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Popular mixed-media app PicsArt gets a speed and performance upgrade

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published July 1, 2016

PicsArt has mixed photos and art for over 300 million downloads, but now the app is mixing in even faster performance with its latest update.

According to its developers, PicsArt boasts a greater selection of editing tools than any other app of its kind. Along with the usual filters, it offers a unique remix option that allows users to mix in clip art or add freehand drawings, which explains nicely how the app got its name. Along with editing photos, the drawing feature can also be used on a blank canvas. PicsArt has options for creating double exposures, adding creative blur, using text overlays, and cropping with shapes.

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The June update brings faster performance, along with a cleaner, more intuitive interface. The latest version keeps the wide range of tools from earlier versions but makes it a bit simpler to use.

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“We believe there’s creativity inside everyone and that people want to do more than add filters before sharing their photos online,” said Argam DerHartunian, vice president of product. “PicsArt offers every creativity tool you could wish for, in a simple and easy-to-use interface that makes sharing your creativity fun and easy.”

Along with the editing options, the app is home to a growing community for sharing graphics without leaving the app. Photo editors with sharing communities are nothing new, but PicsArt has a unique ReMix section, in which users can share their own creative twists on an original photo with the #freetoedit hashtag. Images can also be quickly shared on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Flickr.

PicsArt currently has 75 million active users and growing. Forbes named it among the top five “Hottest Startups” last year.

PicsArt is a free download, available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 10.

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Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

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