Photo Apps Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Is the FaceApp safe? Read these tips from experts first.

by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Photo Apps, Tips and Tricks

Our social media feeds are blowing up photos from the FaceApp, thanks to the new FaceApp Challenge, but is it safe? If you’e missed the buzz, this hilarious (ish) app lets you upload a photo to the app, then edits it using AI filters so you can see how...

5 of the coolest photo booth apps for a picture-perfect party

by Caroline Siegrist | Photo Apps

We all know that photo booths are as essential to a good party as cupcakes and punch, so just in time for all those Halloween parties, we’ve updated our favorite photo booth apps for parties. They’re all intuitive, inexpensive, and mostly kid-friendly....

A Design Kit: The fabulous new type overlay and stickers app to keep your Insta stories on point

by Liz Gumbinner | Photo Apps, Social Media

Last year, I fell in love with the A Color Story app for photo editing, and named it my cool pick of the week on our Spawned podcast. Just this weekend, they launched A Design Kit, their equally fun, friendly, and really wonderful app this time for design. Especially...

The best ever, super simple trick for taking better selfies

by Liz Gumbinner | Photo Apps, Tips and Tricks

Last week on family vacation, atop the San Jacinto Mountain with the scenic Coachella Valley behind me, of course tons of selfies were taken. As is the law these days. When it was my turn to pull out my phone, I realized I couldn’t get a flattering angle, and...

Why yes, you do need this app for free last minute Mother’s Day ecards

by Liz Gumbinner | Mother's Day Gifts, Photo Apps

I’m a big fan of ecards for holidays, and I have yet to find a better, easier resource for last-minute ecards than the Red Stamp app. With Mother’s Day just a day away, get on it! Surely there’s someone you’ve forgotten — a mom, stepmom,...

A free photo effects app that turns ordinary shots into works of art

by Liz Gumbinner | Photo Apps

As someone who is definitely not a pro photographer, I’m all about the photo apps that help make my snapshots…let’s say, a little more artful. That’s why the Prisma photo effects app (iOS and yes, Android) is my latest photo filter app...

How to use the new Instagram albums feature and not make your followers nuts.

by Kate Etue | Photo Apps, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

You might have noticed the new Instagram albums feature that allows you to post up to 10 photos at once for people to flip through. If you’re wondering how it works, and why you’d even try it, we’ve got a quick tutorial, plus some great examples of...

Hypocam app: A cool camera app for black and white photo lovers

by Kate Etue | Photo Apps

For super cool black and white photos beyond the couple of Instagram filters you get, take a peek at the free Hypocam app (iOS and Android) that we’re loving. Related: 5 terrific pro photography tips beyond selfies Related: The new Camera+ 6: the best iOS...

Preserve old photographs (yes, real ones) with Google’s new PhotoScan app

by Jeana | Photo Apps

As much as I love my iPhone camera roll and the thousands of photos it houses, I do have a very soft spot for old photographs. The ones where the color is a little faded, the edges are a little worn and the memories come flooding back. Thanks to a new Google app...

Printing from the palm of your hand with HP Sprocket

by Jeana | Photo Apps

When school started a few weeks ago, one of my daughter’s first homework assignments was to bring in photos of favorite people and things to decorate her daily notebook. I love the idea, but didn’t love that I had to email myself photos, print them,...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.