I work as a photo retoucher at WeEdit.Photos, mostly fixing portraits for people. Part of my job is body retouching in Photoshop, which includes making abs look better when someone wants that extra look.
But when I want to edit my casual photos, using Photoshop feels like too much work. As beach season approaches, I’ve started searching for apps that have built-in abs filters. I wanted something quick and easy to use, but not too extreme.
If you want to try using an abs filter app, it helps a lot if you start with a good photo. Here are some simple photoshoot tips for pictures to use with abs filters:
Stand in good natural light. This early morning or sunset type of light creates shadows that complement digital abs well.
Exhale slightly and engage your core. Don’t hold your breath too hard, just make your tummy a little tight so the filter has a shape to work on.
Pick a photo where your body is turned a little, not straight at the camera. This angle adds depth and makes the abs filter look better.
Use warmer colors or filters. Warm colors and low-contrast preset effects make the abs look more natural.
Use apps with intensity sliders. It’s better if you can control it instead of having a full six-pack forced on you.
If you want to try using an abs filter app, it helps a lot if you start with a good photo. Here are some simple photoshoot tips for pictures to use with abs filters:
Verdict: If you just want a quick and fun edit for stories or something temporary, Snapchat and Instagram photo editing filters are fine. But if you want clean and realistic abs in photos you keep or post, special abs filter apps like Fix The Photo or YouCam Perfect work much better.
AI-powered & customizable abs filter app
Platforms: iOS, Android
YouCam Perfect was easy to use for adding abs to a photo. After opening your picture and tapping “Edit,” you scroll until you see the “Body Tuner” tool. Inside that, there’s a “Muscle” section where you can pick different kinds of ab sculpting options.
You can use a slider to choose how strong or light the abs appear, from a soft tone to a full six-pack effect. It worked well on photos where the person was facing the camera with good lighting. However, if the photo had shadows or was taken from the side, the abs didn’t look as natural and seemed fake.
You can zoom in, change the abs placement, and even apply the abs filter more than once. The live preview helps because you can see the changes as you make them, without needing to undo anything. This auto photo enhancer also has sharing options for Instagram and other social media. The layout is easy to use, and the abs usually look pretty real unless you go overboard with the effect.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases; Premium from $5.99/month
Pro-level, precise & manual abs edits by real retouchers
Platforms: iOS, Android
Compared to other automated abs filter apps, Fix The Photo Body Editor & Tune works differently. It doesn’t let you edit the photo yourself. Instead, you upload your picture and fill out a form saying what you want. There’s an option called “Add Abs” under the Body Editing options.
You don’t get sliders or a preview; instead, a real person edits the photo for you. I asked for soft abs and sent in a beach photo. About 40 minutes later, I got the edited version.
The result was remarkably natural — the abs followed the shape of my body and didn’t look fake or drawn on. This method is great for tricky pictures, like ones with strange lighting or angles, because a professional retoucher edits it manually. That’s why it is one of the apps that photographers use. One of the drawbacks is that you can’t preview changes, since it’s not instant.
Pricing: Free to download; pay-per-edit (prices vary per request)
User-friendly, automatic abs filters with manual tweaks
Platforms: iOS, Android
Peachy is a light, easy-to-use app that lets you edit body shapes in photos, including abs, using the Abs Feature. After you load a photo, go to “Body” then “Abs,” and you’ll see different ab styles, from light outlines to clear six-packs.
You can move the abs around, change the size, and turn them to fit your body. It’s easy to place the abs using your fingers to pinch or drag. There’s also a Fade tool so you can blend them in better to make the photo look natural.
On pictures with good lighting and clear body shapes, the abs look fine. But in pictures with patterns or side views, they can kind of look like stickers. This abs filter app doesn’t have social media sharing, but it allows you to save high-quality photos. Overall, it’s a good bulk image editor if you want quick edits without doing much work.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases; from $5.99/month
Best for quick, automatic six-pack overlays
Platforms: iOS
The Six Pack Abs & Filter app is focused entirely on adding abs to pictures. When you open a photo in the app, it takes you straight to a section where you can choose from different types of abs. You can tap on them to try them out, then resize them on your photo using your fingers.
