How to Unblur an Image with AI [5 Easy Ways]
Try Movavi Photo Editor:
Quickly unblur images in a few simple steps
Fine-tune sharpness and details to make things pop
Use AI to retouch your photos instantly
Few things are more annoying than thinking you’ve taken a fantastic photo only to find out it’s blurry. Luckily, modern editing software lets you unblur pictures quickly and easily. Read on to discover how to unblur an image and which app might suit your particular needs best.
Quick summary
Editor’s choice for unblurring a picture: Movavi Photo Editor
Best for removing blur without downloading software: Fotor
Best choice for professional photo editors: Adobe® Photoshop®
At Movavi, our primary goal is to provide you with only verified information. Here’s what we do to ensure this:
When selecting products to include in our reviews, we research both demand and popularity.
All the products in this article have been tested by Movavi Content Team.
We compare the key characteristics of every product, including photo scaling and cropping, object and background removal, image restoration, and other significant features.
We study user reviews from popular review platforms and make use of this information when writing our product reviews.
We collect feedback from our users and analyze their opinions of Movavi software as well as products from other companies.
Why are your photos blurry?
Your photos might be blurry for a number of different reasons:
How to unblur a picture with Movavi Photo Editor
So, you want to know how to fix blurry pictures. Movavi Photo Editor has a number of tools that you can use to remove blur from photos on your Windows or Mac computer. Follow the guide below to learn how to unblur a picture with just a few clicks.
Pros:
Unblur your photos in a quick and easy way
Adjust texture for manual unblurring
Use AI tools to automatically enhance your photos
Cons:
Limitations of the free version
Open the downloaded file and follow the installation instructions.
Step 2. Add a photo
Click the Add image button to choose an image you want to unblur, or simply drag and drop the photo onto the working area of the program.
Step 3. Edit your picture
It’s time to unblur your image. On the Adjust tab, select Manually and find the Detail section. Move the Sharpness slider until it smooths out the fuzziness. Drag the Details slider to the right to emphasize textures. Besides sharpening, you can also try different types of photo correction: move other sliders in the Light section like Contrast and Brightness to further improve your pics.
You can also remove the blur from just a part of your photo. Use one of the selection tools to mark the area you want to enhance. Adjust the Sharpness and Details for the selected area.
Step 4. Save the corrected image
Click the Save button in the lower-right corner of the program window. In the new window that opens, enter the filename, choose the output folder, and select the appropriate output format. Finally, click the Save button to save the photo to your hard drive. Deblurring pictures has never been so easy!
Movavi Photo Editor
Easily enhance images and get professional-grade results in a snap.
*The trial version of Movavi Photo Editor has the following restrictions: you can save up to 10 images with added watermark, screenshots are disabled.
How to fix blurry photos with Photoshop®
For years, people wondering how to make a picture unblurry found their answer in Adobe® Photoshop®. These days, there are many apps to choose from. However, many still choose to unblur images in Photoshop®, and for good reason. Adobe’s flagship photo-editing tool remains one of the most popular and powerful tools available, and lets you unblur photos in multiple ways.
Pros:
Multiple unblurring tools
No internet connection required
Syncs with other Adobe apps
Cons:
Might be too complicated for a single task
The price is high if you just need to unblur some pictures and nothing more
How do you unblur a blurry picture in Photoshop®? You’ve got multiple options.
Option one: Smart sharpening
Smart sharpening is one of Photoshop®’s powerful unblurring tools. If you’re wondering how to unblur a photo, this is the first thing you should try.
Step 1. Zoom in
You don’t want to make minor adjustments to sharpness while zooming out too far to notice subtle changes. Zoom in to your photo so you can see all the little details that might be changed by your deblur. Click on the little magnifying glass icon in the toolbar to activate the zoom tool. Alternatively, hit control-plus (or command-plus on Mac) to zoom in. Adjust the level of zoom to your preference.
