Airbrush

What is Airbrush?

Airbrush is an AI photo and video editor focused on portraits and selfies, with tools for skin retouching, blemish removal, makeup, hair and background edits. It aims for natural-looking results that casual users can achieve in a few taps.

You upload or take a photo, and the app detects faces so you can apply automatic retouching or adjust individual features with sliders. Beyond portraits, the toolset covers object removal, background swaps, filters and short video retouching. A web editor and desktop apps sit alongside the mobile apps, so you can work on a phone or a larger screen.

The product is published by Pixocial Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., which the App Store and Google Play both list as developer. Pixocial is widely reported as part of the Meitu group, and the Airbrush website loads its images from a Meitu content server. The Android app shows more than 100 million downloads, and the iOS app received a version update in September 2026.

Key Features

Portrait retouching sits at the centre of Airbrush, with automatic face detection driving most tools so a selfie can be cleaned up without manual masking.

• AI Retouch: One tap analyses the face and applies smoothing, blemish removal and tone balancing together. A strength slider lets you dial the effect back, which helps keep skin texture visible rather than plastic.
• Face and body tools: Separate controls handle teeth whitening, eye brightening, face reshaping and contouring. Each tool targets one feature, so you can make a small change without editing the whole photo.
• Virtual makeup and hair: The app applies lipstick, blush and other makeup looks, plus hair colour and hairstyle changes. Google Play lists over 300 presets and over 400 filters and effects for quick styling.
• Background and object edits: AI tools remove backgrounds, blur or swap them, and erase unwanted objects or people. These are useful for profile photos, product shots and travel pictures with crowds behind the subject.
• Video retouching: Beautification can run on short video clips as well as stills, including real-time effects while recording. On the web plan, a clip under one minute costs two credits to process.
• AI headshots: The headshot feature generates professional-style portraits from your own photos. It suits LinkedIn or CV images when you have no studio shot, though results still need a careful check.

Pros

Speed is why most people pick Airbrush: a single tap fixes common selfie problems that would take minutes of careful brushwork in a general photo editor.

• Very easy to learn: Tools have clear names and simple sliders, so beginners get usable results on the first try. The App Store listing holds a 4.8 rating from over 200,000 reviews.
• Natural look possible: Strength controls let you keep pores and texture instead of heavy smoothing. Careful users can produce edits that read as a well-lit photo rather than an obvious filter.
• Many platforms: Mobile apps, a browser editor and Windows and macOS apps share the same brand and toolset. You can start on a phone and finish larger batches on a desktop screen.
• Free tier available: Core retouching tools can be used without paying, supported by ads. Occasional users can test the app properly before deciding whether premium features are worth it.
• Broad toolset: Retouching, makeup, background removal, object erasing and video tools sit in one app. Creators avoid juggling three or four single-purpose editors for a typical social post.

Cons

Subscription pressure is the main complaint about Airbrush, because recent App Store reviews mention more ads, daily usage limits and costly short-term plans.

• Pricey short plans: The weekly in-app purchase is listed at $7.99, more than some monthly options. Check which plan you are selecting and cancel trials before renewal if you only need one edit.
• Ads and limits: The free version shows ads, and several reviewers report new daily caps on some tools. Users who edit often may find the free tier more restrictive than it first appears.
• Sensitive data handling: The privacy policy describes collecting photos, EXIF data and facial feature information. Data can be transferred to several regions, including China and the USA, which some users will want to avoid.
• Over-editing risk: Default settings can smooth skin and reshape features more than needed. Heavy edits can create unrealistic beauty standards, so lower the strength and compare against the original.
• Limited pro control: There are no layers, raw processing or advanced masks found in desktop editors. Professional retouchers will still need Photoshop, Lightroom or similar software for detailed client work.

Who is Using Airbrush?

Selfie takers and social media users form the core audience, with creators and job seekers using the background and headshot tools for profile images.

• Everyday users: People editing selfies and group photos before sharing them. They mainly use quick retouch, blemish removal and teeth whitening.
• Content creators: Influencers and small creators preparing posts and short videos. They use filters, makeup looks and video beautification to keep a consistent feed.
• Job seekers: Professionals who need a tidy profile picture for LinkedIn or a CV. They rely on background removal and the AI headshot feature.
• Small sellers: Online shop owners photographing products or themselves for listings. They use object removal and background swaps to clean up images.

Pricing

Airbrush is freemium, with free ad-supported tools plus paid app subscriptions and web credits (official pricing page and App Store, October 2026).

Some directories list a $9 monthly Airbrush plan, but those listings describe airbrush.ai, a separate AI image generator, not this app.

Disclaimer: in-app prices vary by country and promotion, so confirm the amount shown in your store before you subscribe.

What Makes Airbrush Unique?

Face-aware editing across phone, web and desktop gives Airbrush its edge, since the same portrait tools follow you between devices. Most selfie apps live only on mobile, while desktop editors rarely offer one-tap beauty retouching.

Its focus on subtle results is the second difference. Strength sliders on almost every tool make it easier to stop at a light touch-up, and we suggest using that control. A photo that still looks like you tends to age better than one that changes your face shape.

Compatibilities and Integrations

Airbrush runs on iOS, Android, the web and desktop, but it offers no public API or plugin integrations.

• Mobile: The iOS app needs iOS 13 or later and also supports iPad and Apple Vision. The Android app is on Google Play.
• Web: The browser editor at airbrush.com uses a credit system for premium features. Uploads are capped at 10GB of storage on Web Plus.
• Desktop: The site links Windows and macOS downloads, including Airbrush Studio for photographers. Check feature parity with mobile before you buy.
• Sharing and export: Edited images and videos save to your device for posting on social apps. There is no direct link to Lightroom or other editing software.

Airbrush Tutorials

A first edit takes about five minutes if you follow these steps and keep changes light.

1. Install the app from the App Store or Google Play, or open the web editor.
2. Import a well-lit photo or video and let the app detect faces.
3. Apply AI Retouch, then lower the strength until skin texture remains.
4. Use single tools such as blemish removal or teeth whitening only where needed.
5. Remove distractions or swap the background if the photo needs it.
6. Compare with the original using the before and after view, then export.

How We Rated It

Airbrush earns 3.8 out of 5, scoring well on ease of use while privacy questions, ads and missing integrations pull the total down.

Summary

Airbrush is a good fit for casual users and creators who want quick, natural-looking portrait fixes on a phone or in a browser. Its tools are simple and broad, covering retouching, makeup, backgrounds and short videos. The main limitations are ads, usage caps and the amount of face data the service processes. Professional retouchers will still want a full desktop editor. Start on the free tier, keep edits subtle, and choose a monthly or annual plan rather than the weekly one if you upgrade.