Photo effect

Image Background Blur Tool

Give any photo a portrait-mode look. Position a soft focus area over your subject, paint in details to keep sharp, and choose how strongly the background melts away.

Drop an image here or click to chooseJPG, PNG, WebP or GIF - processed on your device

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

Why blur a photo background

Make the subject pop

A soft background pulls attention to the person or product in focus.

Hide clutter

Messy rooms, crowds and distracting signs fade into a pleasant blur.

No special camera

Get a shallow depth-of-field look from any phone or webcam photo.

How to blur a background

  1. Upload a photoDrop in an image. A soft elliptical focus area appears in the center.
  2. Place the focusDrag on the image to move the focus area and adjust its size and feather.
  3. Refine and downloadUse the brush to keep hair or hands sharp or blur leftover background, then download.

How the background blur works

The tool builds a sharpness mask the same size as your photo. The focus shape fills the mask with white in the center and fades to transparent across the feather zone. Brush strokes then add sharp areas or remove them. The final image is a fully blurred copy with the sharp original layered on top through the mask.

The blur is a triple box blur, which closely approximates a Gaussian blur and runs quickly in the browser. Its radius scales with the image size, so the same strength looks similar on small and large photos. Turn on Show mask to see the blurred area tinted red.

Ellipse

Best for portraits and single objects.

Horizontal band

Creates a tilt-shift miniature look for landscapes and streets.

Brush only

Choose None and paint exactly what stays sharp.

Background blur FAQ

Does it detect the subject automatically?

No. You place the focus area and refine it with the brush. That keeps everything private and works on any kind of subject.

How do I keep hair or edges sharp?

Switch the tool to Brush: keep sharp, choose a small brush and paint along the edges. Use Brush: blur to clean up background that is still sharp.

Why is the image smaller than my original?

Large photos are scaled to 1400 pixels on the longest side so blurring and painting stay fast.

Can I make the blur stronger?

Yes. Raise blur strength up to 40. Very high values give a dreamy, heavily diffused look.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. Everything is processed in your browser.

Try other image tools

More free tools from My Panda Toolbox.