Blur Background — Portrait Blur Without an Upload
Blur everything behind the subject of a photo while the subject itself stays sharp — the portrait-mode look, applied after the fact. A segmentation model finds the subject in your browser, you set the blur strength, and you download the result. No account, no watermark, no upload, and no limit on how many photos you do.
That last part is the difference. The well-known tools for this ask you to sign in, upload the photo to their servers, and often watermark the free output or cap the resolution. Here the model is downloaded once — about 44 MB — and then the work happens on your own device, which means a photo of your family, a product that has not launched, or an ID document never travels anywhere.
How this differs from real depth of field
A camera lens blurs by distance: things slightly behind the subject blur a little, things far behind blur a lot. This is a segmentation mask, so everything that is not the subject gets the same blur. The result reads convincingly on a portrait or a product shot, and looks artificial when the background contains objects at obviously different distances, or when you push the strength very high while the subject’s outline stays perfectly crisp. Between roughly 8 and 20 pixels is where it looks most natural at normal photo sizes.
What the model handles well
The model behind this is RMBG-1.4, trained for subject cut-outs: one clear foreground subject — a person, a pet, a product, a plant — against a background is its best case. It struggles with fine hair against a busy background, transparent and reflective objects such as glass, and scenes where there is no obvious single subject. If the edge comes out wrong, the practical fix is a photo where the subject is better separated from what is behind it.
Why people blur backgrounds
To hide a messy room behind a headshot, to keep a home address or a colleague out of a photo you are posting, to make a product stand out in a listing, or simply to direct attention. If the background needs to be gone rather than softened, the background remover produces a transparent PNG from the same model, and the image compressor will bring the file size down afterwards.
How to use Blur Background
- Drop in a JPG, PNG, or WebP photo with a clear subject in the foreground.
- Wait while the model loads. The first run downloads about 44 MB; after that your browser keeps it and the tool works offline.
- Set the blur strength. Around 8 to 20 pixels looks closest to a camera; higher values read as an effect.
- Use the compare button to flip between the original and the result and check the edges of the subject.
- Download the JPG. Nothing is uploaded at any point, and there is no watermark.
Features
- Automatic subject detection — no brushing or masking by hand; the model separates the subject from the background.
- Adjustable blur — from a light separation to a heavy wash, updated as you move the slider.
- Before-and-after compare — one button to flip between the original and the result.
- No watermark, no account, no cap — unlike the free tiers of the hosted editors.
- Works offline after the first load — the model is cached by the browser.
- The photo never leaves your device — which matters for family photos, unreleased products, and documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I blur the background of a photo?
Drop the photo in above, wait for the subject to be detected, and move the blur slider until it looks right. The subject stays sharp automatically — there is nothing to select or paint over. Then download the JPG.
Is the photo uploaded to a server?
No. The model runs inside your browser tab, so the image stays on your device. The only network request is the one-time model download, and after that the page works with the connection off.
Is there a watermark or a limit?
Neither. There is no account, no credit system, no watermark, and no cap on the number of photos. The practical limits are your device’s memory and patience — photos are scaled to 1600 pixels on the longest side before processing.
Why does the blur look artificial at high strength?
Because this is a segmentation mask rather than a depth map: everything behind the subject is blurred by the same amount, while a real lens blurs more with distance. At high strength the perfectly crisp outline against a heavily blurred background gives it away. Between 8 and 20 pixels usually reads as natural.
It got the edges of the hair wrong. Can I fix it?
Fine hair against a detailed background is the hardest case for any automatic cut-out, including the paid ones. A photo with more separation between the subject and the background — or with a plainer background — will come out noticeably better. There is no manual brush on this page.
Can I blur the background of a video?
Not here. This page works on stills. For video, the blur usually belongs in the conferencing app or the editor, since it has to be applied frame by frame in real time.