To blur the background of a photo you already took, open it in an editor that can tell the subject from the scene and turn up the blur. On an iPhone, Portrait mode photos have a Depth Control slider, and on iPhone 15 and later (not iPhone 16e) a regular photo of a person, dog or cat can often get the same effect afterward. Each method below comes with its steps and device limits (iPhone, Google Photos, Samsung, Windows and Lightroom), followed by how to get real blur when you shoot and what to do with a photo that has no depth information at all.
7 ways to blur the background of a photo
Phones blur best when they recorded depth at the moment you took the picture. Computers and AI editors work on any photo. As of September 2026:
| Method | Works on | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depth Control in Apple Photos | Any shot taken in Portrait mode (iPhone SE 2nd generation and later, iPhone X and later, iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus) | Included with iOS | Changing the blur on a Portrait mode shot |
| Portrait effect on Photo mode shots | iPhone 15 and later models, except iPhone 16e, for photos of a person, dog or cat | Included with iOS | Adding blur to a regular photo after the fact |
| Portrait Blur in Google Photos | Google Photos for Android and iOS; some editing tools are Pixel-only or need more RAM | Comes with the Google Photos app | Photos from any camera |
| Portrait mode on a Samsung Galaxy | Galaxy phones that have PORTRAIT mode | Included with the camera | Setting the blur before you take the shot |
| Blur in Windows Photos | Windows computers | Built into the Photos app | Any photo on a computer, with a brush to fix the mask |
| Lens Blur in Lightroom Classic | Lightroom Classic on a computer | Part of Lightroom Classic | Choosing the bokeh shape and exactly what stays sharp |
| Smart Editor in Toybox AI | Web browsers, on a Pro plan or above | Currently 85 credits for an HD edit | Photos with no depth data, described in words |
How to blur the background of a photo on iPhone
The Photos app edits the blur on any photo that has depth information, and you can change it as often as you like without losing the original.
Adjust the blur on a Portrait mode photo
- Find the portrait in the Photos app, open it, and tap Edit.
- Move the Depth Control slider under the photo to raise or lower the background blur. A black dot marks the photo's original setting.
- Tap Done.
On iPhone 13 and later, you can also tap a different subject in the photo while editing, and the blur shifts so the new subject is sharp. Apple notes the new subject shouldn't be blurry or far in the distance. To drop the effect entirely, tap Portrait at the top left, then Portrait Off.
Add background blur to a regular iPhone photo
Apple's list of models that can turn Photo mode shots into portraits starts at iPhone 15 and leaves out iPhone 16e. It needs a person, a dog or a cat in the shot. The iPhone records depth information whenever the Depth button appears in the camera while you shoot.
- Open the photo and tap the Edit button.
- If Photos offers portrait effects for the shot, tap Portrait along the bottom.
- Tap Portrait at the top to switch the effect on.
- Tap the depth button to set the blur, then tap Done.
If the photo is a Live Photo, its Live Photo effects aren't available while the portrait effect is on. Tap Live to see the moving version without the blur.
Blur the background on iPhone while you shoot
To blur the background on an iPhone at capture time, open Camera and swipe to Portrait mode. On supported models, Photo mode also shows a Depth button when the camera detects a face, and tapping it switches the effect on. To set the strength first, open the camera controls (or swipe up in Portrait mode), tap Depth, and move the slider.
The Camera app warns you if you're too near the subject, too far from it, or the scene is too dark. Some models offer 1x and 2x options in Portrait mode. On iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later, and iPhone 16e, the rear camera only takes a Portrait mode photo once it finds a person's face, so pets won't work there.
How to blur the background of a photo on Android
Google Photos blurs photos after the fact, and Samsung phones set the blur while you shoot.
Google Photos Portrait Blur
Portrait Blur softens the background of a photo you've already taken, and Google says its Blur slider controls the depth of field no matter which camera shot the picture. Plan on Android 8.0 or newer and 3 GB of RAM for most of the app's editing tools; some of them download on first use.
- Open the picture in Google Photos and press Edit.
- Under Actions (Tools on an iPhone), pick Portrait Blur.
- Drag the Blur slider until the background looks right.
- Save the edit, and pick Save as copy if you want to keep the original.
If Portrait Blur isn't in the list, the phone may be the reason: Google says some editing features are only on Pixel phones, and others need 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM.
Samsung Galaxy phones
On a Galaxy, set the blur in the camera before the shot. Portrait mode and some of its effects aren't available on every model.
- Open Camera and tap PORTRAIT.
- Tap the Portrait Effects icon below the viewfinder and choose Blur.
- Drag the Effect strength slider until the background looks right.
- Tap the Capture icon.
For a photo you've already taken, swipe up on it in Gallery to see Galaxy AI's Edit suggestions. The suggestions change from photo to photo, and Background blur is one of the options on Samsung's example screen. Save as copy keeps the unblurred version too.
How to blur the background of a photo on a computer
A computer lets you fix the mask by hand, which matters for hair and glasses.
Windows Photos
Windows Photos picks out the background on its own when you open its Background panel, and Microsoft says that happens on the computer rather than online.
- With the photo open in Photos, press Ctrl + E (or click Edit image).
- Go to the Background panel.