The best part about this abs filter app is that it offers lots of different styles – from light muscle lines to strong bodybuilder abs. There’s a blend slider that helps you adjust the abs depending on your skin tone, so they don’t look like stickers. If your picture has good lighting and your body is at the right angle, the abs can look natural. Otherwise, the abs can look fake.
There aren’t many editing tools besides moving the abs and changing the opacity. The app doesn’t use AI to fit the abs perfectly on your body; you just place them yourself. Though if you want quick or fun results, this iPhone photo editor works well. You can export your edited photo quickly to your phone’s gallery or post it straight to Instagram.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases; from $4.99/month
Automatic abs and body boost filters for selfies
Platforms: iOS
Six Pack Studio Cam works a bit differently from other abs filter apps. It lets you add abs either live using the camera or to a previously saved picture. You can take a photo or pick one from your gallery, then tap on “Abs” to start editing.
This app is cool because it lets you try abs filters in live camera mode, so you can see how they look before taking the picture. You scroll through different abs styles, and once you choose one, you can move and resize it. There’s also a slider to change how strong the abs look, but it doesn’t help with skin color blending.
How good the abs look depends on your photo. If the photo is bright and your body is facing forward, the edit can look kind of real. But in casual photos or uneven lighting, the abs can look too sharp or out of place. In terms of exporting, you can save the picture to your gallery or share it on Instagram.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases; from $3.99/month
Versatile, all-in-one editor with abs shaping tools
Platforms: iOS, Android
Fotor is not specifically for abs, but it’s an app to make you look skinny that has tools to shape your body. When you upload a photo, you go to the “Retouch” section, then tap “Reshape,” and choose “Ab Sculpt.” This tool lets you draw on your body to make abs appear by using a brush.
Instead of putting a fake ab picture on top, this abs filter app lets you shape your abs by warping. You can change how big and strong the brush is and draw lines that look like muscles. If you make small changes, the abs can look more realistic.
This way of editing takes more time and practice, but it gives you more control. If you’re careful, you can make it look like you have real abs since this kind of editing imitates the muscle tone.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases; from $8.99/month
Video-focused editor with basic abs effects
Platforms: iOS, Android
CapCut is a popular free video editing app for iPhone and Android. It’s mostly used to edit videos, but you can also use some of its AI Body Effects feature on single pictures. To try out the abs filter, you can take a screenshot from a video, then go to “Edit,” choose “Enhance,” and tap on “Body.” In the “Muscle” section, you’ll see an option for “Abs.”
The app uses AI to figure out where your body is in the picture and adds a light abs effect. You can only adjust how strong the effect is, but you can’t change where the abs go or how they look. It works best when the person is standing in the right pose so that the stomach is showing and with good lighting. The results look okay for video clips, but for single photos, it’s not super detailed.
CapCut is a great abs filter app if you’re making fitness or beach videos. The abs effect moves along with your body in videos, which makes it look more natural in motion. When you finish editing, you can save your video or share it directly to TikTok or Instagram. That’s why a lot of influencers use it for quick and easy videos.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases; from $7.99/month
You can use abs filter apps like Fix The Photo Body Editor&Tune, Peachy, or YouCam Perfect. Just upload your photo, find the abs effect, and apply it. You don’t need to work out; the app adds abs for you manually or using AI.
You can find abs filters on TikTok, Snapchat, and in special editing apps. For the best and most realistic look, use abs filter apps that let you make changes manually.
Yes, go to TikTok’s effects section and search for words like “abs,” “six pack,” or “body builder.” Just remember, these filters are more for fun and not super realistic.
If you want your photo to look the most real, you can also contact professional retouchers from Weedit.Photos. They use powerful editing software and AI tools to make abs look natural in photos.
Yes. Go to Lens Explorer on Snapchat and search for “abs,” “six pack,” or “fitness.” There are many fun options, but the quality changes from one filter to another.
For the best-looking and most professional abs, Fix The Photo Body Editor&Tune is a great choice. It gives you more ways to customize how the abs look.
If you want a good free option, Peachy offers nice abs effects and lets you make small changes. YouCam Perfect is another good free app with options to edit and adjust the abs look.