The Google-owned Snapseed photo editing app has received a major update today, which promises to deliver "the precision and control of professional photo editing software on your phone or tablet." The new version, rolling out now for Android and iOS, adds new tools including lens blur, tonal contrast, intelligent perspective transform, and spot healing.

Snapseed also now offers more precise control over edits and lets you apply effects or filters to certain parts of the image using the app's brush tool. Snapseed 2.0 also makes non-destructive editing a priority; a new "stacks" feature lets you re-edit any photo or undo changes you've made previously. You can also now copy edits over from one image to another if there's a certain workflow you usually stick to.

Snapseed was acquired by Google in 2012, and the company later brought many of its primary features over to Google+ and its photo services. But Snapseed remains more powerful and capable at some things, and today's update suggests Google plans to continue active development and pit the app against Instagram, VSCOcam, Enlight, Pixelmator, Darkroom, and the seemingly endless list of other apps. But unlike some of those options, which often reserve desirable features for in-app purchases, Snapseed is completely free.

Verge Video: Hands-on with Apple Photos for Mac