Free app for editing images and photos

How to use Image Editor

1. Start by selecting an image from your computer, Google Drive, or Gmail. You can also drag an image onto the page, paste one, or begin with a blank canvas.
2. Make the changes you need, such as cropping a photo, improving its lighting, or adding a caption. You can combine several kinds of edits in the same image.
3. Review the image as you work. You can adjust an earlier edit or undo a change if the result is not what you wanted.
4. Save your image to your computer or Google Drive, ready to use in a document, share with someone, or keep for later.

How Image Editor works

• Image Editor runs in your web browser, so there is nothing to install. You do not need an account to work with images on your computer or phone.
• You can open common image formats, including JPEG, PNG, WebP, and HEIC photos from a phone. Some formats are converted to a new file when you edit them.
• Your browser processes the image on your device. If you use Google Drive, Image Editor connects to Google to open and save your files.
• Supported Google Drive images save automatically when you have edit access. For files on your computer, saving back to the original depends on your browser and the permission you grant.

What can you do with an image editor?

A photo may need a few changes before you share it or use it in a document. You might crop a holiday photo to remove a distraction, brighten a picture taken in the shade, or resize an image to fit a website or presentation.

Image editing is also useful for explaining something to another person. An arrow and a short note can point out a problem in a screenshot. Labels on a photo of a room or garden can show where you would like to make changes. You can start with a blank canvas to make a simple diagram or a message with text and drawings.

For a photo, it often helps to work on the lighting and color before trying a filter. Our guide to how to enhance a photo follows this process, with examples showing how adjustments and filters work together.

The Image Editor workspace

Your image appears beside the editing tools, with a preview that updates as you make changes. You can move between tools and revise earlier edits while the image is open. Zooming in helps you check a small detail; zooming out lets you see how the changes look across the whole image.

The Image Editor Help guide explains the individual controls, saving options, and keyboard shortcuts.

Photo editing tools

Each tool handles a different kind of edit. You can use just the one you need, or combine them to prepare a photo, illustration, or screenshot.

• image

  Image

  View the whole image or zoom in to inspect a detail. Changing the view does not change the image's crop or saved dimensions.

• transform

  Transform

  Crop unwanted edges, straighten a horizon, or rotate and flip an image. A square crop can suit a profile photo, while a wide crop can emphasize the shape of a landscape.

• filter_none

  Filters

  Give a photo a warmer, cooler, or black-and-white appearance. Each filter has an intensity setting so you can choose a subtle or stronger effect. See the visual guide to photo filters for comparisons.

• tune

  Adjust

  Change lighting and color individually, from brightening shadows to softening strong colors. Auto Adjust provides a starting point that you can fine-tune for your photo. The visual guide to photo adjustments shows what each setting does.

• edit

  Markup

  Draw freehand or add shapes, arrows, and callouts. An arrow can draw attention to a detail, while a callout gives you room to explain it.

• title

  Text

  Add a caption, label, or longer note. Choose its font, size, and color, then position it where it is easy to read without covering the subject.

• rectangle

  Redact

  Cover a private detail, or blur or pixelate part of the image. These methods have different uses and limits; see how redaction works before sharing sensitive information.

• format_color_fill

  Background

  Fill transparent areas with a color, or keep them transparent in a format such as PNG or WebP. This is useful for drawings and images with space around the subject.

• filter_frames

  Frames

  Add a border, mat, decorative edge, or Polaroid-style frame. Adjust its size and color to complement the image.

• grid_on

  Advanced

  Correct horizontal or vertical perspective. This can help straighten the sides of a building that appear to lean inward in a photo.

Saving your images

You can keep an edited image on your computer or in Google Drive. The status beside the filename tells you whether your latest changes have been saved.

Saving changes to the original

Supported Google Drive images save automatically when you have edit access. For a local file, browsers that support saving back to the original can save later changes automatically after you grant access. Other browsers download a copy instead. Images that need conversion must be saved as a separate file first.

Keeping a separate copy

If you want to keep the original as it is, make a copy before editing. You can also save a new version under a different name or download a copy of the image you are working on. See saving options and copies for the differences.

