Muzy – photo editing & sharing app for accessing tons of other popular photography Android apps
by Paul Wilks
Sep 21, 2012 10:23 AM –
Install
Muzy is a powerful, multi-faceted image editing and sharing toolbox with all kinds of tricks up its sleeve. Essentially it combines some of the Google Play Store’s most popular picture editing apps into one user-friendly framework. It’s a little odd to get your head around so let me explain…
Price: Free
Tested on: HTC One X
Content Rating: Medium Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Includes a variety of individual photo editing apps!
- Easy to use!
- Simple to share!
- Web interface!
Cons
- Jumping from app to app feels a little alienating and there’s no path back.
- Jack-of-all-trades but master of none.
Features:
Muzy is a curious beast. When you first fire it up, it looks a bit like Instagram- it even has the blue header. However, there are a strip of familiar tabs along the top which relate to either functions or otherwise familiar photo-editing apps. So you have: Photobox (which gives you frame options), Photo Editor (actually integrated Aviary), Camera (asks you to select which camera you would like to use), and Thoughts. Then, if you install them separately (if not you’re directed to the Google Play Store) PicCollage, Photo Grid, Pixlr-o-matic, FxCamera, Textgram, PhotoFunia and PicSay.
So, Muzy is essentially a photo editing app which hosts links to additional free photography apps. This is certainly a novelty, but once you leave Muzy, you can’t get back to it. You have to use the app you’ve launched, save your creation, launch Muzy again, upload the image from your SD card and post/share/use another app. It’s nice to have all those options available to you, but it is more than a little disorientating jumping from app to app in this way. It’s like user-friendliness is at the expense of so many options. I personally have a little homescreen folder for imaging apps and there’s not a worlds difference between that folder and Muzy.
However, you can post pictures to the Muzy service which, like I have suggested, is a little like Instagram. You can follow people, add friends and explore other users. Unlike services like Instagram and Streamzoo, you have to randomly search names for other users- there are no community streams or a ‘Popular’ section.
What this genuinely gives you with Muzy is a stream of handy apps to access, plus a place to post them. It’s quite convenient but feels quite fragmented at the same time. It is a jack of all trades, but never really nails any of them. It’s fun to experiment with, but I’m unsure it will wholly replace your interest in the likes of Pixlr-o-matic, Streamzoo, Instagram and many others.
-
-
Muzy – Effects
-
-
Muzy – Enhance
-
-
Muzy – Initial screen
-
-
Muzy – Layout choice
-
-
Muzy – Search
-
-
Muzy – Profile
-
-
Muzy – Account settings
-
-
Muzy – Create and share thoughts
-
-
Muzy – Create and share thoughts
-
-
Muzy – Links to Pixl-r-o-matic
-
-
Muzy – Edited photo 1
-
-
Muzy – Thoughts
-
-
Muzy – Edited photo 2
Usefulness:
Muzy gives you access to loads of different photo editing apps (those o which you download separately), all from within its UI. While it’s great to have these options, it feels odd leaving Muzy to open other apps, and there’s no way back without saving and uploading the picture again. Considerate user experience seems a little sacrificed next to functionality.
Ease of Use:
It is incredibly easy to use and the fully integrated solutions- such as Aviary, are great.
Frequently Used:
Muzy is an app you can use as much as you like. I’m not sure, however, if you’ll decide to access certain apps through Muzy, or just go directly.
Interface:
The interface is relatively simple, but smooth and well designed.
Tags:
Android App,
Android Apps,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
Aviary,
Instagram,
Muzy,
photography,
Pixlr-o-matic,
Streamzoo
Categorised in: Photography
Submit apps for review,
promote apps, get more installs with better
app videos.