Blur Photo Online — Blur Whole Image or Just the Background
Apply blur to a full photo or only the background, keeping a chosen subject sharp. Adjustable intensity, blur and pixelate modes, no upload required.
Drop a photo here or click to browse
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC. Your file is not uploaded.
About blurring photos
The tool applies a Gaussian blur or pixelation to the whole image, or to the background around a selected subject. Use the slider to dial in the intensity — changes are live.
In 'Background only' mode you draw a rectangle around the subject (a person, a product), and everything outside that rectangle gets blurred. The result mimics the bokeh effect of a phone's portrait mode.
Processing happens in the browser via the Canvas API. Your photo never reaches Convertilo's servers — we don't see or store it. Download the result as PNG (lossless) or JPG (compact).
Where photo blur helps
Bokeh effect for portraits
Snapshot without portrait mode? Outline the person — the background blurs and the portrait stands out. Great for social media, avatars and cover photos.
Hide sensitive background
Taking a screenshot of your desktop or a photo of your room — and there's a passport, a document, or a colleague's screen in the background? Background blur removes it.
Article hero or poster
A blurred photo makes a great backdrop for a heading or hero text. Sharp typography over blurred background looks editorial.
Wallpaper or slide background
A blurred image is a calm backdrop without visual noise. Perfect under icons, widgets or presentation slides.
FAQ
What's the difference between blur and pixelate?
Blur (Gaussian) is a soft 'out of focus' look. Pixelate is a coarse mosaic of squares — clearly signals 'this is hidden'. For aesthetics (bokeh, hero) pick blur; for hiding info — pixelate.
What is 'Background only' mode?
You draw a rectangle around a subject (person, product) that should stay sharp. Everything outside the rectangle gets blurred. The result resembles a smartphone's portrait mode: bokeh background, sharp subject.
What blur intensity is best?
For aesthetic bokeh — 8–20. To hide a face or background text — 30–60. To make text fully unreadable — 50+ or use pixelation with step 12+ pixels.
Is the file uploaded to a server?
No. Blur runs in your browser via the Canvas API. The photo never leaves your device — we never see, store or transmit it. Verify in the DevTools Network tab.
Is quality preserved?
PNG is lossless; JPG uses light compression (~92%). The image dimensions don't change. EXIF metadata is stripped automatically — usually a privacy win.
Can I blur only a face?
For faces use our dedicated 'Blur Face on Photo' tool. There you can mark several faces with rectangles and apply blur, pixelation or a solid black bar to each.