Step 2. Select a filter
Click on the Filter menu, which is one of the options at the top of the app window. That will open a list of options. Hover over the Sharpen option and select Smart Sharpen.
The Smart Sharpen dialog box lets you adjust several different things. Of course, you can always use a preset for a quick fix. If you want more control over the process, or the presets aren’t working, try making some manual adjustments using the three sliders.
Step 3. Choose a type of blur
You can choose between three different types of blur.
Step 4. Make more adjustments
One of the age-old questions in photo editing is, “Can you unblur a photo without making it look weird?” Unblurring often leads to strange effects, like halos or grain. Try playing around with the shadows and highlights to get rid of these unwanted additions. To access these, you might need to open a dropdown menu in the dialogue box. If that’s not there, you might be using an older version of Photoshop®. In that case, try clicking on the Advanced button at the top of the box. You can adjust the Shadows and the Highlights separately. Each has the same three tools to do so.
Step 5. Preview your photo
Checking this box lets you view the results of your adjustments in real-time. It’s usually a good idea to have this turned on. The only exception is if your computer is struggling to keep up. In that case, turning off the preview option can speed up your computer’s processing time.
Option two: Unsharp Mask
You can find the Unsharp Mask tool in the same place as Smart Sharpen. It’s the option below Smart Sharpen in the menu. This tool can be more precise than Smart Sharpen, and can result in a more powerful sharpening effect.
Step 1. Select and convert a layer
While you can use Unsharp Mask to unblur an entire image, one of the tool’s features is that it can be applied to specific sections of a photo. You’ll need to select whatever layer you want to apply the mask to.
Next, you need to change that layer into a smart object. Do that by clicking the Layer option in the menu, then Smart Objects, then Convert to Smart Object. By changing the layer into a smart object, your edits will be reversible. You can make adjustments to the mask later.
Step 2. Select an area
If you want to restrict your unblurring to a specific part of your picture, select that part now. Click on the lasso icon in the toolbar to activate the Lasso Tool. Use your mouse to circle the specific area you want to unblur.
Step 3. Add a mask
Now’s when the magic happens. Find the Unsharp Mask option, next to Smart Sharpen, and select it. A dialogue box will open.
Step 4. Adjust the settings
You have three options to adjust.
Step 5. Change the blend mode
There’s a chance that the Unsharp Mask tool will cause some color distortion. That’s because the deblur is achieved via increasing the contrast between specific pixels. By changing the blend mode to Luminosity, you can avoid any color problems.
How to unblur a photo online
Can you remove blur from photos without having to download any software? For years, you could only unblur pictures in apps. However, there are now plenty of online tools available. One such tool is called Fotor. Fotor utilizes AI to unblur photos quickly. It can sharpen text, increase resolution, unpixelate pictures, restore old photos, and much more.
Pros:
Free trial available
Unblurring done automatically
No need to download and learn complicated software
Cons:
Internet connection required
Full access requires subscription
Step 1. Open the Fotor website
Follow the link below to open the online photo editor.
Step 2. Upload your image
After clicking the button on Fotor’s website – labeled Upload Your Image – you’ll need to upload the photo that you want to deblur.
Step 3. Unblur the photo
Fotor’s AI automatic tool will take a few seconds to work its magic. That’s it! Your image will be unblurred.
If you’re not satisfied with the results, you have the option of making some adjustments. Tinker with the sharpness, saturation, brightness, and contrast of your image until you are happy with the final result.
Step 4. Save your picture
All done? Hit Download to save your picture.
How to remove blur from a photo on iOS
How do you unblur a blurry picture on an iPhone? Well, iPhones come with various built-in photo-editing tools. These tools weren’t necessarily created to remove blur from photos like Fotor, but they can still be helpful.
