I Didn’t Think I Needed a Digital Photo Frame. Now I Have Three.

I’ve always loved displaying physical photos throughout my home, but I’ll be honest: It requires an awful lot of work. Printing digital photos, shopping for eye-catching frames, and hanging or arranging those frames takes time and effort (plus, sometimes, a laser level).

Since becoming a mom, displaying recent snapshots only became more of a struggle. That’s when I turned to the Aura Carver Digital Photo Frame.

Plenty of digital picture frames promise to turn your digital memories into wall- or mantel-worthy displays—but in my experience, most fall short. Aura’s Carver digital picture frame delivers crisp images, multiple display modes, and an easy-to-use app.

I’ve had it for over two years now and it’s made displaying photos so simple that I’m now the proud owner of three of these frames in different hues. It’s also my go-to gift for birthdays and holidays now, and I’ve gifted more Aura frames than I can count to grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and even my husband.

A Picture-Perfect Display and Design

After filling my phone’s photo library with hundreds of snapshots in a matter of weeks after my son’s arrival two years ago, I knew I needed a better solution than traditional frames. The Aura Carver immediately won me over with its gorgeous appearance, both in aesthetic and display.

This Aura digital photo frame is landscape-oriented with a 10.1-inch display. That display is one of the immediate details that sets this frame apart from all others; it balances brightness and contrast flawlessly, and can make those less-than-professional family photos look fantastic. 

With a 1,280-by-800 resolution, snapshots appear crisp, clear, and even better than printed photos, in my opinion.

While the orientation of this Aura digital photo frame can’t be changed (other options, like the smaller, 9-inch Aura Mason or larger, 12-inch Aura Aspen can be swapped from landscape to portrait), I love how it adapts to display both landscape- and portrait-oriented images. All of my landscape photos fill up the frame, while portrait snaps display side by side in pairs.

Once you upload photos, Aura takes the rest of the work out of your hands, too. Intelligent photo pairing automatically chooses photos that will look great displayed side by side, and it’ll consider colors and faces as well as when the photos were taken when creating its displays. To me, its pairings are always perfect matches. 

When photos pop up that I don’t quite love, it’s easy to make them disappear. A control pad hides at the top of the frame that allows you to change the displayed photos. Swipe to the left and it’ll skip ahead to the next photos in the rotation. Swipe to the right and it’ll backtrack. 

If you tap this subtle control pad, you can also control the slideshow speed, “like” photos, and send an app notification—a feature I love for keeping long-distance friends or family involved.

Digital, But With a Traditional Style

I was hesitant to give up on traditional photo frames before making the switch to one of Aura’s digital photo frames. I didn’t want my photos to look like a digital device plopped in the middle of more classic-looking options. But the Aura Carver is so sleek and stylish, so I actually prefer it to many of my glass-fronted frames.

Part of what makes Aura’s digital frame so much more attractive than others is its design. Yes, it’s clearly a screen and it displays brighter than traditional photos. But it’s thoughtfully made to mimic the materials and appearance of other frames.

Around the screen, you’ll find a paper-like, matted border with beveled edges, which adds depth to the frame. It’s set inside a thin plastic frame in either gravel (black) or clay (light gray), which is also beveled to draw the eyes to the photos on display. In real life, it mimics the appearance of expensive frames or even custom-matted pictures from an online framing service.

The Carver also features an angled back, with a 2.1-inch base. This ensures it can sit on any surface, like a mantel, shelf, or desk, without wobbling. I find that it’s extra stable compared to the traditional wood frames on my desk. It’s also remained securely upright, even with a few California earthquakes over the last two years. (As a bonus, since the display on the Aura digital photo frame isn’t glass, you don’t have to worry about breakage!)

Thanks to the subtle fabric-covered power cord, I also like how easy it is to hide the digital nature of this frame. Guests ask me about it frequently, as they can tell it’s digital when the photos change, but it blends in so easily that it can fool others at first glance.

Photo Uploading Made Simple

When it comes to displaying your favorite photos, Aura’s digital photo frame makes it easy. You will need to download the Aura app and allow it to access your photo library—then, you scroll through your existing images and select which ones you’d like to add to the frame’s queue.

The Aura Carver offers unlimited cloud storage, so I never have to worry about how many family snapshots I’m adding. Friends and family can add their own photos, too. Adding additional users is an easy process and only requires an email address. I love this feature for sharing memories at a distance. After gifting my aunt one of Aura’s Carver frames, I regularly add photos for her so she can keep up with us from across the country.

It’s so incredibly simple to add photos to a single frame or multiple ones, too. Aura makes it easy to select a single frame as you’re browsing your photo library, but for even more efficient uploading (or if you’re trying to add photos to family and friends’ frames), you can toggle on multiple frames at the same time and add pictures in bulk. 

It’s a task that takes just a minute or two, which ensures I’m always adding recently snapped shots—and it’s light-years easier than breaking out that laser level multiple times per year.

Plus, you can choose exactly which photos display in your frame, if you’d like. In the Aura app, I can choose “show now,” and my favorite photos will immediately show up onscreen. The app also offers a “hide” feature, which means the frame will skip over them as it rotates through my queue. In-app options also allow me to adjust photo positioning, zoom in, or even play short videos (like live photos) for more variety.

As a perk, when you gift one of Aura’s digital photo frames, you can set it up prior to handing it to your recipient. Once you’ve followed the included gifting instructions, you can load the frame with photos so it displays memories as soon as it’s unboxed. 

You can continue adding photos later on, too (as long as your giftee allows you access to their new frame!), making this a great gift for those who are less tech-savvy, too.

Why It’s Worth It

Over the last two years, the Aura Carver Digital Photo Frame has allowed me to display all my son’s memories and milestones as soon as they happen. It’s taken my photos off my camera roll and made them a focal point within my home. And it’s saved me money and time, too, as I’m no longer printing physical photos and buying frames at my local Home Goods.

The frame is frequently on sale—along with other options from Aura—during big sale events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon’s Prime Day. We’ve seen it around $50 off, a discount that certainly adds even more value to it. 

I’ve purchased this frame several times because it’s both customizable and convenient. Sure, it looks stellar on my mantel, desk, and even dresser. But more importantly, it’s a piece that’s sure to leave you or your loved ones “awww-ing” over the endless memories it displays for years to come.

Why Trust The Spruce?

I’m Heather Adams, a senior editor at The Spruce since 2022. I’ve spent over a decade writing about different home goods, including mattresses, blankets, bath towels, and sheet sets. I’ve tested plenty of pieces of home decor (throw pillows hate to see me coming!), and I’ve owned Aura digital photo frames since 2023. In fact, I currently have three Aura Carvers in my home at this very moment, and I find myself searching for a deal on this frame frequently as it’s one of my favorite gifts to give.