Blur Background of Photo
Keep your subject sharp while the background blurs around them - the depth-of-field 'portrait mode' look without an expensive lens. Drag a rectangle or ellipse over the subject.
Drop a photo to start
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC up to 40 MB · stays in your browser
Never uploaded · 100% browser-side
How it works
- 1
Drop your photo
Drag & drop or browse to upload. JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC up to 40 MB.
- 2
Mark the subject area
Drag a rectangle (or ellipse) over the subject you want kept sharp. Resize and reposition as needed - the rest of the photo blurs in real time.
- 3
Tune intensity, save
Slider from 2 px (subtle) to 80 px (extreme). 15-25 px is the typical 'portrait mode' look.
Why use this online tool
Portrait-mode aesthetic
Mimics the depth-of-field blur of a 50mm f/1.4 lens - background dreamy, subject crisp. Without needing a fast lens or post-shoot AI subject extraction.
Manual subject control
You decide exactly what stays sharp. Auto subject-detect tools sometimes mis-pick or miss hair edges - manual rect / ellipse keeps you in charge.
Multi-subject support
Drag multiple sharp regions to highlight several subjects at once - friends in a group shot, two products in a hero image.
Free, browser-side
Photo never leaves your device. No upload, no signup, no AI credits burned.
When to use it
- Portrait photos shot with phone cameras that lack hardware portrait mode
- Product photography highlighting the hero item against a busy backdrop
- Real estate photos where the focal feature should pop against busy rooms
- Family / event photos where the subject should be crisp against distracting backgrounds
- Editorial portraits with the magazine-style soft-background depth feel
Frequently asked questions
- Does this use AI to detect the subject?
- No - manual rectangle / ellipse selection. AI-based subject detection is in our editor (more accurate for irregular outlines like hair); this tool gives you precise control via drag-to-select.
- What blur intensity matches a real portrait-mode lens?
- Roughly 12-20 px on a 12 MP photo matches the bokeh of a 50mm f/1.8 lens at 1-2m distance. 25-35 px feels like f/1.4 at close range. Above 50 px the effect becomes stylised rather than realistic.
- Can I keep more than one subject sharp?
- Yes - drag multiple rectangles / ellipses to keep several subjects crisp while the background between them blurs uniformly.
- Why isn't the edge between subject and background soft?
- Currently the cutout edge is sharp - we're working on a feathered-edge mode for more natural transitions. For now, a slightly larger sharp area + lower blur intensity gives the most natural-looking result.
- Does this upload my photo?
- No. Background blur runs entirely in your browser using the canvas Gaussian filter. Photo stays on your device.
Related free tools
Frosted Glass Effect on Photo
Blur the whole photo except a sharp cutout zone - the magazine-style viewfinder effect. Drag a rectangle or circle to define the sharp area, optional corner brackets for the cinematic frame.
Blur Region of Photo
Drag a rectangle or ellipse over any part of a photo and blur it - hide faces, license plates, IDs, sensitive text. Multi-region, drag-to-resize, browser-side.
Vignette to Photo
Darken the corners of any photo with a tunable vignette slider. Smooth radial fall-off draws the eye toward the centre subject.
Crop to Square (1:1)
Crop your photo to a perfect 1:1 square instantly. Choose what stays in frame with the draggable crop box. Browser-side, no upload.
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