Getting started

Matisse runs on iPhone and iPad, and needs iOS or iPadOS 26 or later. It is a one-time $4.99 purchase, with no subscription, no account to create, and nothing to sign into.

1. Install Matisse from the App Store and open it. The first screen is your photo library.
2. Grant photo access when asked. Matisse reads your library so you can pick something to edit; see your photo library for exactly what that permission covers.
3. Tap any photo to open it in the editor.
4. Try Auto in the Light panel for a sensible starting point, then adjust from there.
5. When you are happy, export. Matisse saves an edited copy, so the original photo is never overwritten. See exporting.

Your original is never modified. Every export writes a new image, and the edit itself is stored separately, so you can come back and change your mind later.

If you already know your way around a photo editor, the panels will feel familiar. The part worth reading properly is masks, which is how you apply any adjustment to just one part of a picture.