Aura HD digital picture frame review
Unlimited free cloud storage with no subscription, and a frame you can fill with photos before it is unwrapped.
The verdict
Give the Aura to a grandparent or a parent who wants to see photos of people they do not see enough, and preload it with photos and a message before you send it. Skip it if the recipient has no wifi or nobody willing to add photos, because an unmaintained digital frame becomes a slideshow of the same twenty pictures.
AURA HD Digital Picture Frame, Carver Mat
~$179
A wifi digital picture frame with a colour-calibrated HD display, free unlimited cloud storage and no subscription, which can be preloaded before opening.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Connectivity | Wifi, set up through the free Aura app on iOS or Android |
|---|---|
| Storage | Free unlimited cloud storage, no subscription fees |
| Sharing | Invite friends and family to send photos directly to the frame |
| Display | Colour-calibrated HD, landscape Carver Mat |
| Automation | Automatic photo cropping, screen brightness and auto on and off |
| Gifting | Preload photos, videos and a gift message in the app before it is opened |
| Recognition | Recommended by The New York Times Wirecutter, Wired and Oprah's Favorite Things |
Specifications above come from Aura's published feature list. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- You can fill it before you give it. Opening a frame that already has a hundred family photos on it is a different experience from opening an empty one.
- No subscription and unlimited storage means no future bill and no upsell landing on someone who may not want to deal with it.
- Multiple family members can add photos to the same frame, which keeps it alive over years rather than months.
- Automatic brightness and auto on and off mean it behaves sensibly in a bedroom or a hallway without anyone configuring it.
- Automatic cropping handles mixed portrait and landscape photos without anyone editing anything.
Where it falls short
- It needs wifi at the recipient's home, and setup involves their network password. For a less technical recipient, that is the moment the gift stalls.
- It depends on someone continuing to send photos. A frame nobody feeds is worse than a printed photograph.
- It is tied to Aura's app and service. That is fine while the company exists and it is a dependency you are choosing on their behalf.
- Photos flow through a cloud service, which is a privacy consideration worth thinking about for pictures of children.
- There is no battery. It needs a power socket wherever it lives, which constrains placement more than people expect.
What owners report
Reports on Aura frames are consistently strong on two things: setup is genuinely simple, and the ability to preload before gifting is what makes them work as presents. The recurring failure mode is not the hardware but neglect, where the frame shows the same photos for two years because nobody added more.
The practical response is to set it up as a family thing rather than an object. Invite two or three people to the frame in the app when you buy it, so photos arrive from more than one source. That single step is the difference between a frame that stays interesting and one that gets unplugged.
If you are choosing between this and a physical photo gift, our Instax versus Polaroid comparison covers the printed alternative, which needs no wifi and no app and produces something a person can hold.
Who it suits
- Grandparents and distant relatives who want to see family they rarely visit.
- Anyone whose photos live entirely on a phone and are never seen.
- Families with several people willing to contribute photos.
Who should skip it
- Households without wifi.
- A recipient with nobody willing to keep adding photos.
- Anyone uncomfortable with family photos passing through a cloud service.
Alternatives worth considering
Polaroid Now 3rd Generation I-Type Instant Camera plus Film Bundle
~$160
Photos you can hold, no wifi, no app and no service dependency. The right answer for someone who would rather have prints than a screen.
Check price on AmazonAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB
~$220
If the recipient reads more than they reminisce, this is the gift that gets picked up every day instead.
Check price on AmazonAmazon Echo Dot Max
~$120
Also needs wifi, costs less, and is used for music, timers and reminders rather than depending on other people to keep it fed.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
Can you set up a digital frame before giving it?
With the Aura, yes, and it is the main reason to choose one. You can add photos, videos and a gift message in the app before it is wrapped, so it works the moment it is switched on.
Is there a subscription?
No. Aura state that cloud storage is free and unlimited with no subscription fees, which is not true of every frame on the market and is worth checking on any alternative you consider.
Does it need wifi?
Yes, at the recipient's home, and setup involves their network. For a less technical recipient, plan to set it up with them or in advance rather than leaving it in the box.
Digital frame or printed photos?
A frame shows hundreds of photos and stays current if people keep adding to it. Prints need no technology and never stop working. For someone who is not comfortable with technology, prints or an instant camera are often the better gift.
Can other family members add photos?
Yes, and doing this is what keeps the frame worth having. Invite two or three people when you set it up rather than making yourself the only source.
Keep reading
- Instax vs Polaroid compared
- Polaroid Now 3rd generation review
- Kindle Paperwhite review
- Echo Dot Max review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. Confirm current prices and specifications before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.