Darkroom: Photo & Video Editor

Darkroom has been quietly refining its editing toolkit since 2015, and version 7.2.2 shows how far Bergen Co. has pushed a mobile editor. The app tackles both photos and video under one roof, offers AI-assisted subject and sky selection, and reaches up to 8K color grading territory. With nearly 29,000 ratings averaging 4.78, the user base is clearly loyal. For a free download with optional purchases, the baseline feature set is genuinely competitive with subscription-heavy rivals.

What It Gets Right

The combination of batch photo editing and high-resolution video color grading in a single 405 MB package is a real practical win. AI-powered depth-based edits and object detection, including targeted adjustments for skies and skin tones, mean you are not manually masking every layer. Bergen Co. has kept the app updated consistently, with the latest build landing in June 2026, which signals active maintenance rather than an abandoned project.

Where Friction Appears

The free tier exists alongside in-app purchases, and the exact boundary between what is free and what is paywalled is not spelled out upfront. At 405 MB the install footprint is substantial for a phone editor, which matters on devices with limited storage. Users coming from purely desktop workflows may also hit a learning curve mapping professional color grading concepts onto a touchscreen interface, particularly for 8K video work.

Who Should Download It

Darkroom suits iPhone and iPad users who want a single app to handle both still photography and video color work without juggling multiple tools. The Apple Design Award win in 2020 and continuous Editor Choice recognition since 2018 are meaningful signals for anyone skeptical of mobile editors. Casual shooters benefit from the AI shortcuts, while more experienced creators can dig into manual grading controls that most phone apps skip entirely.