- For hair or an arm the app got wrong, turn the Background brush tool on and paint with Add mask or Remove mask.
- Pick Blur, then set the Blur intensity slider.
- Click Apply.
Lightroom Classic Lens Blur
Lens Blur in Lightroom Classic adds lens-style blur and bokeh by building a depth map of the photo. It can also use the depth map already stored in HEIC photos that have one.
- Open the Develop module, choose Lens Blur and click Apply.
- Choose a Bokeh shape: Circle, Bubble, 5-blade, Ring or Anamorphic.
- Set Blur Amount, then drag the Focus Range box to choose the depth that stays sharp, or click the Subject Focus icon to let Lightroom find the subject.
- Select Visualise Depth to see the depth map in cool and warm tones, then use Brush Refinement with Focus or Blur to fix hair and edges.
For a one-click start, Presets, then Adaptive: Blur Background, applies the effect with an amount slider, in looks such as Subtle and Strong.
How to get real background blur when you shoot
The cleanest blur comes from the camera, not from editing. These four habits help on any phone:
- Put distance behind your subject. Have the person step forward, well clear of the wall or hedge behind them. A background far behind the subject goes softer than one right behind their shoulders.
- Get closer. A head-and-shoulders shot blurs the background more than a full-length shot from across the yard.
- Use the 2x option when your phone has one. A tighter lens framing shows less background, and what shows looks softer.
- Wait for the ready signal. On an iPhone, Portrait mode is ready when the lighting effect's name (Natural Light, for example) changes to yellow. Until then, follow the on-screen hints about distance and light.
Tips for a natural-looking blur
Blur looks fake mostly at the edges, and when everything behind the subject gets the same amount.
- Zoom in on the edges. Stray hairs, eyeglass frames, ears, fingers and the space inside a bent elbow are thin or see-through, and hard for software to separate. Check each one at full size.
- Keep the ground near their feet sharp. In a real photo, blur grows with distance, so the grass under someone's shoes stays about as sharp as they are. A sharp person standing on a blurred floor looks cut out.
- Go lighter on group photos. People standing at different distances should all stay sharp. A strong blur can soften the back row.
- Don't count on blur to hide things. A bright red car or a readable sign still draws the eye when it's soft. Remove the car first, then blur.
- Compare two settings. Look at a middle setting and the maximum at full screen before you save. The strongest setting can soften hair along with the background.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| There's no Depth Control slider | The photo wasn't taken in Portrait mode | On iPhone 15 and later (not 16e), check the edit screen for a Portrait option, or use Google Photos or Windows Photos |
| Portrait isn't offered for a regular photo | The model doesn't support it, or there's no person, dog or cat in the frame | Blur it in Google Photos, on a computer, or with an AI editor |
| Hair or glasses got blurred too | The depth map merged thin edges with the background | Lower the blur, or fix the mask with Brush Refinement in Lightroom or Remove mask in Windows Photos |
| The blur looks like a cutout | The ground at the subject's feet is as blurred as the far background | Use Lightroom's Focus Range, or pick a lighter blur |
| Portrait mode won't take a shot of the dog | The rear camera on some models needs a person's face | Take a regular photo and add blur later |
| Portrait Blur is missing in Google Photos | The tool isn't installed, or the device doesn't support it | Tap the tool and Install, or try a computer |
| An AI edit changed the face | Each edit redraws the entire picture | Add "keep her face exactly the same" and edit from the original photo |
| Smart Editor won't accept the photo | iPhone HEIC files aren't supported, and the limit is 10 MB | Export a JPG copy first, smaller if needed |
How to blur any photo with Smart Editor
Toybox's Smart Editor takes a photo and a plain-language instruction, so it works on screenshots, scans, old photos and anything else with no depth data. It runs on OpenAI's GPT Image 2.5 and comes with Pro plans and above. Type the instruction into "What should change?":
Blur the background behind the woman in the green jacket, like a portrait lens at a wide aperture. Keep her face, hair, jacket and pose exactly the same and fully sharp, and keep the bench she sits on in focus.Make the busy street behind the two kids softly out of focus, with smooth round highlights from the shop lights. Keep both kids, their faces and their ice cream cones sharp and unchanged.Add a gentle background blur to this photo of my dog on the lawn. Keep the dog and the grass right around its paws sharp, and let the fence and trees behind it fall gradually out of focus.- Sign in to Smart Editor and add your photo under "Your image" (a JPG or PNG no bigger than 10 MB).
- Type into "What should change?" which subject stays sharp, how strong the blur should be, and what has to stay untouched.
- Open "More options" to choose HD or 4K (currently 85 or 110 credits), and keep Shape on "Original".
- Tap "Apply edit". The result usually shows up in about 30 seconds.
- Check hair, glasses and faces at full size. To dial the blur up or down, leave "Latest result" selected under "Editing" and ask for it, for example "make the background blur a little softer".
- If a face shifted, set "Editing" back to "Original photo" and send the same instruction with "keep her face exactly the same" added.
Because every edit is a fresh redraw with no brush or mask, small details can change along with the blur. Spell out what to keep in every instruction, as these examples do. For a background that needs replacing rather than softening, see how to change the background of a photo. For other ways to tidy a portrait, see how to make a photo look professional, and the guide to everyday AI photo edits covers the rest.