My Favorite iPhone Selfie App
Although I love all the controls available in the native camera app on my iPhone, I rarely use it for selfies. Instead, I have been relying on TikTok for my selfies, and I don’t think I will ever switch back for the following reasons.
TikTok doesn’t auto-edit my selfies
I am not saying that the front cameras on my iPhone are not good, but I have one constant complaint, which is not limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max I have. It is all related to post-processing after taking selfies.
Though you will look great in the preview of the camera app, Apple’s camera app automatically edits your photos after you click them. The worst part? It doesn’t do a good job. Instead of improving your image with minor edits, selfies end up looking blurry, textures and details are too visible, and the image looks overprocessed.
This is due to a built-in feature in the camera app called Deep Fusion, which auto-enhances photos. While you can try some workarounds to stop your iPhone from auto-enhancing your photos, there is no way to disable Deep Fusion completely. This leaves you with two options – either be satisfied with the processed photo or take matters into your own hands using a third-party camera app.
As I mentioned earlier, my favorite app is TikTok, mainly because it doesn’t auto-edit my selfies. TikTok captures the picture as it is, allowing me to keep all the original details without any unwanted changes. If I want to edit my selfie after I’ve taken it, I use one of my favorite third-party photo editing apps.
You have more control over the flash
When it comes to selfies, lighting is everything, and it affects the end result to a large extent. In the native camera app, the flash only appears when you press the shutter button – just like when you take the photo. However, in TikTok, you can turn on the flash before pressing the button, which makes the lighting look more natural.
The flash is still directly at your face in both the camera app and TikTok, but turning it on beforehand gives you a better preview of your final selfie.
Sometimes, images with the flash look terrible, and you only notice after you take the picture. And if you\’re like me and take hundreds of selfies at a time, you\’ll notice it quite a while later. By turning on the flash before you shoot, you can adjust your position or lighting conditions to ensure you get better shots, ultimately saving you time and energy.
Front camera zoom
When you\’re trying to take the perfect selfie, you often find yourself zooming in and out to get the ideal frame. One thing I really dislike about the native camera app is that it\’s zoomed out by default, with limited flexibility to zoom in.
The only real zoom control is the expand icon that appears on iPhones with ultrawide front cameras, which is far from ideal. Most third-party apps like TikTok give you a lot more control, allowing you to zoom in further and frame your shot exactly the way you want.
Natural-looking beauty options and lenses
I didn’t launch Snapchat for months, despite it being one of the best social media apps I’ve ever used, one of the main reasons for this is that it started affecting the way I see myself.
Snapchat lenses can completely change your skin tone, slim your face in the most unnatural way and hide every blemish on your face. Using them would boost my confidence for a moment, but it would immediately disappear once I took the lens off.
This doesn’t mean I’m against using beauty-looking options or filters in photos. I\’ve used Facetune many times to hide the bags under my eyes or remove a blemish from my chin. My only problem is when they become overdone.
However, TikTok strikes the perfect balance when it comes to lenses. They don\’t look too unnatural and completely change your facial structure, yet they enhance your facial features just enough to make you feel more confident. This way, you can look like yourself while still adding an extra glow to your selfies.