The short answer
Why use Glow?
A glow gives night lights, candles, neon signs and portraits a dreamy, cinematic feel. In an editor that is a duplicate layer, a blur and a Screen blend; here it is one slider.
Glow strength is a single Amount slider from 0 to 100, preset to 50. The photo is first brightened by Amount divided by 2 percent, so 25% at the default, and its saturation goes up 20%. A copy is then blurred by Amount divided by 8 pixels at a 1400 pixel long side, brightened by another 25%, and laid on top in Screen mode at up to 80% opacity.
Screen mode can only lighten, so bright areas drift toward white. A sunny sky or a white shirt can lose its detail at high amounts. Even at 0 the 20% saturation boost still applies, so setting the slider to zero does not give you back the untouched photo.
Dreamy Effect softens the whole picture and lowers contrast for a hazy look with a pink tint at the edges, rather than haloes around lights. Bokeh adds soft light circles around a sharp spot. Blur alone softens everything without brightening anything. For portraits, start Glow around 20 to 30 and raise it only if skin still looks natural.
Where Glow fits
Concert photos
Make stage lights bloom in a gig photo for a band's social post.
Christmas cards
Give fairy lights and a candlelit table a warm halo for a holiday card.
Cyberpunk edits
Push neon signs in a rainy city shot toward a glowing sci-fi look.
Start to finish
How to use Glow
- 01Tap Choose image and pick a photo with lights or bright highlights.
- 02Raise Amount from 50 for a wider, brighter haze, or lower it if skies and whites start to wash out.
- 03Tap Apply changes, check the brightest areas for lost detail, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Glow
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Amount slider, plus a color picker for effects that need one |
| Output | A PNG image with the effect applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Glow tips
- Night street scenes and candlelit rooms glow the most convincingly.
- Amount 100 adds 50% overall brightness; avoid it on daylight photos.
- Even 0 adds 20% saturation, so skip the tool if colors must stay exact.
- Neon signs look stronger if you darken the photo with Exposure first.
Glow FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Why did my whole photo get brighter?
Does Glow work on dark photos?
Does Glow upload my file?
Is Glow free to use?
Why did Glow fail or look wrong?
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