I’m not sure what Microsoft is doing in the selfie arena, but they’ve just released a new app that does a nice job of getting a good selfie taken with a minimum of fuss.
The app has good timing for all the year end parties, where selfies are in abundance. Of course Microsoft just missed a Christmas release.
Microsoft says the app, called Microsoft Selfie (free), is designed to detect and analyze a person’s age, gender, skin tone, the lighting of the photo and other things that might determine how the picture comes out. The app then produces a photo based on those parameters. There is a minimum of adjustments, other than noise reduction, and a set of filters like ‘cool’, ‘tender’, and several others. The filters change the overall tone of the image, but don’t change the face of the subject. Each filter has a slider that allows you to vary the amount of the apps behind the scenes adjustments.
How does it all work? Pretty well actually, especially since it is so hands-off. Take your picture, and the app goes to work. In less than two seconds your selfie is done. I noticed that skin tones are smoothed, exposure was made more even, and any blemishes were removed. The lack of control makes it easy, but then there are no controls for slimming a face or brightening the eyes, which we see in some other selfie editors like Perfect365 or FaceTune.
Still, Microsoft’s app is quick and easy and the results seem to improve most faces without distorting them or making them look unrealistic. You can’t really call the app an editor, as most of the work is done for you, and Microsoft is mum about what is going on behind the curtain.
On the other hand, you might want to do more than click and hope the app does what you want. Then you’ll want a more sophisticated editor that can re-shape a face, change hair and eye coloring, turn a frown not a smile and more.
I experimented with the app for quite awhile, and was generally happy with how it worked. I think for quick snaps at a party or any gathering of friends, it will do the job. Especially if you are taking quick photos and sending them off to others.
Microsoft Selfie requires iOS 8 or later. It’s not universal, but it runs fine on iPads. User ratings pretty much echo my thoughts. People like using it.
Download Microsoft Selfie
App Store link: Microsoft Selfie – Microsoft Corporation
