Flickr updates iOS app with new filters and tools

Flickr has released an update for its iOS app which includes enhanced filters and makes the formerly premium ‘pro-tools’ feature free.

The update may signal a move for Flickr to expand from serving primarily as a space to store and view photos and make the transition to a more creative service. The new update has a heavy focus on a new generation of filters, such as ‘live filters’ which allow you to see how the image will look with a given filter before even capturing the image and even giving users the freedom to create custom filters to suit their particular tastes.

The Update also gives users access to new camera tools such as “grids, pinch to zoom, and the ability to lock your focus and exposure points”. Perhaps most significantly, the new update will give users free access to tools like enhance, crop, sharpen, adjust color, levels and vignettes that were previously only available via the paid version.

For now, the update is restricted to the iOS version of the app and there’s no word on when Android users can expect to see the updates for their platform.

While Flickr was an early entrant to the online photo market, the service has fallen behind upstarts like Instagram, which has struck a chord with users by combining photo editing abilities with a social media service. We’ll be watching this space to see if Flickr’s latest changes can bring it back into the market as a serious contender.