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.
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, SVG, AVIF
Drag and drop your file here or click to select
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.