If you’ve never edited your photos on a mobile phone before, this process might seem a little confusing. Don’t give up, though! It’s really very simple. The iPhone’s built-in editing tools have been designed to be straightforward and intuitive. Every adjustment you make is instantly computed, so you can see in real time the effects of your edits. Follow the steps below to tackle annoying blur in your pics.
Pros:
Totally free
Included with iPhones, so no downloads necessary
No internet connection required
Cons:
More complicated than one-click AI unblurrers
Not specifically designed for unblurring, so might be unable to fix more difficult cases
Step 1. Select a photo
The first step is to go to the Photos app and choose the image you want to edit. Once you’ve found it, tap on it.
Next, tap the Edit option, which should be in the top-right corner of your phone screen. That will bring up the editing options.
Step 2. Adjust your photo
Your iPhone will probably automatically open the adjustments tab. If not, click on the Adjust option at the bottom of your screen. It looks like a circular knob surrounded by dots.
You can scroll through the list of available tools. To adjust a particular setting, scroll left or right on the adjustment meter underneath the tool’s symbol. This meter looks like a ruler.
The first tools to try are Sharpness and Definition. Play around with the settings and see what happens. The penultimate tool is Noise Reduction, which you can use to counteract the increase in camera grain that sometimes happens when you increase an image’s sharpness. Some of the other tools, like Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, and Exposure, might also help you make your photo look better.
Step 3. Save your changes
Once you’re happy with your changes, click the Done button. It should be yellow and located in the top-right corner of your screen. If you’re unhappy with your changes, or want to start again, click the Discard button, which should be at the top-left corner of your screen. You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to discard the changes that you’ve made. Doing so will revert the photo back to its original state. You can then try again, or switch to another app.
Enhance your photos with Movavi App for iOS
Movavi App comes packed with plenty of tools to edit photos and videos. These include tools specifically designed to help you remove blur from your photos. Use the AI tool for instant enhancing or tinker with photo settings to manually sharpen your shots. You don’t have to stop there, either. Take your unblurred images to the next level with hundreds of filters and effects.
How to make a picture unblurry on Android
Androids also come with built-in photo editors. A better option for unblurring photos, however, is YouCam Perfect. With more than 800 million downloads, YouCam Perfect is one of the most popular image editing apps on Google Play. It comes with a wide range of tools, including an AI-powered enhancement feature that can remove blur from photos.
Pros:
Free download
Good reviews
Straightforward user interface
Cons:
Contains advertisements and in-app purchases
Less powerful unblurring tools than other options on this list
Step 1. Download the app
The first step is to navigate to Google Play and download YouCam Perfect. Note that some of the more powerful AI features are kept behind a paywall. You might have to pay for a subscription in order to access them.
Step 2. Select photo
Open the app and choose the photo you want to edit.
Step 3. Edit your photo
Click the Edit button to access the editing tools. Hit on the AI Enhance button. This should start the unblurring process automatically.
YouCam Perfect offers a unique AI solution to blurry objects in the background of your photos. You can remove them altogether! To do this, tap on the AI Removal button in the editing toolbar. Then simply paint over the objects you want to remove. The AI will do all the rest.
Step 4. Save your photo
Once you are happy with your photo, all that’s left to do is to save it. You can download the photo to your device or share it straight to social media.
Best programs to unblur images
Best desktop programs
Best online tools
Best mobile apps
Tips on choosing the best blurred photo editor
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to unblurring photos. What works for one person might not be best for someone else. Consider your situation, your requirements, and your desired outcome when selecting your photo editor. And remember, if you’re unhappy with your choice, you can always try something else! Here are some tips to help you choose:
Summary
So, you now know how to fix blurry pictures! Remember, there are plenty of different options, and no single one of them is the best. Consider your individual needs and choose the tool that will be the most helpful to you.
Was the article helpful?
See other useful how-to guides
Have questions?
If you can’t find the answer to your question, please feel free to contact our Support Team.
Join for how-to guides, speсial offers, and app tips!
1.5М+ users already subscribed to our newsletter