If the file changes somewhere else

If another app or person changes the same file, saving pauses so you can decide which version to keep. You can use the other version, replace it with your edits, or keep your work in a separate copy. See how to handle conflicting changes.

Working with Google Drive and Gmail

Image Editor works with images already in Google Drive, and you can save an image from your computer to Drive as well. From there, you can share it with other people or organize it in a folder. You sign in with Google and give Image Editor access to files you choose or create with the app, rather than your entire Drive.

If you open an image attachment from Gmail, you can edit it and save a copy to your computer or Google Drive. The attachment in the email stays as it was.

File formats, conversion, and compression

Image Editor opens JPEG, PNG, WebP, BMP, GIF, AVIF, HEIC/HEIF, TIFF/TIF, and supported static SVG images. You can save as PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, static GIF, or single-image TIFF. The best format depends on what the image contains and how you plan to use it.

Editing a still image from another format

Some files contain more than a single picture. Animations open for viewing; when a still image is available, you can edit it as a copy. A multipage TIFF shows one supported image. HEIC/HEIF photos can include features such as HDR and depth data that the edited copy will not retain, and an SVG becomes a picture made of pixels rather than editable vector shapes.

In these cases, Image Editor saves your edits to a new file so the original keeps the information that cannot be carried over. The app explains when a copy is needed.

Compression and visible quality

PNG preserves every exported pixel and is often a good choice for screenshots, drawings, and text. JPEG and WebP usually produce smaller photo files by discarding some detail. This can help when sharing a picture by email or putting it on a website. Start with the best original you have, since repeatedly editing and resaving a JPEG can gradually reduce its quality.

Pixels, dimensions, and transparency

An image's width and height in pixels determine its dimensions. Zooming only changes how large it appears while you work; resizing changes the saved image. Smaller dimensions can reduce file size, while enlarging a small image cannot recover detail that was never there.

PNG, WebP, BMP, and TIFF can preserve transparent areas. GIF has simpler transparency, with each pixel either fully transparent or opaque. JPEG fills transparent areas with white or the background color you choose.

Recovery drafts and recent images

If a tab closes or reloads while you are working, a recovery draft may help you pick up where you left off. Image Editor keeps these drafts in this browser when storage is available. A draft is separate from your image file, so "Draft saved" does not mean the file itself has been saved.

Browser storage can be cleared or run out of space. Keep work you need in a saved file on your computer or in Google Drive. The Help guide explains autosave and recovery drafts in more detail.

The start page also lists recent images opened in this browser. Removing an image from that list does not delete the file.

Your images and privacy

Image Editor opens and processes images locally in your browser. Your photos do not need to be uploaded to an editing server. When you use Google Drive, the image is transferred to or from Google to open or save it. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Saved images leave out common source metadata, such as camera details and location information. The picture itself may still show something you do not want to share, such as an address or a document, so take a moment to check it.

Working with very large images

A photo can need much more memory while it is open than its file size suggests. If a large image will not open or editing becomes slow, closing other tabs or working with a smaller copy may help.

History of Image Editors

Image editors grew from early computer drawing and painting systems. SuperPaint was working at Xerox PARC in 1973, MacPaint arrived with the Macintosh in 1984, and Adobe released Photoshop 1.0 in 1990.

Read A brief history of image editors for the earlier experiments, later developments, and tools still familiar today.

Frequently asked questions

Is Image Editor free, and do I need an account?

Image Editor is free to use. You do not need an account for files on your computer or phone. You only need to sign in to Google when you use Google Drive or open a Gmail attachment.

Does Image Editor change my original automatically?

Yes, in some cases. Supported Google Drive images save automatically when you have edit access. Local files can also save automatically if your browser supports it and you have granted access. Make a copy before editing if you want to preserve the original. Images that need conversion are saved as a new file.

Where can I learn more or get help?

The Image Editor Guides explain photo editing with examples you can follow. For questions about using the app, visit Help or the full FAQ. You can also reach us at support@imageeditor.app.