Verdict
Facetune is still the reference app for retouching a face on a phone, and Photoworkout ranked it first of seven face editors in 2026. Most tools now sit behind VIP at $25 a month on the web, and Trustpilot reviewers mostly complain about charges after free trials. Studies link heavy selfie editing with more facial and body dissatisfaction, especially in teenage girls.
Best for
Adults touching up portraits, headshots or wedding photos
Skip if
Buying for a teenager, or wanting a free editor without a subscription trial
Key facts
- Category
- Photo editing & touch-ups
- Made by
- Lightricks
- Based in
- Israel
- Launched
- 2013
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- $25 a month
- Free plan
- Free download with basic tools; most retouch and AI tools need VIP; 7-day free trial on paid plans
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $25 | month |
| Yearly | $77.99 | year |
What it does
- smooths skin and removes blemishes
- reshapes features and whitens teeth
- tries on hairstyles, beards and virtual makeup
- turns photos into AI headshots
- erases objects, backgrounds and photobombers
- edits short-form video
Ratings
What people say
Store stars are high (4.45 on 40,121 UK App Store ratings), but user reviews and Trustpilot talk mostly about billing, a February 2026 filter overhaul that long-time subscribers hated, and celebrity over-editing. Trustpilot's 1.3 from 63 reviews is thin but almost all about trial charges, a big gap from the store stars.
“I’ve used Facetune for almost 10 years as my go to photo editing app… Facetune updated their app and got rid of ALL of their filters. They had a massive library, which was the main reason I paid for it.”
Individual user review, 17 February 2026 · source
“$11.99 a week is insane. In no world is it worth it.”
Individual user review, 3 March 2026 · source
“Hi tried to cancel Facetune during 7 day free trial… Now been charged £36. The subscription isn't showing in my Google Play account either to cancel it there.”
Post on X, 4 July 2026 · source
“i unironically love facetune sm istg”
Post on X, 6 November 2025 · source
“this something that a lot of celebrities/influencers do but it creates unexpected standards to teenage girls and woman creating more insecurities”
Individual user review, 30 May 2026 · source
Press reviews
- Photoworkout 2026-06-23
Ranked first of seven face-editing apps and called the industry standard for detailed retouching, but the best features need VIP and the free tier is much more restricted in 2026.
- Sonary 2026-06
Scored 4.4 and called 'a great photo editing app for influencers', very simple to use, with limited support channels.
- The Dead Pixels Society (citing Reuters) 2026-02-23
News, not a review. Lightricks is splitting the profitable but mature Facetune business (about $100M profit last year) from its LTX AI video unit.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- No by default; uploads and AI inputs are used for AI training only with separate consent (privacy policy Table B). Usage data, metadata and inferred age, gender and skin tone are used for internal development and labelling.
- Opt-out
- Training is opt-in; consent can be withdrawn in the app's Privacy Settings or via [email protected]
- Retention
- Uploaded photos and videos kept up to 30 days unless consent given for training; AI training data deleted within 2 years; face data from on-device editing not stored on Lightricks servers
- Incidents
- Lightricks settled an Illinois biometric privacy (BIPA) class action covering Facetune, Photoleap and Videoleap for about $4.5M (reported 24 Oct 2024). No UK regulatory action found in searches of the web and news.
- Age limit
- 13+ under the terms (13-17 need a parent to accept); App Store rating 12+, Google Play PEGI 3; no age check found
Official videos
- Facetune: The Real Feminist of 2025 2025-03-03
FAQ
Is Facetune free?
The app is free to download with basic tools, but most retouch and AI features need VIP. The official site lists $25 a month, $40 a quarter or $77.99 a year, each starting with a 7-day trial that renews automatically.
How do I cancel a Facetune free trial?
Cancel through whichever store or website took the payment, before day 7. Trustpilot and X users report being charged after trials when the subscription did not show up in Google Play or Apple settings, so check the receipt for where it was billed.
Is Facetune bad for body image?
Research links heavy selfie editing with more dissatisfaction. A 2015 study of 101 girls aged about 13 found more photo editing went with more body and eating concerns, and a 2020 experiment with 130 young women found the extent of editing predicted a rise in facial dissatisfaction.
Does Facetune use my photos to train AI?
Only with separate consent, according to the Lightricks privacy policy. Uploads are kept up to 30 days otherwise, and consent can be withdrawn in the app's privacy settings.
Is Facetune OK for under-18s?
The terms require users to be at least 13, with a parent accepting the terms for 13 to 17 year olds. There is no age check, and the body-image research above concerns this age group most.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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