The short answer
Why use Lens Blur?
Selecting a subject and feathering a blur around it by hand takes time and leaves hard edges. Here the sharp circle fades into the blur on its own, and you only decide where it sits and how big it is.
Amount runs from 0 to 100. The blur is scaled to the photo, about 12 pixels at the default 50 on a 1400-pixel image and twice that at 100, so large files look the same as small ones. Focus X and Focus Y place the sharp circle, and Sharp radius sets it from 5% to 90% of the shorter side.
The sharp area is a circle, not the outline of your subject. A tall standing person in a portrait photo will have their head sharp and their feet soft unless you raise Sharp radius. The fade is about a third of the radius wide, so a small radius gives a quick transition.
Bokeh uses the same circle and adds pastel light dots to the blurred area. Blur Frame keeps a fixed rectangle in the middle sharp, which suits centered group shots. Tilt Shift uses a horizontal band, and Zoom Blur adds motion streaks from the focus point instead of a soft blur.
Where Lens Blur fits
Product photos
Keep the product sharp and soften a cluttered table behind it.
Food shots
Blur the background of a plate photo taken in a busy cafe.
Pet portraits
Keep a dog's face in focus while the yard behind it melts away.
Start to finish
How to use Lens Blur
- 01Tap Choose image and pick the photo whose background you want softened.
- 02Tap the subject to place the sharp circle, then adjust Sharp radius and raise Amount from 50.
- 03Tap Apply changes, check the subject is sharp from edge to edge, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Lens Blur
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Blur amount, focus point, and sharp-area size |
| Output | A PNG image with the blur applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Lens Blur tips
- The sharp area is a circle, so raise Sharp radius for tall subjects.
- About 12 pixels of blur at 50 on a 1400-pixel photo, scaled up for bigger files.
- Focus X and Focus Y can be typed when tapping is fiddly.
- The red dashed circle is only on the preview, never in the file.
Lens Blur FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Will bright lights turn into round discs?
Is the red dashed circle saved in the file?
Does Lens Blur upload my file?
Is Lens Blur free to use?
Why did Lens Blur fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Blur & Focus.