 65 indexed App Store user reviews of Simply B&W by James Moore, rated 3.80/5 from 28 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-b-and-w/id601916620/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-b-and-w/id601916620.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 14 · 4★ 6 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 5

## Newest reviews (13 of 65)

### 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

### 4/5 — My fave app to convert to B&W

*2019-12-31*

I loved how the filters let you emphasize different parts of a photo by using color channels.

I am not too keen on the new 35mm camera style interface, wish there was an option to toggle back to the old interface.

**Developer response:** Thanks Seb... I may start to extend the editing functionality to have fine tuning - the one touch-ness of the 35mm style allowed for a combination of preset edits and contrast/exposure tweaks to be more easily accessed. Really pleased to hear that you find Simply B&W useful!

### 4/5 — Bug

*2019-09-21, version 2.0.1*

Please help ! 
When my iPhone updated to IOS13, I can save photos, but the surface can not back to the edit mode after save.

### 4/5 — Right on!

*2019-02-05*

Accolades to Jim Moore, the creator of this app. I’ve been able to produce some spectacular results with this app. It’s well-executed and easy to use. Just at with it and you can see your photos really come to life with the various filters and film-type settings. Only things I would change would be to make it a bit more visually appealing and when you change from one type of film to another, the grain, contrast are super askew and make it difficult to dial it back in at times.

### 4/5 — Still great but needs RAW support

*2017-10-04*

Pretty overdue for an update. Would be very sad to see it abandoned.

**Developer response:** Working on updates now - it’s s sideline for me at the moment but making the time for this

### 5/5 — Lives up to its name.

*2016-11-04, version 2.0.1*

Lacking tons of filters and sliders, this app hits the right notes for me.The color filters and the simple controls for brightness, contrast and grain let me quickly get the effect I want. The presets, though limited are just what I need, a nice mix of Kodak and Ilford film stocks and a couple of other choices. This app is a hidden gem.

### 5/5 — gut für Schwarzweiß Fotos

*2015-12-24*

Alles was man für Schwarzweiß Fotos braucht.

### 4/5 — Cam scroll save button

*2015-10-20, version 2.0.1*

Where's the icon to save to cam scroll???

### 5/5 — Perfect monochrome

*2015-10-11*

b/w camera with colour filters and full size output even on the latest 6s plus.

### 4/5 — Simple cumple

*2015-09-02, version 1.5.8*

Cumple lo que dice

### 4/5 — Great for contrast

*2015-08-22*

Easy to use! I do high contrast B&W, app is great for the tweaking. Just wish my photo was a little bigger when editing.

### 4/5 — Great App couple improvements needed

*2015-06-21*

I love the way the app works - simple and easy to get great effects. Saving custom presets is useful. My only feedback to improve this app is to make it so I can send photos to and from the app from other apps such as Snapseed or Instagram. Right now I have to save the image to my library and then open it up again from my next app which is a pain given that this app is the only one out of my collection that doesn't allow this. The creators could really streamline the workflow of their users if they implemented this feature.

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 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

### 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!

### 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

### 1/5 — ???

*2019-11-02*

-No “cancel” option on a pic
-when I use the “save” option and “X” for cancel it, this app turns frozen...

**Developer response:** Sorry about this. Currently working on a new version which I’m hoping to release before Christmas. The save issue too is resolved and everything is wrapped up in a new simpler UI

### 1/5 — Bugged do not buy

*2014-12-08*

Does not orientate on my iPhone 6 plus 
and is unusable

### 1/5 — Not work for ipad 2

*2014-11-28, version 1.5.7*

..

### 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

### 2/5 — Will not login to Adobe

*2019-11-12*

It looks abandoned, judging from the date to the last update. The Adobe CC login is broken and it also tends to “pause” a lot due to ... ?

**Developer response:** Sorry about this. Version 3 fixes the save issue you’ve described which is now available in the App Store. The Adobe login will be removed as it is no longer supported by Adobe themselves. The save issue too is resolved and everything is wrapped up in a new simpler UI

### 2/5 — Eh

*2013-06-17, version 1.4*

It works fine for maybe two or three picture but after that it crashes every time you want to upload a new picture, thus rendering this app useless. Some work needs to be done.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 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.

### 5/5 — Unmatched

*2021-08-08*

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

### 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.

### 5/5 — SimplyBW

*2020-01-08*

Why has this lovely app been changed or updated I can no longer pick a film stock to suit cannot create a vignette there’s no info on what you can achieve with it and after playing with it where can you save it to it’s been ruined

**Developer response:** Sorry to hear this. Hope you persevere and get some of the results you expect from the app. Vignettes may return with some additional features

### 5/5 — I love the new look

*2019-12-25*

I love your new update. Lots of possibilities and so simple to use AND no more bugs. Brilliant!  Thank you so much!!

**Developer response:** Sorry you’ve been having trouble with the app. The newly updated version (3.0) should address the problems you describe. Thanks for your patience.

UPDATE: thanks for your kind comments. All feedback means a lot to me.

### 5/5 — Great app. Please don’t stop supporting it!

*2019-02-06, version 2.0.1*

I really love this app. Fully delivers. I’m only afraid the developer forgot about it cause the last update was 3 years ago...

### 5/5 — Love the colour filters

*2019-01-29, version 2.0.1*

Simple interface. Great effects!

### 5/5 — Grain simulation is really good

*2018-12-01*

Much better grain simulation than most other apps including VSCO and RNI.  this is really the most realistic black and white green simulator mobile. Only desktops simulators can compare to this.

Very impressed keep up the great work.

Only thing that could be better would be adding some more options like grain size or amount of grain in highlights vs shadows.

### 5/5 — One of my faves!

*2017-08-17*

This is a very simple yet powerful monochrome conversion app. I use it for most of my B&W images. One of the things I like best is that it doesn't degrade the file size of the images. In most cases it makes it larger. Nice job!

### 5/5 — Excellent!

*2017-04-06*

Not overly complicated. Effective filter implantation. I found myself recreating a style I used as a film-based B&W photographer. I am able to "pull" a full tonal range with ease!  I'm in love with photography again!

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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.*